This is by far the most frequently taken route by Thai liveaboards and it’s also the best diving in Thailand in terms of marine biodiversity. North routes venture to the Similan and Surin islands, two archipelagos in Thailand’s north Andaman Sea that have are afforded special protection by their National Park status.
On the islands themselves lie evergreen forests, white beaches and mighty boulder formations, whereas below water you’ll discover the country’s most pristine hard coral, with many stunning reef gardens, walls and swim throughs that are home to a colourful myriad of fish, crustaceans and mollusks.
Also found here are black tip reef sharks, leopard sharks, turtles and blue spotted sting rays. Between January and April, lucky guests may even spot whale sharks and manta rays.
A little further north of the Surin islands lies Richelieu Rock, which is included in most north route itineraries. Richelieu Rock is widely considered to be among the top ten dive sites in the world and as one of the most likely places in southeast asia for spotting a whale shark (between Jan – Feb).
Don’t think that just because most Thai liveaboards take the north route it’s going to be the most crowded! Admittedly, you will probably see some other liveaboards operating in the area, but that’s all you’ll see as there are no dive resorts. These regions can only be dived via liveabaord, making them more off the beaten track than other Thai dive destinations.
If your number one priority is discovering the absolute best marine biodiversity that Thailand has to offer, whilst escaping the crowds, I strongly recommend a North Route.
The North Route can be dived between October and May.