Being a diver and a traveler I always had this dream to go on a liveaboard in the Similan Islands. Some research and word of mouth was done and I decided to go with Khao Lak Explorer Dive Center which is one of the best in this region. After having booked, everything was smooth and I awaited this unique and incredible trip. My Khao Lak diving liveaboard was soon to start.
Arrival in Khao Lak for my Khao Lak Liveaboard:
The area of Khao Lak is itself a wonderful little town of a resort that is perfect for any fan of the sea who wants to visit the Similan Islands. Not that it is just a starting point for exploring the island’s values, but a nice destination on its own with well-cared for beaches, forests and friendly people. The town has a slow tropical pace with not-so-commercial atmosphere which is quite different from other touristy places like Phuket. When I got there I was met by the Khao Lak Explorer Dive Center divers who made me comfortable before the diving tour began.
The dive center is very professional, well operationalized and in the team of personnel well experienced. For the first timers, they make you feel so comfortable and for those who are used to diving, they make you prepare enough for the next dives. These include PADI courses for beginners as well as professional divers, liveaboard trips for divers wishing to explore the marine life in the region and their employees are fluent in several languages and experienced in marine life.
The Liveaboard Experience:
The most memorable part of my trip was the liveaboard through the Similan Islands as expected by anyone. If you are new to the term then let me give you a brief on what a liveaboard is: well, it’s like a hotel on water that can sail you straight to the most serene diving spots, where divers do not have to swim back to the mainland or return to the ship each evening because they can dive for several times in a single day if they wish to. This motivates an all enrolment dive package that affords a maximum underwater time exposure.
The boat that was hired from Khao Lak Explorer was large enough to accommodate everyone, the chairs and tables were comfortable and was equipped for divers. It was spacious contained accommodating cabins, sun lounge for relaxation and a great dining area where we could interact with the other divers and share tales of the day’s diver with any fellow traveler. The equipment used in this shooting was of high end and safety was as valued as the activity was. One felt that what was very outstanding was the professional conduct of the dive guides. They were lovers of the sea and its creatures which made them always willing to pass information about the dive destinations, the marine life and even advises on how to enhance our performance during diving.
The Diving: A Glimpse into Underwater Paradise:
It’s worth saying that the Similan Islands are one of the most popular among scuba divers all over the world owing to their crystal-clear sea, rich underwater fauna and flora, and the incredible shape of coral gardens. Which I found with Khao Lak Explorer; it was possible to diversify the choice of the places for diving that I wanted to visit and get a combination of deep diving, coral reefs, and unusual sea creatures.
Koh Bon: This place is a manta ray area and to our luck some freely swimming animals welcomed us in this wonderful site. Stingray is one of a kind with a tinge of mystic beauty; I must say this was one of the best things I saw while in Seychelles.
Koh Tachai: Being more exposed to strong currents, Koh Tachai is a comparatively more challenging site but the beauties offset it. Here we came across schools of barracudas, trevally and occasionally the whale shark adding the fun and the adrenalin rush to the dive.
Richelieu Rock: It is considered by many as being among some of the best diving destinations in the world with Richelieu Rock. There is an incredible array of marine life in the coral reef right from these small colorful Nudibranchs to the big pelagic species. What a great privilege it was to see a couple of whale sharks here and the variety of fish is just mind-blowing.
Coral Gardens: It is very important not to forget that not every dive was about the significant events. I enjoyed the moments when I was just hovering over beautiful coral gardens, the shades of which are calm and sit well against the background of intensive blue of the sea. These sites were teeming with a large number of small fish like clown fish, lion fish and eels particularly moray eels.
Life on the Liveaboard:
Liveaboard was comfortable and there was a good deal of time when one was not diving and could just relax. The crew is also very attentive to the guests’ needs, organizing very tasty food, which can be vegan, vegetarian, etc. That was one of the features that many divers did not consider, but it is very pleasant to meet like-minded people. Night was spent awake on the deck, wrapped up in a blanket and gazing at the stars observing the beauty of the night and recounting the previous day’s dive and thoughts in common about the sea.
Household utensils are also available in the boat as they needed to provides the users with comfort during their stay. Cabin: They were very clean and comfortable and each had enough space to relax and rest between dives. There was also a separate camera station for people like me who have a passion to take photographs of the underwater scenery. Every time, I managed to fall in love with what lies under the water even more and getting a chance to look through the pictures and videos in the evenings made it even more fun.
The Dive Guides and Crew:
Many thanks to the crew of Khao Lak Explorer as they greatly contributed to the successful completion of this trip. We had several dive guides which were knowledgeable, professional and without fail always ensured they kept us safe. They also distinguished exceptional talent of Naval / Marine life observation. They followed our diving adventures from the smallest neddlefish that stayed at the bottom of the reef to the whale shark that was circling kilometres away off the surface.
They also used to brief us before every dive and gave us all the information about given site, its condition that we are likely to encounter and marine life we are likely to come across. What this made each dive was that there was always something new to look forward to with each dive.
The team on the boat was also very friendly, they made sure to make things go efficiently The. They assisted with gear, so clients ate and had a warm word every time they met. I could see that all the people working at Khao Lak Explorer were very proud with what they are doing and the love for diving can be seen on them.
Final Thoughts
Let me tell you about my trip at the site called Similan Islands that I snorkeling with the help of Khao Lak Explorer Dive Center Company. The underwater encounters that were expected to be of interest turned out to be beyond what can be described in any form of advertising or media as incredible, the liveaboard itself and the personnel that managed it were very professional and made my liveaboard experience one to remember always.
As for me, if one is thinking and planning to go diving in Similan Islands, do not hesitate and go for Khao Lak Explorer. No matter you are an advanced diver or first time diver, their team will make sure that you will have an exciting scuba diving experience. This is a must do for anyone who wants to dive in one of the most beautiful places in the world and with one of the best teams of guides in Thailand.
When I left my belongings in Khao Lak and said my last goodbyes I knew that one day I would return. After the stay in the Similans I had fallen into love to the underwater world and I was very glad to got a next opportunity to dive with Khao Lak Explorer Dive Center.
