Similian Islands
Travel Location: Simillian-Islands,Thailand
So…. I left Pha-ngan (James Bond Islands) and stopped over in Khao Lak on the way to Kao Sok National Park. Khao Lak was badly affected by the Tsunami, but has physically recovered very well – however not many tourists have returned there since. A shame as it is quite a nice area. I was keen to move on though as it was more of a package holiday destination and not so easy to meet people as the restaurants and bars are so spread out along the main road. But, what did attract me and keep me there for more than one day was the fact that it is the closest to the Similian Islands, renowned for world-class diving! 
The Similian Islands are part of a large nature reserve and so are home to fabulous coral reefs and some pretty big fish.
So, having struggled with my money-conscious self and won (diving here is expensive because of park fees and travel to the islands… 2 hours by speed boat) I set off for the Similian Islands. I was feeling pretty sea-sick as we arrived at the first dive site so was soooo glad to get in the water! The first dive was just 35 minutes due to the fast air-consumption of one of the divers in our group… still, it was very beautiful and we saw love interesting aquatic life, including a turtle The second dive was the most spectacular, with visibility at about 25 metres and the site having vibrant colours! There were lovely tunnels and large rock surfaces to explore and we were down almost an hour We saw three more turtles just before our safety stop….yay! Feeling good The boat ride back was quite rough as we bounced along over large waves as the rain lashed down… my first tropical storm
…home to fabulous coral reefs and some pretty big fish!
The next day I was pleased to be heading off to the jungle… I’m amazed at the diverse landscapes in Thailand! The constantly changing scenary is definitely one of the best things about this trip so far. At this point in my journal I wrote, ‘…enjoying the freedom and independence that travel can bring.’
