Similan Islands National Marine Park

Diving enthusiasts should not miss the Similan Islands (Muu Ko Similan) with its incredible underwater sightseeing that is so clear you could see it at depths ranging from 2 to 30m. At times, the Similans are referred to as Ko Kao or Nine Islands. True to its name (which actually originates from the Malay word sembilan for nine), there are a total of nine islands with each island given a designated number along with a name. These are the islands in order: Ko Bon, Ko Ba-Ngu, Ko Similan, Ko Payu, Ko Miang (which is made up of two islands close to each other), Ko Payan, Ko Payang, and Ko Hu Yong. These nine islands are small and uninhabited except for park officials and occasional tourists. The beauty of these islands lies in the 32 bird species, both resident and migratory, along with reptiles, amphibians, and mammals such as the bush-tailed porcupine and flying lemur.