Similan Islands Snorkeling Trip From Phuket

A day on the Similan islands

The thing to remember is that the Thai people are amazing, so generous and beautiful, they are definitely not appreciated enough, as evidenced by the tip jar that goes around the boat at the end of the trip. Please consider them and give more than the 20baht most of our neighbors gave, I thought it was an insult to the day they tried to provide for us. The positive from this trip, and most importantly, the team on the speedboat were amazing, they were friendly, attentive and professional, however the only good thing about this trip was the snorkeling, which was phenomenal. The water, fish, coral, were so spectacular, they just made the trip worthwhile. The free time to swim and relax was beautiful as well. Negativity, what we didn’t realize was the transfer from Patong to the marina takes 2hrs, then the speedboat to the islands takes 1 and 1/2 hours. There were 50 of us on a speedboat where the seats are smaller than buses, with all our bags, snorkels, fins etc with nowhere to go except upon us, a most uncomfortable trip, made especially so when you’re wet. I’m not going to complain about the food, basic sustenance for the day.

Great tour

Great tour . Value the money. It is a 10-13 hr tour including pickup. Breakfast is provide befor start. Lot of snaks and drinks during boat ride. Guide is helpful and well organized. Snorkeling in several islands. Able to capture breathtaking photos.

Similan islands well worth a visit, bring snacks if fussy!

Picked up quite early in order to get to boat, breakfast was provided with drinks (however it was a set meal not a choice- didn't cater to allergies as far as I could see, no fruit provided so I had a drink of orange juice ) Speedboat for around an hour, drinks and snacks provided (again snacks weren't for allergens so I had a drink) Crew were amazing, green team! Enthusiastic, informative and high energy. Visited separate islands and they were stunning. Lunch was provided but this wasn't great, full of picnic benches surrounded by flies- very off putting, food was plentiful but didn't want to eat. Snorkelling experience was amazing. Islands were stunning Food was rubbish.

Similan Islands, Well Worth Visiting

It was a fun time. Sail rock was special. Snorkeling was good as waters were calm. It's a long way from Patong Beach but I'd do it again. Nap in the van will shorten the ride. Only glitch was the driver was late with pick up so left us only 10 min to down our breakfast. Our tour guide was "Lady Ga Ga" he/she was very hilarios and entertaining. Tour operators were very generous with water and sodas to make sure you were well hydrated in the heat. Breakfast and lunch were good.

Awesome adventure to do. Highly recommended

Highly recommended. We enjoyed this tour. Pick up/drop off went smoothly. This tour company really treats you well.

An increadible experience with a great tour team!

This was an amazing experience. We were picked up at the hotel which was great! We did not have to worry about getting to the experience ourselves early in the morning. When we arrived at the location where we would catch the boat to the Similan islands, an amazing breakfast was waiting for us with bread, scrambled eggs, drinks, etc. All the necessary snorkeling equipment was also given to us plus two towels in a cute bag. Then the tour started. Our tour guide Tom and his team were all incredible and really funny. They made the trip even more enjoyable! Best tour guide team I have ever had! They were also always really kind and gave us water, coca cola, and snacks the whole time to guarantee we were okay. The trip started with some rest time on an island with an amazing shelf rock shape and an incredible beach with clear blue water. It felt amazing to stay there for a while to get some rest and take many beautiful pictures. Afterward, we went to two different locations to make snorkeling. We saw many amazing fish species with beautiful colors! It was a remarkable experience even though we did not see any turtles! Finally, we went to another island to have lunch and some rest again on a beautiful beach. The lunch was the only thing we did not like. It did not taste good and for the price we paid, we were expecting a better meal. Finally, we came back to Phuket and had an amazing snack waiting for us with cookies, drinks, and pad thai. Once more, we did not have to worry about transportation to our hotel. They left us there.

