The snorkelling and diving in Pulau Weh, and the other islands of the Sabang area, was outstanding! We were truly astounded by the amount of fish, variety of marine life and the size of some of the fish we saw. Spending the last 18 months snorkelling in South East Asia hasn't aways been pleasant. Unfortunately, it is often a blunt reminder of the tragedies occurring within our oceans, seas and reefs. We have seen evidence of dynamite fishing, collection of turtle eggs, severely damaged coral reefs, tourists standing on and /or kicking coral with their fins, rubbish of extraordinary amounts and we have even saved a turtle that was tangled up in an astronomical amount of rubbish and fishing nets.



In Sabang the problems of rubbish, and the tourists related coral damage, still apply. However, the tourism in Sabang is still relatively small and the PBKS are hopefully going to start addressing the problems associated with coral reefs, tourism and rubbish collection, as they work towards developing the tourism in the Sabang area.


Clark's Anemonefish - bubble-tip sea  anemone

An amazing variety of marine life!

While diving Dwayne saw a manta ray, sharks, nudibranchs, frogmouth fish, ribbon eels and a gargantuan sweetlip. We also saw lionfish, scorpionfish, shrimpfish, long-horned cowfish, peacock manta shrimp, painted lobsters, sea snakes, and the entire star-studded cast of Finding Nemo! For a full list of the species I could identify follow the link below to the full article about diving and snorkelling Sabang.




Batfish


Clean up Rubiah day!


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The Sabang Marine Festival - 2016 - was extremely well organised, a lot of fun, and facilitated the healthy and happy mixing of many different cultures. 18 boats from all around the world participated and the visiting sailors included Australian, Swiss, French, American, Canadian, Malaysian, Thai, English, South African, Zambian, German, Italian, Czech, New Zealand, Swedish and New Caledonian. The participants, of which we were two, enjoyed many organised activities such as cultural performances, a tour of Banda Aceh and the Tsunami museum, as well as interactive games including tug-of-war, greasy pole climbing and canoe races.

Most, but not all, of the participants and some of the main organisers.

This years Sabang Marine Festival (SMF), only the second time this event has been staged, was held on Pulau Weh between 26 - 30 April 2016.  Organised by the BPKS the festival's main objective is to promote the Sabang area as an international destination. The festival is particularly aimed at increasing visitors sailing their own yachts to use Pulau Weh as a check-in or check-out point (Indonesia immigration etc). Indonesia has made some changes to their rigorous visa and sailing permit laws which now enable cruisers to enjoy longer stays in Indonesia with, we hope, minimal fuss and no need to procure an agent.

Raising the Sabang Marine Festival flag!

Sabang is a city in the Aceh Province of Indonesia. Sabang is comprised of five islands, the biggest being Palau Weh. Pulau Weh is home to the local Sabang government and the centre of Sabang. Palau Weh is also an active volcanic area, has some spectacular snorkel and dive sites, waterfalls and historic Japanese world war two bunkers. For a small island it is jam packed with things to do.

Sabang Marine festival T-shirt and the program book.

Boats began arriving as early as the 20th of April. For those of us that arrived early, the check-in procedure probably took a little longer as the officials were expecting the boats to check in between the 23-25th April. However, those of us that may have had a longer wait for check in did get in a few extra days of snorkelling. And I gotta say wow... when I jumped in the nearly-crystal-clear water I was speechless... well not quite, I still managed a bit of snorkel babble! The marine life is quite simply astonishing! We had fish, of so many varieties, swimming every which way around us.

Snorkelling Pulau Weh!

For the rest of the visiting boats the clearance, into Indonesia, was a predominately painless experience with the BPKS accommodating all of the necessary officials in the one room of their office building. Participants were instructed to raise there quarantine flag and await the arrival of officials from the quarantine office, immigration and customs, after which they were directed to the office to complete paperwork. Online visa applications, done before hand, sped up the process.

Welcome dinner included a band, dancing and a lot of fun!

