Similan Liveaboard Review November 15

Here’s a day by day rundown of a four day Similan Islands liveaboard in November 2025 on board the MV Blue Dolphin, the liveaboard boat operated by Big Blue Diving Khao Lak.

Large group of yellow snappers at Richelieu Rock during a November 2025 Similan Islands liveaboard trip
Big school of yellow snapper, Richelieu Rock, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Phuket Airport Pickup

Picked up by the Big Blue minivan at Phuket Airport around 5.30pm. Bit of a delay waiting for two guests to get through international immigration. Hour or so drive up to Thap Lamu pier watching the sunset during the ride. Arrived at Andaman Sun Sea Pier and onto the Blue Dolpin. Boat set sail around 9pm, pausing to do the big firecracker ceremony for good luck.

Blue Dolphin liveaboard

The MV Blue Dolphin liveaboard boat

I’ve written a detailed liveaboard review of the Blue Dolphin boat before, and the boat remains largely the same, so I won’t repeat it here. That review covers what the cabins, dive deck, top deck and – most important – food is like. I wrote that in the first season Blue Dolphin was operating and this is now its fourth season.

I’ve been on the MV Blue Dolphin several time over the last couple of years and it has consistently delivers the same excellent experience. The diving is safe and well organised, there’s space for everyone on the boat rather than trying to cram more guests in, the cabins and washrooms have been maintained well so they still feel new and the food is always great.

Khao Soi for dinner on MV Blue Dolphin, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

As time has gone on, little improvements have been added like a hot or cold face towel after a dive along with a soft drink. It doesn’t feel like the boat has started to cut corners to try and economise even as the price of everything goes up. Tellingly the Thai boat crew from captain to the cook to the engineer to the boat boys has remained almost the same throughout the last few years. A happy, contented crew means a well-run boat.

West of Eden

Huge fan corals at West of Eden, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

A bit bumpy overnight but next morning calm and sunny at Similan Island number 9 for the first dive at West of Eden. It was lovely – great viz, blue water, enough current to bring the fishes in but not a slog to get round the site.

These fans are huge – bigger than a diver. They look fantastic with the sun coming up behind them, so I end up basically taking the same photo every time. You can see some more on my West Of Eden dive site page. Mesmerised by the beauty of nature or just too lazy to figure out a different angle – you decide.

Elephant Head Rock

Hole in the rock, Elephant’s Head Rock, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

After breakfast and a nap, off to Elephant Head Rock – great viz again, you could see the massive boulders the size of a house stretched out in front of you. We discovered some more super colourful soft coral bommies with yellow snapper and the famous hole in the rock, which is like a natural porthole.

Fan coral in swimthrough at Elephant Head’s Rock, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

And then went through the swimthrough between the big rocks. They’ve been there thousands of years and not moved… yet. The swimthrough is very easy and you can see the exit at all times – it’s got a special atmosphere going in amongst the rocks.

Three Trees

School of fusiliers, Three Trees, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Lunch and a nap and then off to see the giant barrel sponge at Three Trees. Some big schools of fusiliers hanging around on our way down there.

Big barrel sponge, Three Trees, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

The sponge is still looking suitably majestic and big enough to fit a diver in (although of course we wouldn’t do that, unless it’s someone really annoying). See my dedicated page about Three Trees dive site for more pictures showing divers next to the sponge for a sense of the scale.

Soft coral bommie, Three Trees, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

There are also some impressive bommies covered in soft corals on the Three Trees site which you’ll on the way to or from the big barrel sponge.

Damselfish in the sunbeams, Three Trees, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

The light in the shallows of Three Trees is often super pretty, with damselfish and angel fish playing in the sunbeams.

Donald Duck Bay

Donald Duck Bay, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Beach walk in the late afternoon to admire the squeaky white sands of Donald Duck Bay and climb up the famous rock viewpoint.

Viewpoint at Donald Duck Bay, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Aow Nam Chai

Soft corals at Aow Nam Chai during dusk dive, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Then the dusk dive at Aow Nam Chai. I’d not dived here before and there were some nice bits and pieces in the lowering light – some more soft coral bommies amongst the hard corals which was great to see.

The calm sheltered waters of Donald Duck Bay were home for the night. Dinner came up about 7pm once everyone had a chance to shower and relax, and then time on deck to enjoy the ocean vibe and cool breeze. Everyone usually heads to bed between 9 and 10 as up early next morning.

Christmas Point

Sunrise leaving Donald Duck Bay on way to Christmas Point, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Up early next day at 6.30 am to dive Christmas Point. This is one of my favourite sites for the huge rocks shaped by the moving water over millennia.

Glassfish and the pyramid rock, Christmas Point, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

There’s a lot of fish life amongst the rocks, and as it gets deeper there’s often sharks and rays to be spotted. More about Christmas Point dive site.

