Liveaboard Knowledge
Step-by-Step: A Local’s Guide to Similan Liveaboards
By Sorrasek Phiboonthammasak Date 16 Dec 2024
Step-by-step Similan liveaboard guide by a local diver with 500+ dives. Plan your trip, choose the right boat, and dive like a pro!
Introduction to Similan liveaboard experience
Hello to all fellow scuba divers who love to explore the underwater beauty of Similan Island. I’m Benz, a local Thai divers, who have dived in Similan for more than 200 dives with a total dive of 500+. And I have been to more than 5 liveaboard trips in Similan. I will walk you through the liveaboard experience so you would not miss a thing about diving in Similan Island.
In this guide, I will learn everything you need to know about liveaboard in Similan from planning the trip, picking up the liveaboard, what to do on the boat and even the smallest thing like how much would you tip the liveaboard.
What is Similan Island and why does it have to be liveaboard?
Similan is an Island archipelago in the Northern Andaman sea. The archipelago consists of 11 islands, all of which are well protected in the Mu Ko Similan National Park. Similan is 70 Kilometers from Phang Nga provinces, making it easily accessible yet far enough from the mainland for nature to thrive from less human activities.
The main reason that Similan should be explored by liveaboard is because there is no accommodation in the national park. Hence, all visitors either have to go back by speed boat or spend a night on the liveaboard. The speed boat option is quite tiring as visitors need to take 1 to 1.5 hours back to the mainland. For liveaboard, divers can dive, sleep and eat around Similan Island on the boat, making the experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
Liveaboard in Similan normally is not a standalone trip. The trip will combine other amazing dive areas such as Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Surin National Park and Richelieu Rock together. They will call this famous itinerary the “North Andaman”. North Andaman popularity is not by luck, but by the sheer amount of creatures and actions underwater including whale sharks, manta ray, large school of barracuda, trevallies and small creatures like nudibranch and ghost pipefish. Later in this guide, I will give a brief on what to expect during each of the dive sites. Now it’s time to plan your dream Similan Liveaboard trip.
Planning your liveaboard trip in Similan - thing you should consider
When planning for a Similan Liveaboard trip, you will probably have many questions in your mind. The biggest would be: Am I able to dive in Similan, what boat I should book for, what things I should prepare for the trip. I’ll answer all the questions for you, so you know what you should do in each of the steps.
Who is Similan Island Liveaboard suited for?
Similan Island is suitable for divers at all levels. My first Similan liveaboard trip was when I only had 10 dives under my belt. Now, I can still fully enjoy Similan underwater with 500 dives. The dive site in Similan varies for each skill level. However, most of the dive site has gentle to moderate current. And, in most dives on the liveaboard boat, the dive masters or instructors will guide you through the dive site and ensure your safety during the trip in every dive.
When to Visit Similan Islands?
The best time to visit Similan National park is from December to February, during this time the weather is perfect at around 25 - 30 degree celsius. There is no monsoon and heavy rain. The underwater current is perfect with gentle current and high visibility.
However, divers can dive in Similan starting from 15 October to 15 May each year. Other months during the opening season are almost equally as good. But, you can expect a bit of rain in October and November. And from March to May, the weather could be as hot as 35 degree celsius. But you can expect great underwater conditions.
From May 15 to October 15 of every year, Similan Island, as part of the national park, is closed from the public. There are two main reasons. First the Islands are in the monsoon season, which puts all the boats at higher risk. Second, the national park wants the eco-system to recover from the opening season as it aligns with the fish egg laying season.
How long should your liveaboard trip in Similan be?
The length of the Liveaboard trip in Similan should cover all the highlight dive sites in the itinerary. And, to cover all the sites, it would take at least 3 divings days. The shortest trip divers should take will be a 4 Days 3 Nights liveaboard itinerary. During those 3 days, divers will dive in Similan on the first day, dive in Koh Bon & Koh Tachai on the second day, and dive and Richelieu on the last day.