On the night of the 25th of April the festival officially opened with a welcome dinner, speeches and entertainment. Throughout the next five days all sailors were fed three delicious meals a day by our hosts.

Maureen, Colin and Colin in the marquee where we enjoyed our breakfast and dinner.

The first day we went to a large gathering at the Sabang Fair. We were greeted with a welcome dance and presented with a little green leaf-wrapped package. It turned out it was betel nut. It was in a little bundle - the betel nut was wrapped inside a leaf and held together with a clove. The way to eat it is by putting the whole thing in your mouth and chewing it. It is ok to swallow it or to spit it out. 'twas not my cuppa tea!

The betel nut

The day progressed with a few speeches, one done by yours truly, and then we were entertained by some very talented artist. The festival was enjoyed as much by the locals as by the tourists! The Sabang Fair was packed with families all just as enthralled in the performances as we were.

Dwayne and I were asked to do a speech!

We had a few hours to ourselves in the afternoon before dinner.  While relaxing on our boat we were kept amused by a couple of PPC's (powered parachutes). After another scrumptious Indonesian dinner we went back to the Sabang Fair for more entertainment. This time the crowd was huge and there were rock bands and fireworks!

Enjoying watching the PPC's fly over our boats.

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The alluring islands of the Mu Koh Similan are nothing short of magnificent! This island archipelago encompasses 11 islands and has some of the best snorkelling and diving you will find in Thailand. Most of the islands have a coastline of striking granite boulders which plunge to great depths; balanced precariously atop these are more granite boulders giving the Similans a dramatic picturesque both below and above the waterline. Some islands have beaches of fine white sand, seemingly untouched by human feet..... until the tourists arrive!

Fast-boats on Koh Miang

Located in the Andaman Sea, just 60NM northwest of Phuket, Mu Koh Similan National Park is a popular place for snorkelling and diving. The ranger headquarters are on Koh Miang  (marked in black on map below) along with a restaurant, cafe, and accommodation which also includes a campsite. Koh Miang has a  few nature trails and nice beaches. Koh Similan (yellow marker) has a restaurant, campsite, a couple of nature trails and a beach that is considered one of the best in the park. More on accommodation here. But that aside, what people really come to the Similan Islands for is the snorkelling and diving!

The coral in the Similan Islands did suffer from coral bleaching in 2010 which did kill quite a lot of it. However, the coral is regenerating well and there is lots to see. The marine life in this national park is quite simply stunning. There is an impressive variety of fish to be found along with turtles, moray eels and much much more.  You will find a list of all I could identify at the end of this blog.

The snorkelling and diving is all the more thrilling due to the colossal boulders that plunge to vast depths, at the water's edge, turning the Similan underwater world into a labyrinth of caves and swim-throughs - much like an adventure playground.

False Clown Anemone Fish - aka Nemo!

Cruising

The Similan Islands have become a popular destination for yachties cruising Thailand during the NE monsoon season. There are many moorings buoys available and if you are after a little peace and quiet you can find it...  even if it is only before 10:00 and after 16:00 when the bulk of the tourists leave. 

Our first mooring and snorkelling spot was at Koh Bunya (red marker). We arrived during the busy part of the day when tourists were being ferried in and out of this popular snorkelling destination. Be aware of all the tourist boats coming and going as you snorkel, they don't slow down much. The snorkelling - around monolithic boulders - was really very good, as was the huge variety of fish.

Koh Payu - tour boats tied to Thorfinn's stern!

We moved on the next morning to Koh Miang (black marker) to meet up with some fellow sailors - Phil and Helen from SV Meridian. We picked up a mooring but soon moved on as it was a bit rolly. It was only going to get worse as this is one of the main beaches at which the tour boats drop their passengers. With the fast-boats roaring in and out, it can feel like you are in heavy seas!

Meridian picking up a mooring buoy

We grabbed up a mooring at Koh Payu (purple marker). The mooring was close to the shore but it was the only one that remained free at this busy snorkelling site. It was a gorgeous spot and we wanted to overnight there so we had to make some sacrifices! For one, we were surrounded by tourist and tour boats. We found ourselves in the hub of all the excitement and then the tour boats began to tie onto our stern. That certainly caused some feelings of apprehension. Those feelings were raised to levels of anxiety - that required a stiff drink - when the tide changed and we had one of the tour boats raft up to us. Thorfinn’s hull had only recently been painted and we loathed to have her scratched. But alls well that ends well.

Rafted up at Koh Payu

The next morning we went to Koh Similan (yellow marker) for a snorkel. It wasn't the best of snorkels. However, there is still much to see if you are looking for it (I did find a clownfish) but there are so many great spots that I would give this one a miss if I had time restraints.

We spent the rest of the time on a mooring on Koh Miang (orange marker). We could snorkel directly from our boat which is always good fun. The snorkelling was good and lots of dive boats came to this area for diving. While moored here we snorkelled at Koh Ha (green marker). We snorkelled around Koh Ha and it was a gorgeous snorkelling site. There is a wreck of a large fishing boat - approximately where the green marker is - and it makes for an interesting exploration as do the caves and swim throughs in the area. We also snorkelled the south east corner of Koh Miang. This is a nice area with large boulders with many  fish! If you want excellent snorkelling and diving in Thailand, a visit to Koh Similan will be well worth your time.

Koh Miang

 Travel Note (April2016) 

Mu means group and Koh means Island, therefore Mu Koh is a group of Islands, thus The Similan Archipelago!

Cruising 

Moorings  - quite a few are available. I don't think you are allowed to drop your anchor.

Supplies - stock up before you go - no grocery stores, fuel etc

Land based travel

Getting there - From Thap Lamu Pier at Khoa lak. Day trips can also be organised from Phuket. More information here.

Accommodation -  Mu Koh Similan accommodation.

Things to do - snorkelling, diving, walking, bird watching.

More info - Mu Ko Similan National Park.

More info on the coral bleaching and the effect of tourism on the reefs at Koh Similans read  - 12th International Coral Reef Symposium.

A list of the marine life we saw (not all inclusive) -


Green turtle
Hawkesbill turtle
Painted spiny lobster
Remora
Moray eel
Lionfish
Scorpionfish
False clown anemonefish
Skunk clownfish
Clark's anemonefish
Titan triggerfish
Orange linned triggerfish
Ebony triggerfish
Reef triggerfish
Peach face triggerfish
Picasso triggerfish
Giant trevally
Blue trevally
Long tom
Andaman sweetlips
Oriental sweetlips
Cornetfish
Moorish idol
Long fin bannerfish
Yellow tail fusilier
Yellow back fusilier
Sargent major
Moon wrasse
Bird wrasse
Blue streak cleaner wrasse
Java rabbitfish
Lined butterflyfish
Raccoon butterflyfish
Threafin butterflyfish
Red tail butterflyfish
Long nose butterflyfish
Copper band butterflyfish
Andaman butterflyfish
Latticed butterflyfish
Vagabond butterflyfish
Black pyrimidfish
Threeband pennant fish
Pennant coral fish
Lined surgeonfish
Powder blue surgeonfish
Orange spined surgeonfish
White margin unicornfish
Blue spined unicornfish
Blue ring angelfish
Seal face pufferfish
Common porcupinefish
Spotted boxfish
Long finned batfish
Ember parrotfish
Parrotfish
One spot snapper
Black & white snapper (juv)
Sand lizard
Golden damselfish
Humbug damselfish
Blue green dasmselfish
Indian damselfish
Tiger cowrie
Black diadetium urchin
Blue seastar
Indian cushion seastar
Crown of thorn starfish
Long arm Feather stars
Christmas tree worms
Sea pen
Tube worm
Orange spiked sea cucumber
Pineapple sea cucumber
Marbled sea cucumber
Magnificent anemone
Boring clam
Barrel sponge
Mushroom coral
Slipper coral
Delicate whip coral
Fine table coral
Solid table coral
Blue staghorn coral
Fire coral
Brain coral
Maze coral
Compact coral
Boulder coral
Lobed pore coral
Tube coral

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Leaving your boat locked up in the tropics?

