Sail Rock, Similan Island 8: The Viewpoint on Our Similan Trips

When do the tours climb Sail Rock?

Depends which boat you are on. The classic day snorkels island 9 first, then lands on island 8 at ten — up to Sail Rock, back down for a swim on the same beach. The early departure saves island 8 for 11:30: lunch box, free time, and then the climb.

Morning light on one, empty beaches first on the other. I would pick by the reef, not the rock — both get you to the top.

How hard is the climb?

Harder than a beach walk. It is the reason the classic card says no to pregnancy and to bad backs or knees. Shoes with grip, water in hand, a slow pace in the heat — and you will be fine.

Not keen? Stay below and swim. Nobody checks who made it to the top.

What else is on island 8 and around it?

Beach time and swimming on the classic day. Lunch? A Thai buffet on the boat at 12:30, and then island 7 for the second reef. The early boat snorkels in open water between islands 7 and 9 — turtles often turn up there — and starts its day on Miang island, number 4, where flying foxes hang about in the jungle. Our two Similan trips run only while the park is open; the dates are on are the Similan Islands open.

Toilets and a small park shop are only on Islands 4 and 8, so between those stops the boat is your base.

On the early boat the day on the water ends with snacks, ice cream and a glass of wine on the way back, and dinner at the pier before the transfer.

Oh, and one practical thing: toilets and a small park shop are only on Islands 4 and 8. The rest of the day, the boat is your base.

What is the rest of the classic Similan day?

Pickup 05:30–06:30 and about an hour and a half to Tablamu pier. The big boat leaves at 07:30 with breakfast and a safety briefing. Island 9 at nine for the first reef, then island 8 and Sail Rock. After the buffet, island 7 for the second reef at 13:30 and island 4 for the last beach at 14:30. The boat heads back around 15:30.

Included: transfer from Phuket or Khao Lak, a guide, breakfast and a buffet lunch, drinking water, coffee, tea, fruit, mask and snorkel, life jackets, park fees and insurance. Alcohol can be bought on board; drone photography is not included.

And the early boat's day?

Pickup 04:00–05:00, buffet breakfast at the pier at 05:30, off at 06:00. Miang island at 08:00 with a jungle walk; islands 7 and 9 from the boat and the open-water snorkel at 10:10; island 8 and Sail Rock at 11:30; the return at 14:00, dinner at the pier and the transfer at 17:00. Not recommended for children under four because of the start.

What should I bring?

Passport or a copy, swimwear, a towel, a change of clothes, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, a waterproof phone case, and motion sickness tablets if you need them. On the early boat, add a warm layer — the card warns it is cold early.

Which Similan boat is better for Sail Rock?

The classic day, if the view is the main thing: you climb at ten, before the heat builds, and still have beach time on the same island. The early boat, if the reef is the main thing: you reach the archipelago ahead of the main groups and climb Sail Rock later, after the snorkel.

Both are compared in detail on our Similan islands page and in Similan or Phi Phi. If you're weighing the extra cost of the early boat, see is the early bird Similan tour worth the extra cost.

Is the climb worth it?

For most people who can manage it, yes — the view over the whole archipelago from the top is the reason the climb is on both programmes. It is short enough to fit between a reef and lunch, and there is always the beach below for anyone who prefers to swim.

When can I go?

Mid-October to mid-May only: the national park closes for the monsoon the rest of the year. Bring your passport or a copy — the park registers visitors at the pier. See how to get from Phuket to the Similans for the route.

Questions people ask