If you want a comfortable no rush diving experience, the 5 days 4 nights itinerary will be a perfect trip. Because, the trip will add another diving day in Similan on the way back to the pier.
Who should you go with?
The obvious answer is going with someone with a diving certificate. If you have a dive buddy, please invite them over. You and your partner will both not only enjoy the underwater experience, but you will also enjoy the serendipity during the relaxing surface interval and a night time party.
However, if you have a family member that cannot dive, some of the liveaboards have the non-diver options. The non-diver can tag along to enjoy the food and the island excursion or snorkeling.
What would be the right budget for Similan Liveaboard trips?
The average Similan Liveaboard budget is around 30K to 35K THB per trip. However, there are plenty of options both higher and lower than the average. The lower budget could go as low as 20K THB, but the trip will be shorter and the boat might not have all the amenities or facilities. The higher budget liveaboard will have extra facilities like a jacuzzi, jet ski, nice saloon or en-suite bath room, which give diver a better experience during the trip. The budget difference is mostly due to the length of the trip and the facilities, the underwater diving experience will be the same in all of the boats. They will all have the same or similar itinerary.
But if you want to get a special deal for your trip, the trick is to book it early as possible. Most of the liveaboards will have the early bird promotion. But you have to book the trip before the season starts (around March to August). Some boats have last minute promotion, but you need to be in town and ready to dive for the next day. You will need luck to get this type of promotion. Or you can check our website for the latest special deal.
What are the liveaboard options in Similan?
As mentioned above, the liveaboard options depend on the budget. I would say there are three tiers. The luxury liveaboard, the standard liveaboard and the budget liveaboard.
Luxury Liveaboard
The liveaboard in this list is a fully custom designed boat for diving experience. They also have a nice interior to feel relaxed after each dive. The boat has extra facilities like ensuite bath room, jacuzzi, jet ski, massage or camera station. You can find the list down below.
Standard Liveaboard
The liveaboard in this section is a fully equipped liveaboard with comfortable experience. You will again have a great time on this boat. But it will lack the extra touch or activities or gourmet food for your trip.
Budget Liveaboard
If you are in for the diving experience for the best value, this is the liveaboard for you. The boat will have all the same diving service, all meals on board and professional dive guide. However, you will stay in the bunk beds or quad shared room.
A step-by-step guide to preparing for the liveaboard experience
Step 1: Booking and preparing your diving information
You can browse through different websites or our website for the liveaboard tips that suited you the most. A good online agent will ask you for the following information, which you can easily prepare for them.
- Name
- Passport Photo or Passport information like ID, Nationality and Date of birth for insurance purposes.
- Diving level and Diving Institution
- Date of your last dive - you should dive at least within 1 year of the trip
- Diving Equipment required - you have to try it before diving
- Sizing of your equipment
- Pick up options - you can choose a pick up from hotel or the airport.
Step 2: Prepare or rent your diving gear
Divers have two choices. Divers can bring their own diving equipment or divers can rent all the scuba diving gear. For the rental gear, dives can choose which item to rent. If you have your own wet suit but not BCD or regulators, you can rent just that. However, most liveaboards have a full diving equipment option, which bundle together and have a lower price than renting them separately.
For gear sizing, you will have a chance to choose your own sizing. But, if you are not sure about the size, the team will ask for your body measurements such as weight, height, gender, boot size and preferred size. You will have a chance to try the equipment before jumping into the water, hence please be assured that you will have a perfect size equipment for your journey.
Step 3: Others Item to bring on board.
To fully enjoy the liveaboard experience, this is my full to bring list onboard.
- Sunglasses - everyday you will see a sunset, hence bring sunglasses to enjoy them
- Sun screen - you can sunbathe if you want on the boat upper deck. Reef-safe sunscreen is recommended
- Defog solution - to defog your mask before every dive
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - for your safety during your safety stop
- Dive log book - to journal your diving journey
- Water proof bag - for your island excursion during the trip
- Reusable bottle - to reduce waste during your time in the national park
- Book/Kindle - some of the liveaboard do not have wifi, this will help you enjoy your down time
- Ear plugs - for better sleep in a shared room or from boat engine noises.
- Snacks - boat will have snacks but you might want to bring your favorite one
- Alcoholic beverages - some might want to enjoy their favorite beer or wine at night. Most boats allow them on board.
Actual Similan Livesboard experience
In this section I will briefly tell you about my personal experience on Similan Liveaboard. It will go in every detail from checking in to departing from the trip. I’ll give you the best possible tips for each section to prepare the best for your dream Similan trip.
Checking in on the liveaboard
As you already booked the trip, you now have three choices that you can tell the liveaboard about your pick up. The first choice is the pick up from the airport. With this option, you can book and arrange the flight near the pick up date and time of that boat. The liveaboard will arrange the shared pick up van to pick you up at the airport.
The second option is the hotel pick up. You might want to stay in Phuket or Phang Nga to enjoy the city or the resort before the trip. Liveaboards will offer a pick up from the hotel. However, you need to make sure that the boat you booked has a pick up location in your hotel. As the boats either depart from Phuket or Phang Nga. Some boats that depart from Khao Lak might not have a free pick up from Phuket. Please check with your liveaboard or booking agent to make sure of the location.
The third option is to meet at the check in location. You can either meet directly at the pier, where the boat is, or meet at the dive center where they will check your information.
The good scuba agent will make sure of your check in method and pick up location for each of your trips. You do not have to think about it yourself. They will inform you of the pick up time, which normally is one day before the trip. The tip is always check the boat depart time and ask for advice on the pick up time and location when booking the liveaboard.
After checking in, the boat will check your diving license and your booking confirmation. Later, the boat manager will give a boat briefing on boat safety, your room and layout of the boat for your easy navigation. On the first night, they will serve a light dinner and check you into your room. The boat then will depart for Similan Island.
Eating on the liveaboard in Thailand
The mantra of the liveaboard in Thailand is dive, eat, sleep and repeat. Yes, eating is very big for a liveaboard in Thailand. All liveaboards have all meals onboard. Within one day, you will have at least 4 meals.
The first meal is an early breakfast before your first dive, which normally is bread and coffee or tea. The second breakfast is after your first dive, which could be English style breakfast, Thai food or dimsum. This one will start to feel like a proper meal.
The third meal will be lunch after your second dive. This meal will most likely be a local dish or spaghetti or noodle. The fourth meal will be a snack after your third dive. This could be fruits or some sweets to increase your energy after your dive. The last meal will be after your night dive or fourth dive. This one will be the heaviest of them all. This meal could be BBQ, hot pot, sushi or Thai BBQ. You will definitely have a feast on the boat.
At all times, you will have access to snacks, coffee, tea and water at all times. In my personal experience, I normally gain weight after the dive trip.
For the expert tips, if you have food allergy or food preference, please let the boat know. They will try their best to accommodate your request.
Sleeping on the liveaboard
For me, I slept like a baby after each day, because diving took all my energy. However, for some, sleeping on the boat could be quite difficult. Here are a few tips for better sleep.
- Choose the cabin that is further away from the back of the boat, as the engine will run during the night. And, it might be noisy for some people.
- Prepare an ear plug if you have to share a room with a stranger, as you would face a snoring sound.
- If you have not dived for a while, you might get seasickness, preparing seasickness pills might help during the first few days.
- Have your jacket ready at night. Some boats have a central unit aircon which could be very cold at night. And you cannot adjust the temperature as you like.
All the liveaboard boats will have a towel, blanket and pillow. You don't need to prepare for that during your journey.
Diving on the liveaboard in Similan
The process of diving in Thailand is almost similar to all liveaboards around the world. 15 to 20 minutes before the dive, you will get a dive site briefing. You will learn what marine animal to expect during the dive, the dive plan and the dive map.
Later, you will change into your diving gears. You will recheck with your buddy, if your equipment is functioning properly. You will dive in groups, mostly with 1 dive guide to 4 diver ratio. In Similan National Park, you are allowed to make an entry from the dinghy or zodiac boat only. Hence, you will boat the dinghy and do a roll back entry when you reach the descending point.
