Similan National Park

Similan is a national park of Thailand in the province of Pang Nga, established in 1982. The total area of the park is 128 ^km2, of which 14 ^km2 are on 9 islands: Huyong, Payang, Payan, Miang, Ha, Pau, Hin Pusar, Similan, Bangu, Bon, Tachai, located in the Andaman Sea 70 km from the coast. Translated from the languages of Java, the name of the archipelago means "nine". These exotic islands were formed by volcanoes, and the magma that came to the surface 65 million years ago was smoothed out by the waves.

The relatively small territory of the Similan Islands contains almost everything that can surprise southern Thailand: steep granite cliffs, the most wonderful beaches with the purest white sand and lagoons with clear water, dense tropical vegetation, amazing coral reefs.

Each island of the archipelago has its own highlights.:

• Koh Haiong is one of the whitest beaches in the archipelago, and turtles lay their eggs here in November and February.
• Koh Payang - the island's landscape consists of rocks and cliffs.
• Koh Payan has a large number of rocks and no beaches.
• Koh Miang is the second largest island in the Similan Archipelago. The main office of the national park is here, as well as a beautiful beach.
• Koh Similan is the largest island with depths of up to 25 meters near the islands. In the small bay on the west side, you can find lobsters, fans, and soft corals. On the mountain of the island there is a huge stone, which is a symbol of the Similan Islands.
• Koh Ha is a great place to dive, and there is also an "Eel Garden" where you can see eels sticking out of the sand.
• Koh Pai - there is no beach on the island, but the local waters are favored by divers, who are attracted here by the diverse underwater world.
• Koh Hin Pusar is a rocky island with underwater caves, which have a unique nature. In addition to corals, there are a large number of fish, chimeras, sponges, and turtles.
• Koh Bon and Koh Tachai - there is a beautiful beach, and you can meet a whale shark near the shore.

The American Diving Association has listed the Similan Islands in the top 10 best places for diving and snorkeling. Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a French researcher and inventor of scuba diving, was one of the first to dive in these places. The underwater world of the park is very diverse, with sea devils, whales, leopards, reef sharks, rays, Napoleon fish and a large number of other fish swimming here, attracted by the complex ecosystem of coral reefs, sometimes called the rainforest of the sea. The reefs are inhabited mainly by anemones, clams, crabs, gorgonarias, lobsters, sponges, marine flowers and corals. Corals are the main builders of reefs, forming limestone structures during their lifetime, which can grow up to 30 meters high on the Similan Islands.

All the islands of the Similan archipelago are surrounded by beach forests that turn into tropical forests in the interior of the island. There are 39 species of birds on the islands, of which sea kites, white-breasted reed warblers and migratory species of wagtails, snipe, swallows, herons, imperial pigeons, eagles, terns are constantly found here. The islands have very scarce freshwater reserves, so large mammals cannot survive here. Nevertheless, there are 27 varieties of small mammals, including 16 bats. Squirrels, palm martens, lemurs, and wild snakes can also be found on the island. Earthen crabs are also found in large numbers on the island.

Every year, Similan is visited by up to 150,000 travelers sailing from Phuket and Khao Lak. You can reach the island in about two hours by purchasing an excursion from one of the travel agencies. It is worth noting that due to the rainy season, the park can only be visited from November to May. At other times, the park is unsuitable for recreation and storms pose a danger to life.