Koh Bon

The hole in the wall that creates the waterfall at Koh Bon, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Then we left the Similan Islands proper and headed up to the island of Koh Bon for one dive, where we had some great visibility. We were looking for manta rays at Koh Bon but sadly no luck – they are quite elusive.

Koh Tachai

Koh Tachai above water, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

During lunch we then cruised further north to the island of Koh Tachai to do two dives during the afternoon.

Glassfish running over one of Koh Tachai’s big boulders, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Tachai is a rough pinnacle made up of big boulders piled on top of each other, which gives plenty of places for marine life to hide and also a big structure for schools of fish to hang out.

Trevally at Koh Tachai, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

There are a lot of giant trevally here and fusiliers – sometimes it can feel like it’s raining fish. For more photos of Koh Tachai when it’s really kicking off, see my Koh Tachai page.

Sunset at Koh Tachai, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

One of the other great things about Similan Island liveaboards is that there can be some truly epic sunsets out at sea which hit different from being on shore, especially as if the sea is flat calm the sunset will reflect off it. We had a spectacular sunset after our last dive at Koh Tachai.

Then during dinner we cruised further north again to the Surin Islands, where the boat would anchor in a sheltered bay for the night.

Aow Pakkard, Surin Islands

Cloudy sunrise over tiny Hin Kong island in the Surin Islands, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Greeted by a cloudy sunrise over the Surin Islands early the next morning, ready to go dive on Aow Pakkard.

Jack fish over the hard corals and glassfish at Aow Pakkard, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

This is a super chill morning dive along the gorgeous hard coral reef at Aow Pakkard. The Surin Islands are famous for their reefs, and while there has been some damage and climate-related stress to patches of the sites, there is still plenty of amazing reef to admire.

Jacls and glassfish on the reef, Aow Pakkard, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

The dive is very shallow, and there’s rarely any strong current. It’s a blissful way to start the day. Which is good, because what comes next is definitely more challenging.

Fusiliers under the table corals at Aow Pakkard, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Richelieu Rock

Longnosed Emperorfish running at Richelieu Rock, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

From the Surin Islands to Richelieu Rock, widely regarded as the best dive site in Thailand, a label that’s hard to argue with.

Glassfish over the reef, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Richelieu Rock is a massive horseshoe shaped rock rising out of the sea floor and it is a magnet for every kind of marine life you can think of.

Yellow snapper school, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Longnosed emperorfish in their hundreds stampede over the rock, running in fast moving schools around rocks, corals and divers.

Barracuda, Richelieu Rock, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

Big schools of yellow snapper hang out in the calmer waters inside the rock, while barracuda cruise by in the blue.

fan coral surrounded by glassfish at Richelieu Rock, Similan Islands Liveaboard November 2025 © [email protected]

And covering the rock everywhere you look are red and purple soft corals, swaying in the current. There are lots of anemomes too, with clownfish lurking inside many of them. More photos of what to see at Richelieu Rock.

Unfortunately on this particular trip, the seas turned rough during the second dive. With the wind up, the waves were getting bigger and bigger and Richelieu Rock is on its own in the middle of the sea – there’s no shelter.

Getting in and out of the tender boats was getting dangerous with the waves, so once everyone was safely up from the second dive, the third dive was skipped and the boat headed for shelter back at Koh Bon. It was a shame but safety comes first and trying to do a dusk dive in those conditions would have been asking for trouble.

Koh Bon (again)

The following morning, the wind had dropped off and the sun was back out at Koh Bon. Two final dives here, again with great viz. The Koh Bon ridge runs straight off the top of the island into the water and down to around 35 metres, like the back of a dinosaur.

The Cruise Home

With the final dive done, it was time to head back to the mainland. The cruise takes about five to six hours, depending on the wind and tides. After coming back from the dive, the boat crew strips down, cleans and hangs up all dive gear to dry while guests shower and get ready for lunch.

After lunch, you need to pack up your dive gear, your non-dive gear (don’t forget passport and valuables in the cabin safe) and pay any outstanding bills. If it’s sunny, the dive gear will be largely dry by 2pm. The boat is usually back at the pier around 4pm. The crew will have already got your details about what accommodation you’re staying in at Khao Lak or Phuket and will have organised a free taxi for you to drop you off there. Then it’s back to the real world and having to think for yourself again rather than just following the dive-eat-sleep routine.

Final Thoughts On The Liveaboard

I had a great time on this trip and am already planning to go back diving the Similan Islands on Blue Dolphin in April 2026. The Big Blue team continue to deliver a safe, well-organised experience – it’s good to get back on a boat and everything is reassuringly familiar. The boat gets plenty of other repeat guests too, which is perhaps the ultimate compliment – that people enjoyed it enough to do it again with the same boat rather than one of the many other Similan liveaboards out there. You can see previous trip reports from Similan liveaboards in the Diving Thailand section of this site, my favourite probably being the epic February 2025 Similan trip.