I’m not an expert; but having closed up and left our boat in the tropics... twice... once with grim consequences, and once with excellent results, I feel I can impart a small bit of wisdom to those, who like me have, or are, battling mould, cockroaches, spiders, and ants.


My weapons!

We left Thorfinn, our beloved home, in Langkawi up a river at a place called Hole in the Wall, for six weeks while we backpacked through Cambodia and Vietnam. When we arrived back we were confronted with a boat brimming with mould.  We also had tiny spiders onboard which must have floated across on the breeze from the mangroves; and a few cockroaches that obviously snuck aboard before we left. We cleaned up the mould the best we could and took the boat around to Telaga Marina to get everything washed.


Thorfinn anchored at 'Hole in the wall'

Every towel, sheet and most of our clothes had to be washed. I washed the interior walls with vinegar to remove the mould and sprayed the boat with some surface spray* to get rid of the spiders. Frustratingly, the little spiders took a long time to exterminate. At Telaga we also had ants on the deck but manage to kill them, with surface spray, before they got below deck and cause havoc.

Not long after our woeful return, we took Thorfinn up onto the hard in Satun, Thailand, to anti-foul and paint her hull and her interior before we left her again for seven weeks. This time I was not taking any chances.


Thorfinn's freshly painted hull

I studied up all the information I could find. I asked fellow sailors and even put the question out there on Facebook. How do you prevent mould? Clove oil was the unequivocal winner of the battle against mould. Moth balls and moisture absorbers** also got a mention.


Moisture absorbers

So when preparing to leave Thorfinn this time, I began preparations at Satun before we put everything back onto the boat.

I had been trying to obtain some clove oil*** for months now with no luck. Fortunately I met Jacqui from SV TinTin. Jacqui had several bottles of clove oil and was happy to part with some… THANK YOU JACQUI! Jacqui had just returned  to her boat after leaving it in Phuket for 18 months to discover no mould at all… yes she had used the clove oil.


At Satun with fellow sailors. Jacqui my savour in the middle with piglet (the pup)!

So before I put anything back onto Thorfinn I sprayed the item all over with a mixture of clove oil diluted^ with water and hung it all in the sun to dry. I did this with our towels, sheets, clothes, shoes, pillows, cushions and also our new re-upholstered interior cushions.


Clove oil

The day before we left I sprayed the walls and ceilings inside Thorfinn and inside the bathroom locker etc. I put some moisture absorbers in with the clothes and manchester. The day I was leaving, we covered the vents with fly mesh, and I put mothballs**** in each locker and some in the bilge, one behind the oven etc.


Mothballs

Just before we close up the boat I sprayed surface spray along the edges of the floor and around all of the hatches and vents. I also sprayed the circumference of each mooring line at the top where it was attached to Thorfinn to deter ants, cockroaches etc.


Surface spray

Ok… I can here you thinking OVERKILL! I agree, but I really didn’t want to come back to a mess of mould and pests. Just remember, our beloved Thorfinn was looking as good as new and it would have destroyed us to come back and find her in a mess. We had only had her back in the water for a few days and we loathed to leave her.

So how did my “overkill” work? We arrived back to Thorfinn after seven weeks and found her mould and pest free, albeit she smelt like mothballs. The smell hasn’t taken too long to disappear now that she is opened up again and sailing in the ocean air!

My verdict - give clove oil, surface spray, mothballs and moisture absorbers a go!

Notes:

*surface spray -  pest control spray that creates a barrier for crawling insects. i.e. Morton, Raid etc. Can be bought in supermarkets and hardware stores. SAFETY - Cover your mouth and nose when spraying it in such a small space as a boat. Believe me... I learnt the hard way!

*** moisture absorbers - Can buy from supermarkets. Easy to find in S E Asia

***clove oil - can be bought in health stores and pharmacies (in Australia. I haven't found it in S E Asia but they have to have it somewhere... surely?) Justine Porter (WWSA) has advised me she found clove oil in the Philippines by asking for toothache reliever. So maybe a pharmacy etc.

