Khao Lak Explorer Diving Center: Similan Islands Liveaboard & Day Trips Richelieu Rock

I had an amazing day trip to the Similan Islands. Everything was perfectly organised and the transfers were smooth and stress-free. The dive itself was great and not as busy as I expected! Stonehenge dive site was spectacular. I felt completely safe and well taken care of by my dive guide, Isa. She was flexible, helpful, and made sure the dive was safe while still relaxed and enjoyable. The food was delicious and the whole team was friendly and professional. I would highly recommend this experience!

Mar 2026

I did a refresher course and my Padi AOW certification with Khao Lak Explorer in February 2026. Our instructors were both amazing! Jackson did our refresher and joined our group on the last day. He brings such a kind & positive energy to all different encounters. It’s fun to spend time with him. Ceci was our AOW instructor and did a wonderful job. She’s super professional and easy to connect with. I always felt seen & well taken care of by her. Ceci took lovely videos that she shared with us. Few are attached here. Both of them are 5/5 instructors! We had 3 days & 6 different dive sites that overall gave us a nice & well balanced experience. Diving in Thailand, especially the Similan islands, is popular. Obviously there are other divers under water…we were there too after all. We saw a lot of interesting species & beautiful marine life. The communication & general organisation was smooth and reliable. One star has to be deducted because of the amount of people they book for the Similan dives. The first day was on a long-tail boat for two wrecks with two groups (my group with 2 AOW divers + 1 instructor & 3 experienced divers + 1 instructor) and that was a super pleasant and relaxed experience. The other two days however we took a speed boat to their liveaboard in the Similans. Both speed boat and liveaboard were super crowded. Getting ready and transitioning to the dive sites was chaotic and a bit stressful. The dingy that took us to one dive site nearly drowned because there were too many people on it & as we did the back roll entry one diver in my group got hit on the head by the tank of a diver from another group. Our AOW group also changed every day. We got a new participant every day. Ceci did a great job integrating each new participant to the group. I want to highlight that the instructors did the best they could to organise us and keep everyone safe & calm but if there are too many people, there are just too many people. So I would recommend the school to re-think the amount of clients they book for each trip.

Feb 2026

I had a lot of fun diving with Pierre. All six dives were very informative, safe, and interesting, as he showed us the highlights of the local marine life. Pierre is easy-going and friendly, but most importantly, very professional. My first dives after three years couldn’t have been more pleasant and enjoyable. I truly had an amazing time and highly recommend this school, and especially diving with Pierre. Similan & Surin islands are amazing diving spots! 💕 Cheers Dom!

Feb 2026