Paid premium service for nothing, disappointing

I recently booked a Viator tour to Similan Island, opting for a 2nd-floor seat at a premium price. However, upon arrival, everybody was assigned to seat on 1st-floor seats, regardless that I have paid for a higher-tier service. This discrepancy between what was promised and what was delivered was extremely disappointing. Moreover, the way the situation was handled by both the tour operator and Viator's customer service team was incredibly disappointing. Not only did they fail to provide the service I paid for, but their refusal to refund the price difference was accompanied by rude and unhelpful communication. The operator's complete disregard for my messages without any apology added to the frustration and lack of accountability. The lack of accountability and customer service was frustrating and left a sour taste in what should have been an enjoyable experience. I highly advise against booking through Viator for this specific tour, as the experience fell far below the expected standard.

Paid premium service for nothing

The seastar company which actually run this business was doing great. But this local agent or operator is terrible in terms of service. 1) I paid extra a 2nd floor seating, but the boat I took got one floor only, which means I paid extra for nothing. 2) I don't really mind about seating, but I got no explanation at all, and I got no response when I reach out to the agent, and this really pissed me off. If you don't have premium seating available, then don't offer this option. if seat was not available accidentally, then refund the price difference to me would do the work. No response/explanation make me think I paid extra to an lier.

Don't, just don't do it.

Do not go there! This is just mass tourism at its finest and you'll loose one day of your holiday. The only star for the tour will be given to nancy and the nice crew that tried making a very bad business to a nice experience. In the end, the "snorkeling" tour had 2x30min snorkelinh with 200 other tourists in the water in a caged square. Some of the snorkeling time was spent with looking at non-swimmers trying to enter the sea and let them be teared around from the crew. Sadly, the corals were already mostly dead and the fish scared away by all the tourists hunting the poor sea turtle. It was just not nice! Newer in my life I will attend another of these tours again, next time I'll pay 10 times the price for a private tour, as my holiday time is too valuable, compared to this experience.

Big waste of holiday time

I can not recommend this tour at all. In a boat with around 40 other tourists and together with 4 other boats (at all around 200 tourists) you'll get shipped to the island. We had 2 very poor snorkeling spots, dead sea, a few fish in fear and a poor turtle hunted by all the tourists around them. On each of the two snorkeling spot, we were at a max of 30min and a big part of it was to bring all the non-swimmers to water. The snorkeling spots were a few 100m apart and very, very weared down. Almost all corals were already dead and due to so much traffic with 5 speed boats, also alot of fish already were gone. This was just a very sad picture. Why I not gave this tour 1 star? Because of the crew. They were just great and tried to make the best out of a bad situation. Next time I'll pay 10 times more for a private trip, instead of burning almost one whole day of holiday for this. I was overall underwhelmed of this mass tourist activity.

Great Snorkelling at Similand Islands

Easy to book and gods experience overall. Not 100% accurate the description but still good. Snorkelling at Similand it’s amazing!

Wonderful

It was very fun trip👌😄 the guide was very nice and helpful,he even get in the water with everybody, while we were snorkelling and he showed me 2 sea turtles underwater❤️ He was amazing,thank you for this trip:) Similan islands is so beautiful, it’s paradise on earth ❤️❤️❤️

Overall a great day

Although the trip was long, the destinations were beautiful. The crew, especially the leader Tomm, were excellent; very helpful and they paid close attention to everyone’s safety. The only negative was the food served on the island which was not edible. Thankfully there were coffee and snacks served by the tour company at the beginning and end of the trip. Overall a great day!

Beautiful Location

Beautiful Locations, less crowded than Phi Phi Island and more stunning. Beautiful snorkeling with lots of fishes and Turtles. Crystal blue waters and soft sandy beaches. The only let down was the food served at lunch.

