wish you were here
Chalermkwan Tulyasita / Similan Islands / THAILAND
Below the surface of the ocean in the far reaches of Thailand’s west coast, you inhabit
another world, one far from the popular beaches and islands so close by.
Because the Similan Islands are a national marine park, the scene is well preserved.
It is the home of sea turtles who glide effortlessly through the water often as
curious to see humans as we are to witness them. Islands one, two
and three—the southernmost trio—are set aside as breeding grounds
for turtles and, as part of reef conservation projects, are closed to the outside world.
Still, above water the Similans are a pristine getaway in a country that defines modern tourism.
Here are shades of blue with no name; crystal clear waters mirror the tropical skies above.
Wind- and sea-swept granite boulders poke out of the sea along the coral beaches, dense greenery
sprouting up above them. This must be what the Asian tropics looked like a century or three ago.
114 MAY 2017 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM