Top Dive Sites
Boonsung Wreck – This 1950’s dredger sank in the 1980’s and is now in 6 main pieces. The Boonsung is a beautiful artificial reef bursting with macro life. You’ll find moray eels, seahorses, pipefish, nudibranch and a variety of crustaceans, as well as colourful reef fish and even leopard sharks on the sand. The broken down wreck can be dived again and again and you’ll always find something new.
Similian Islands – Regarded by many as Thailand’s best diving due to the sheer abundance of fish, variety of species, kaleidoscopic colours, stunning topside scenery and impressive reef-scapes. You’ll find giant bommies shrouded in glassfish, huge gorgonian fans and table corals, sharks, turtles, trevallies, groupers and barracudas. On the reef there are frogfish, ribbon eels, octopus and so much more. These Islands are all about underwater action.
Richelieu Rock – About 200 kilometres / 120 miles north of Phuket, this horseshoe-shaped rock in the Andaman Sea might just be Thailand’s most famous dive site. Look for big stuff – giant, lumbering whale sharks, barracuda tornadoes, huge groupers and clouds of tropical fish. You’ll also find shovelnose rays, seahorses, pipefish and cuttlefish. For underwater photographers, the hardest thing about diving this site is deciding whether to go wide angle or macro.
Koh Bon – Well known for its manta ray and pelagic sightings, Koh Bon is a popular dive spot just over an hour away from the Similan Islands. Other visitors here include leopard rays, eagle rays and black tip reef sharks. When you are not looking into the blue, Koh Bon has excellent critter life including numerous commensal shrimp species, crabs, nudibranch, bottom dwellers and octopus. It is also a great spot for night diving.
Koh Tachai – This submerged ridge is made up of hard corals and boulders which have formed numerous channels and swim throughs. Expect to see vibrant corals, large sea fans and a plethora of reef fish but the major attractions here are manta rays, whale sharks, groups of hunting tuna, schooling barracuda, fusiliers, large trevallies, leopard sharks, nurse sharks and hawksbill turtles. This is definitely a dive site for all big fish aficionados.
Dive Centre
Khao Lak Explorer is a 5* PADI dive center operating around the Similan Islands, including dives on Koh Bon (Manta Point), Koh Tachai and the famous Richelieu Rock.
The dive center was founded in 2010 by a group of passionate instructors who fell in love with Khao Lak and the amazing scuba diving in the Similan Islands national park. They’re a one-stop-shop for scuba diving, snorkeling and land excursions.
Nitrox is available on board and they limit to maximum 18 divers. All diving daytrips are suitable for divers, non-divers and families with children. The courses and fun dives are done in small groups of 4 or 5 divers maximum per guide and are available in a number of languages.
The prime beachfront location in Khao Lak center has tropical contemporary design and architecture. Offering three wings– Lagoon Wing, Seaside Wing and Aqua Wing—each catering to diverse needs and lifestyles with ample spaces provided for bringing people together and for offering the peace and solitude others desire.