Beautiful beaches and good snorkelling

Got picked up in Karon at 5.45 and drove two hours, then breakfast (nice), then preparation and a 1 hour and 20 minute boat trip. There were two snorkelling sites and two beaches (it says snorkelling is optional at beaches but there is really nothing to see there). The lunch after the first snorkelling is quite ok and there is a kids menu. Both snorkelling sites are good and lots of fish to see. The guide was very good and helpful and spoke English very well. They even had a German speaking guide. The last beach at “duck bay” is really good and we took the walk to the view point. Recommend this but be careful not to trip. There was even an early dinner after returning with the boat around 5 pm. We were at our hotel around 8 pm. I had my 9 year old with me and she managed snorkelling were well, wearing a life vest. I would not recommend kids much younger than this as it is a very long day trip. It did not feel as crowded as I have heard descriptions of the trips to Phi Phi Island. Highly recommended if you want a good snorkelling and boat trip that is not too crowded.

Nice trip with a bad end - food poisoning

Calculate 3 days for the trip - it’s a nice tour with stunning beaches and quite an amazing snorkeling experience BUT do not eat the food served on the islands.. we received a nice food poisoning…

Amazing experience all around!!!

I looooved everything about this trip, the islands were beautiful, Natacha and her crew were amazing. They made the trip enjoyable, they explained everything really well & we’re very accommodating. The only things I’d say that I didn’t like was how cold the food was, they should invest in those warmer things who keep the food warm. But they did provide breakfast, lunch & dinner which I can’t complain about. Loved the experience!!

A must do!

The Islands were sensation! The sand felt like icing sugar between your toes and sea crystal clear. The snorkeling was wonderful. It was worth every penny.

Beautiful waters and lots of fishes as promised.

Tour staff helpful. Waves on the day prevented visiting one of the beaches but all of the others were just as beautiful. A good mix of both sea and beach snorkelling. Good catering and plenty of options for refreshments. A less crowded or commercial snorkelling option. Definitely recommend.

Fantastic Islands, must see!

The boattrip to the similan Islands was terryfying because of the big waves. But it was all forgotten when we saw tha beautiful Islands! Such clear and blue water. The snorkling was amazing and we got to see all the fishes from the Nemo movie! :) the boat trip back was much better! The guy who drove us to the hotel forgot about us, and didnt drive to our hotel, so we got a 2,5 hour trip instead of 40 minits, he didnt wanted to turn and Get us there, so we drove all around the Island dropping off everybody else, and then us :(

Overall the trip to similan is mesmerising

Driver arrived at allocated time slot. The tour guide is very friendly and engaging which alleviate our mood for the trip. Even though the place is crowded, we manage to reach early as the boat driver is fast!

Good visiting times

Pick up was on time. Beautiful views of the islands and great boat ride. Good visiting times. Overall, it was a great time! Well worth visiting. Only thing I would say is that the lunch wasn’t amazing - lunch place quiet dirty but alright food.

Love the trip to Similan Islands

White fine sands and turquoise sea water. The driver came to the hotel and fetched us on time. Vehicle can fit 12 passengers + 1 driver. Island is clean with no trash (because the tour will provide trash bin in the speed boat and everybody is expected to bring their trash back onboard) No slippers allowed onboard and on the island, so it can be quite painful when you climbed the cliff on Island No.8. We visited Island No.8, No.7 and No.4. Loving the place!

Getting up early is worth it

Well organized day, avoiding for the most part the fleets of tourists that are dumped in mass. Shuttle service to / from the hotel accurate and punctual. Guide prepared, kind and helpful. The two stops for beautiful snorkeling. Lunch can be improved. Overall I would recommend it and do it again.

You really good

You really good. The service is very good, the shuttle is on time and the tour guide takes care of the group.

Nancy made it amazing

Fantastic clear waters amazing bright coloured fish, first time couple snorkel, allot for your money , white sand incredible islands, allot of food for lunch, very very rough fast boat ride we found it fun but sea sick people will definitely not. Our tour guide Nancy was fantastic he made our experience amazing & very fun.