****mothballs - Can buy in supermarkets. Easy to find in S E Asia.

^ I use ten drops of clove oil with 500ml of water... it probably didn't need to be as strong as this but I wasn't taking any chances. The link below has a lot of information about using clove oil.

Links

About clove oil -https://www.stayathomemum.com.au/houseandhome/cleaning-tips/cleaning-with-clove-oil/

Wow! These islands are gorgeous! I wasn't sure what to expect... I thought perhaps they would be similar to Koh Lipe - a touristy island surround by smaller islands and good snorkelling spots.
Those of you who have been to the Surin Islands would now be aware that I did very little research of the area before I went. What I discovered was that the Surin islands are beautiful and still rather remote, with little more to do than snorkelling, diving and relaxing. We had found paradise!  

Koh Chi, Mu Koh Surin NP

Mu Koh Surin National Park is comprised of 5 islands. Koh Surin Nua (north) and Koh Surin Tai (south) are the largest, followed by Koh Pachumba, Koh Torinla and Koh Chi. (The names of the islands vary depending on what map you are looking at... don't ask me why, they just do and not only in this area but many of the Thailand islands.)

Mu Koh Surin National Park

Our first stop after sailing from Koh Phayam was at Koh Chi (red marker on the map above). I was completely smitten with this little island when I saw it; it is just stupendous! We had to anchor on the southern side of the island due to the prevailing wind and the water was very deep which posed some problems. We had to get quite close to the rocky shoreline in order to anchor and we obviously had to think carefully about our choice to do so, because if the weather conditions changed we might end up in a precarious position. From checking the weather the day before we were reassured by the fact that the weather was suppose to remain stable for the next five days and we so wanted to stay, so we did. We anchored in this little bit of paradise and went snorkelling.

Koh Chi - our first stop (red marker on the map).

Well if I was smitten with Koh Chi before I got in the water I was completely captivated, enchanted and so totally in love with the place when I plunged into the alluring blue water and swam with schools of fish. Just amazing. This quickly made it into our top 5 snorkel sites!

Monolithic granite boulders plummet precipitously into the limpid depths, turning this underwater world into a sublime mystical place of exploration. It was a spectacular snorkel as we meandered around boulders and through caves sharing our journey with hundred of fish. We stayed for two nights and enjoyed three days of snorkelling before we moved on. In that time we snorkelled almost the entire circumference of the island. We saw an abundance of fish of many varied types including a black tip reef shark and we watched a large reef octopus making its way across the sea floor. I will write a list of all the life I could identify, while snorkelling the Surin Islands at the bottom of this post.

False Clown Anemonefish aka Nemo!

We were loath to leave our newly found nirvana, but it was time to move on and we reluctantly pulled up the anchor and motored around to Ao Mai Ngam ( yellow marker), a large bay on Koh Surin Nua. We didn't go ashore at Hat Mai Ngam, we just picked up a mooring in the late afternoon, and went for a snorkel before the sun set. 

Hat Mai Ngam (grey marker) is one of only two places at which the national park has accommodation and a restaurant. The accommodation is mostly camping but there are a few bungalows for larger groups. It is all very basic, and from what I have read about it... the place is a paradise!  

Reading and relaxing in the hammocks - second only to snorkelling on the "what we did in the Surins" list!

The next morning we moored at Koh Pachumba (green marker) for an early snorkel. When we first jumped into the water we were shocked by the dead staghorn coral, but as we snorkelled further afield we found some beautiful coral gardens alive with a dazzling variety of colourful fish.

I have since found out that the coral around the Surin Islands suffered in 2010 from warmer than average waters which caused coral bleaching and the death of large amounts of coral. The coral is regenerating well and there is a lot of new coral to see - don't let it put you off - the snorkelling here is fabulous! More about the coral bleaching.

