The entire trip was wonderful - the boat ride, the scenery, the stops for swimming and snorkel - everything was perfect. A dream come true, and still on my bucket list.
Similan Islands Tour By Speedboat
From฿ THBper person · all-inclusive
The Similan Islands are a national park archipelago in the Andaman Sea, about 90 km northwest of Phuket — a world-class snorkeling and diving destination open from mid-October through mid-May each year (closed for monsoon mid-May through mid-October). The practical answer for visitors planning a day trip: don't depart from Phuket. The open-water transit takes 2.5-3 hours each way, leaving most of the day on the boat and very little at the islands. The closer departure point is Khao Lak — about 1 hour by speedboat — and that's where Similan day tours operationally make sense. Simba Sea Trips does not run Similan tours from Phuket; this page exists to give you the honest answer and point you toward what we do run that hits a similar brief.
Why depart from Khao Lak, not Phuket
The transit math is the load-bearing fact. Phuket to the Similan archipelago is roughly 90 km of open Andaman Sea each way; by speedboat at sensible offshore speeds, that’s 2.5 to 3 hours one-way — five to six hours of transit on a single-day round trip. From Khao Lak the same crossing is around 50 km and roughly an hour each way. A day tour from Phuket spends most of the day on the boat. A day tour from Khao Lak spends most of the day at the islands. The other consideration is the boat itself: the Andaman crossing to the Similans is open ocean, with a very different safety profile to the coastal routes between Phuket, Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay. Simba operates twin-engine speed boats — and even on the rare occasion one engine were to fail, it is a very long way to be limping back on a single engine at around 8 knots. Twin-engine speedboats built for coastal routes are simply the wrong tool for a 90 km offshore run. Simba Sea Trips’ fleet is built for the coastal routes we know, and we don’t run Similan day tours from Phuket. The decision is operational, not commercial.
What we do run that hits the same brief
If the appeal of the Similan Islands is the snorkeling + coral + remote-feel aspect, the closest SST alternative is the Phi Phi Sunrise Tour — from ฿5,310 THB, all-inclusive, maximum 18 adults, with the seven-stop itinerary pairing Maya Bay with Pileh Lagoon snorkel and Viking Cave. For the limestone karst + sea-cave + hong scenery, the Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island Tour from ฿4,500 covers Koh Hong, Koh Panak’s cave system, and Ko Tapu. For private exclusivity covering the same coast, the Luxury Phi Phi Sunrise Private Charter runs the Phi Phi route on a chartered basis. None of these are Similan substitutes — they’re different islands and a different geography. They are simply what we run from Phuket that captures the closest experience without the transit problem.
If you specifically want Similan, here is how to do it well
Book a day tour or liveaboard departing from Khao Lak. The Similan National Park is open mid-October through mid-May; the May–October monsoon closure is enforced for ecosystem recovery and visitor safety. Diving the Similan Islands is best done as a multi-day liveaboard rather than a day trip — sites like Elephant Head Rock and Christmas Point reward more than one immersion. For snorkeling-only day trips, expect crowded boats during the December–February peak window; the shoulder months of October–November and April–early May offer quieter conditions. We don’t operate from Khao Lak and we don’t recommend specific Khao Lak operators by name; choose one that runs an appropriately-sized boat for the open-water crossing and is transparent about transit times and group sizes.
Operator authority — running this coast since 2005
Simba Sea Trips has been running the Phuket coast since 2005 — the Phi Phi route, the Phang Nga Bay route, the local-islands routes — more than twenty years of operating, with the safety position built across every route we run and every route we don’t. The company holds TAT Licence 34/02111 issued by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Run by an airline pilot of 23+ years with aviation-grade safety standards applied at the operations management level, with Thai-licensed captains and certified crews on every boat. More than 5,814 verified reviews across TripAdvisor, Google, and GetYourGuide back the operating record. The decision to not run Similan day tours from Phuket is part of the same operating philosophy.
Take you there
Join-In Tour
Join-In Tour
Join-In Tour
Where Simba can take you instead
Join-In TourPhang Nga Bay & James Bond Island — 8 hours
Limestone karsts, hidden sea caves, mangrove kayaking, and the iconic Khao Phing Kan ("James Bond Island"). Smallest group sizes among local operators — most boats running this route carry 30–60. We carry 18. Lunch on board.
Max 18 adults · From ฿4,500 · Free cancellation 24h+ · All-inclusive
Join-In TourLuxury Phi Phi Sunrise Private Charter
Phi Phi by speedboat — our 8-hour private charter from Boat Lagoon Marina to Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, and the Phi Phi snorkel sites.
Departs Soho Pool Club at Boat Lagoon Marina, around 1hr 10min by speedboat to Phi Phi. The route hits Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave & Monkey Beach, with two snorkel stops and Bamboo Island or Koh Rang Yai for the afternoon. Lunch back at Soho on return. (Aug-Sep: Bamboo Island substitutes Maya Bay during the national park closure.)
Up to 18 adults on a single private charter — your own boat, your own pace. All-inclusive: skipper, fuel, light breakfast, lunch, drinks, snorkelling gear, national park fees. Free cancellation 24h.
Operating from Boat Lagoon Marina since 2005.
Join-In TourPhi Phi Sunrise Tour — Maya Bay Before the Crowds
The classic Phi Phi day done properly. Catch sunrise at sea during the ~1hr 10min speedboat transit from Boat Lagoon Marina, then step onto Maya Bay around 7:15am — about an hour ahead of every other operator. Seven stops over eight hours, max 18 adults, buffet lunch back at Soho Pool Club. Year-round, all-inclusive from ฿5,310 THB, free cancellation 24h+. Maya Bay closes for ecosystem rejuvenation each August-September; we substitute Bamboo Island.
Max 18 adults · From ฿5,310 · Free cancellation 24h+ · All-inclusive
Looking for something custom?
Tell us where you'd like to go and how you'd like to travel. We'll put together a bespoke charter that fits your group, your dates, and your budget — no template, no compromise.
Email sales@simbaseatrips.comWhat Guests Say About This Tour
4.9
from 5,922 verified reviews
- TripAdvisor4,314
- Google1,167
- GetYourGuide441