Better book a private trip

Well organized and very nice crew, hence 3 stars. You are well supplied with water, Thai cola and tablets for seasickness. Advertised with a maximum of 30 people per group, there were over 40 in our speedboat. At each stop there were at least 4 other boats with at least as many passengers - do the math. The spots that were visited for snorkeling were not nice. Similan Islands are often praised for the great snorkeling and diving experience. We obviously did not go to these places on this tour, because the reefs were badly damaged and there was only a little coral. Due to the heavy seas we could not go to the last snorkeling spot - which is not a big deal, but we were out all day to snorkel twice for around 20 minutes. That is too much effort for the return or for a snorkeling trip. The food on the island was cold (would have been warm food) - apart from the soup. You are not allowed to bring your own food to the islands. 1-2 star ratings are probably being suppressed. I know of at least one such review and it is not displayed. Spend more money and book a private trip. Maybe that is better.

Nicht empfehlenswert

Ich hatte 2 Tage vor dem Ausflug den Anbieter kontaktiert wegen der Abholung - keine Antwort. Am Nachmittag vor dem Ausflug kam eine Nachricht mit der Abholzeit (5.30), der dringenden bitte schnell die Ausweise zu schicken (als Touri hat man hier eventuell kein internet und nur wlan im hotel …) und man solle noch 800 am Ausflug zahlen. Am nächsten Tag erreichte man das Ziel mit dem Taxi gegen 7.45 Uhr - hatte Zeit zu frühstücken. Wir wurden in die letzte Gruppe gesteckt und mussten bis 9.30 Uhr warten. Die Insel war überfüllt und der Schnorchelausflug fand in der Inselbucht statt… Zusammengefasst waren wir ca 7 Stunden unterwegs für paar Stunden Massenschwimmen in einer Bucht. (min. 5 Schiffe für einen kleinen Strand :((( ) Nancy die Tourleitung bekommt den einzigen Stern!:)

Sehr zu empfehlen!

Das war ein toller Ausflug, einfach unvergesslich. Die Insel an sich sind wunderschön, aber die Organization der Tour war einfach perfekt! Auch das Essen war sehr gut, ich kann nicht klagen. Ich gebe volle 5 Sterne. Aber ich würde empfehlen, eine Art Aquaschuhe oder Socken mitzunemen. Die Sache ist, bevor man den Speedboat betritt muss man die Schuhe abgeben. Bei der Wanderung zum Viewpoint läuft man auf den heißen Steinen, ich glaube, ich habe mir die Fußsohlen verbrant. Man sollte hier aufpassen. Nichtsdestotrotz würde ich die Tour herzlich empfehlen und auf jeden Fall gerne nochmals mitmachen. Vielen Dank an das Team!

Traumhafter Ausflug, absolut empfehlenswert.

Es ist ein großartiger Ausflug. Der weiße Sand, das türkis farbene Meer, sowie die vielen bunten Fische einfach traumhaft dieses Fleckchen Erde. Die Abholung von Patong klappte perfekt. Das Essen war sehr gut und ausreichend. Zu trinken war immer genügend vorhanden. Auch die Crew war klasse, danke an Way und Jenny die sich auch sehr für das Schützen der Korallen einsetzen. Füße und Hände haben auf dem Boden nichts zu suchen. Macht weiter so und habt eine gute Zeit.

Super tour

Fantastisch georganiseerde tour! We werden op tijd opgehaald door onze chauffeur en naar de pier gereden. Hier stond een uitgebreid ontbijt klaar waarna we al snel de boot op gingen. We zijn naar 4 verschillende eilanden geweest waarvan we op 2 snorkelde en op 2 konden zwemmen/snorkelen/relaxen. Ook zat er een uitgebreide lunch bij. Onze super leuke gids Tom zorgde goed voor ons en bracht ons ook op tijd weer terug naar de pier. Wat een prachtige eilanden met hagelwit zand en helder blauw water! Er zijn nog wel wat meer touristen maar het valt eigenlijk reuze mee met de drukte. Echt een aanrader!

Plongée paradisiaque à Similan

Une excellente journée pour découvrir l'île de Similan. Pour les passionnés de plongée et de natation comme moi, c'était juste extraordinaire. J'avais envie que ce soit plus long et que la journée ne se termine plus.