During the dive, please make sure to follow your instructor and the dive plan. As in Thailand, there are many divers in one dive site. You could lose with your group during the dive. Also, if you see whale sharks or rays, please do not chase them outside the reef. You might get carried away by the currents.
At the end of the dive, you will stay with your group to do your safety stop. Once it is done, the dinghy will pick you up to climb up on the liveaboard boat. Now it’s time to take all your gear off and do surface intervals.
Resting on Similan Liveaboard
Divers will have more than plenty of time resting between each dive. Here are a few things you can do on a liveaboard boat.
- Eating - of course you probably be eating as mentioned before in this article
- Socializing - you can enjoy your conversation during break with fellow diver.
- Watching movies - in an indoor saloon they have a tv and audio system to enjoy.
- Napping - or you can nap to recharge, time your sleep well or you will wake up and not ready for the next dive
- Reading - enjoy your downtime with your book
- Enjoying the sunset - you will experience the sunset with the ocean horizon everyday, so enjoy it!
- Drinking - at night you might want to enjoy the party, but make sure you have it in the limit, as you need to dive in the next morning
- Whether you are going alone, with friends or family, you will have a great time experiencing different things on the boat and enjoying conversation with your fellow scuba divers.
Checking out
The saddest part of the trip is where all the underwater magic ends. The boat will arrive at the pier, you can clean your gear and hang it dry before packing it up for the trip. You will get the debrief from your trip.
If you like the service of the boat, you can give the boat crew a gratuity of 5-10% of your paid trip. The boat crew are on low wage, they will highly appreciate your gratuity.
The boat will have a service to transfer you to the airport or the hotel of your choice. Please ask the liveaboard to make arrangements to align with the rest of your travel plan.
The most popular Similan Liveaboard Itinerary
The Similan Itinerary includes the other Island and it will be called the North Andaman itinerary. In each dive location you will enjoy different scenes and different marine creatures. Here is the brief intro to each of them. To learn more about you can go to the explore section on our website.
Similan Island
Similan Island underwater is superb in visibility. The divers will find themself in gentle current, amazing coral reefs and many colorful fishes. Some dive sites have gentle sandy slopes with garden eels. Others might have a large rock boulder to explore. You can expect to see whale sharks or manta ray, but the chance is pretty slim.
Koh Tachai
Koh Tachai is a rock boulder stacked upon each other, creating a unique feature for a seafan to grow on. Divers will enjoy massive seafan and a unique perspective of rock and coral coexisted. Manta Rays could show up at any minute on this sight so keep an eye out.
Koh Bon
Koh Bon is famous for its Manta Ray cleaning. Divers might want to wait around the giant flat rock that manta ray uses as a cleaning station. When they come, they will swim slowly around the rock to wait of the small fishes to clean off its skin.
Richelieu Rock
The best dive site in Thailand. Here you can find anything under the horseshoe shaped rock. Divers can enjoy macro creatures like nudibranch, ghost pipefish or harlequin shrimp. Or divers can enjoy a large school of giant trevallies or barracuda hunting. Whale sharks, manta rays and guitar shark might approach the dive site as well.
Conclusion
The Similan Islands liveaboard experience is more than just a diving trip. It is an adventure into one of the most beautiful underwater in the world. From the colorful coral reefs to the majestic manta rays at Koh Bon, and the thrilling underwater encounters at Richelieu Rock. At every dive site, it offers something unique for divers of all levels. A liveaboard trip to the Similan Islands is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that promises unforgettable memories.
If you are planning a liveaboard experience in Similan or looking for a liveaboard, you can check out or liveaboard options at our site or you can send a contact to ask for advice. You can directly ask for me (Benz) to help plan the trip without any pressure on booking. Our team wants you to experience the best of Similan and showcase our country. Also don't forget to take advantage of our exclusive early bird promotions and special deals to make your dream dive trip a reality. See you underwater!
Don’t Forget to share this post