Friday 7 February Koh Tachai & Koh Bandu, Similans

Directly on route from Surins to Similans there are three die sites; Richelieu Rock, Tachai and Koh Bon. Only Koh Tachai offers a safe spot to anchor on the south east side. It's almost 50 miles between Surins and Similans so we didn't have a lot of time. We must have looked like SAS (or crazy ants); drop anchor, set it, fix dinghy with outboard and lower overboard, set up dive kit, load in dinghy and zip off to look for place to dive, dive one hour towing dingy, back to boat, lift dinghy, lift anchor and onwards to Similans! Total time taken two hours. Unfortunately it the effort taken to dive was greater than the enjoyment of the dive but if we hadn't tried we might have passed the most wonderful experience ever.

We reached the most northerly of the Similans, Koh Bandu or no.9 island and hour before sunset to take our pick of 5 mooring balls. The water is so very clear it looks shallower than it really is. There is also a clear view from the Ranger station in Donald Duck bay on island no.8.

Donald Duck bay

Koh Bandu seen from island 8

look who's come for lunch!

 
 
 

shaol of parrot fish

I should pause to explain the numbering system; The name Similans is a shortening of the Malay word for nine, sembilan. There are nine Similan islands beginning at no.1 in the south to no.9 as the most northerly.

Mr Ranger zipped over in his rib to collect our park fees of 400 baht (£8) per person for 5 days and 100 baht (£2) per day for the boat and advise which beaches and islands were closed. Islands one to three have been closed for seven years to give then a rest and because the Thai navy has a search and rescue station located on them.

To us Koh Bandu was prettier than the Surins. It was also a lot, lot noisier and busier with speed boats and their cargo of noisy swimmers from 8.30am until 4.30pm who make 30 mile trip from the main land. After 4.30 and through the night it was all peaceful until mayhem began once more. However, the fish were used to being fed and had a taste for bread.

Second afternoon we went in the dinghy across to Donald Duck bay to gawp at the day trippers and take a walk up the rocks to the look out. The topography of the islands are huge sandstone boulders, both above and below the water. The climb to the look out followed a path and then a series of wooden ladders and walkways to the biggest boulder where we could survey the ants on the beach and Jackster on the other side. We could have picked up a mooring ball in this bay, so called Donald Duck because of a rock which resembles the lisping cartoon star in profile. Sometimes names are so tenuous.

We enjoyed a second quiet night but felt like somewhere quieter for the rest of our stay and moved south to no. 5 island, Koh Padu.