Blogs from Ko Similan Marine NP, South-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia

Similan Islands National Park After visitng the Surin Islands we packed up the circus and headed back to Khao Lak to overnight before continuing on to our next destination… Similan Islands National Park. The Similan Islands are about an hour and a half off the coast of Thailand and comprised of 9 separate islands… of which 3 are off limits to humans because they have breeding turtle populations and only two can accommodate overnight visitors (#4 & 8). We would be staying 3 nights on island #4. Our hotel arranged our transfer to the islands and we (along with a few others) were picked up bright and early and taken to the company’s offices to pay an extortionate “deposit” for snorkel equipment and listen to the standard speech about not stepping on coral (which some idiots ... read more

Diving in the Similan Islands on a 4 day liveaboard.... read more

Eben noch im Flugzeug...jetzt auf unserer Showbühne. So sind wir uns etwa vorgekommen und tatsächlich am Tag nach unserer Ankunft bereits bei den Similan Islands aufgewacht. Die Similan Islands sind ein Naturpark der aus mehreren Inseln besteht und aufgrund ihrer guten Lage zu einem beliebten Tauchspot geworden sind. Nachdem wir aufgrund unseres Tagesfluges ein nicht unerhebliches Schlafmanko hatten, haben wir von der Nachtfahrt nichts mehr mitbekommen. Um 7 Uhr in der Früh wurden wir dann aus dem Schlaf gerissen und mussten zum ersten Briefing antreten. Schliesslich waren wir ja zum tauchen da und nicht zum faulenzen. Nun, so besteht der Bordalltag aus 4 Tauchgängen täglich, auf freiwilliger Basis natürlich. Und zwischen den Tauchgängen wurde gegessen, geschlafen und gebruzelt...soll ja niemand nachher meinen wir hätten 3 Wochen im Zimmer verbracht. Neben den interessanten... read more

The great chance we have living in Bangkok is the proximity to so many wonderful places. We certainly did not have the same freedom while living in Shanghai, or let put it on other words, it would have cost us a fortune. Leslie had school holidays on Thursday and Friday . School on Wednesday finishes at 2.30pm...well, we were in our plane by 4pm! And here we are, having a first seafood dinner on the beach of Kamala, Phuket, by 7pm. This time I rented a car for four days as we were going to head north to Khao Lak, and I don't mind some freedom of movements. Our first stop is our prefered restaurant in Phuket, the Lotus. It is next to a place Ma'ri and I truly cherish, the Banyan Tree. But no wine ... read more

When god made earth he started with the Similan Islands Very early start this morning , and for us who have been sleeping in until about midday this was really early. We were picked up at 7.30am and driven onto the main land to catch the speed boat to the islands about 2 hours away. So once we arrived and still half asleep it was time to collect our snorkelling gear and board the speed boat. The Similan Islands, located about 50 Kilometres West of Khao Lak, are composed of nine granite islands washed by a clear blue tropical ocean and blessed with some of the world’s finest beaches. Similan is a Yawi or Malay word, which means nine or a group of nine islands. In 1982, this 128 square kilometres area was declared a ... read more