After our early morning swim we stopped between the two larger islands (white marker) and went off to explore. Snorkelling around this area was really very pleasant and we got to see a couple of turtles and lots of large fish. At Ao Kong Khad we found the ranger station (black marker), along with the second camp area, bungalows, a restaurant, information centre and tourists, mostly day trippers who, at that time of day, were all piling on the fast boats for their trip back to the main land.


Longtail boats at Kong Khad


Restaurant at Kong Khad

Our next stop was between Koh Torinla and Koh Surin Tai (orange marker) for another snorkel. This area was really good. Again the area  was alive with large fish, colourful fish, and huge schools of fish. We saw a turtle and a black tip reef shark! Awesome!

We moved onto another bay on Koh Surin Nua (pink marker) and picked up a mooring. The beach here is beautiful but access to it is not easy when the tide is out and the reef and rocks are exposed. We did however find the time to string up our hammock under a tree and relax in the shade with a book. The next morning we arrived at our little spot on the beach at high tide to find we now had waterfront living!

Reading in the hammock on Koh Surin Nua


Our hammocks now hanging over the water!


The snorkelling was nice further out from shore. The are some huge bombies that are home to anemones and clownfish, christmas tree worms and boring clams. Lots of fish...I know I keep mentioning the fish... but there is literally an abundance of fish around the Surin Islands. It obviously makes a difference when fishing in the area is forbidden or regulated. All of the really good snorkelling that we have done here in Thailand have been in National Parks... I think that says something.

Ao Kong Khad

After three nights moored off Koh Surin Nua it was time to move on. Mu Koh Surin National Park is the perfect place to go to escape the rat race, snorkel, dive, explore and relax. We will be sure to visit again but for now it is time to continue our journey...off to the Similan Islands and more snorkelling!

Notes (March 2016)

When - The national Park is closed between May - Nov or mid Oct

Cost - National park cost is 500 Baht per person for 5 days and for the boat it was 200 Baht per day.

Getting there -  if you are not sailing your own yacht you can get there from Khuriburi. There is more information about getting to Koh Surin in the links below.

Cruising - there are a good amount of well maintained moorings.

Cash - bring cash as there are no banks or ATMs

Accommodation - The National Park has two areas with accommodation - the headquarters at Ao Kong Khad and Hat Mai Ngam, both are on Koh Surin Nua and both offer beachfront camping, a restaurant, and shower facilities. The headquarter site also has rooms available to rent and there are a couple of bungalows at Hat Mai Ngam.

The National Park has has tents for rent (all ready set up and ready to use) but you can also use your own. Hat Mai Ngam is a larger site with larger beach.

Restaurant - Each campsite has a restaurant that offers Thai food three times a day.  We ate at the restaurant at Kong Khad. The food was good and surprisingly not expensive.

Power - Electricity only runs from 18:00 to 22:00 each evening.

Moken Sea Nomads - you can visit the sea gypsies in a village called Bon Bay on Koh Surin Tai. We didn't go there so I can't tell you anything from my experience. The following quotes are taken from Andaman Discovery web page (the first link on the list below) -

"You are encouraged to visit the Moken, but there is a better way of doing this than simply arriving, walking round the village, and staring at people as they go about their daily lives"

"With the people that you see, make eye contact and smile, as you are a guest in their village, not in a museum"

"There are few economic opportunities for the Moken, so if you can, rent a Moken long-tail boat to visit the island."

"An easy way to contribute is to purchase their hand-woven pandanus leaf mats and bracelets or their intricate model kabang boats. Don't be tight and haggle -- they are very cheap already"

For more information visit these sites -

http://www.andamandiscoveries.com/koh-surin-island-tour/

http://surinislands.com/

http://www.travelfish.org/accommodation_profile/thailand/southern_thailand/phang_nga/ko_surin/all/5226

A list of the marine life we saw (not all inclusive) -

Black tip reef shark
Green turtle
Hawkesbill turtle
Reef octopus
Squid (mating)
Moray eel
False clown anemonefish
Skunk clownfish
Clark's anemonefish
Giant trevally
Golden trevally
Long tom
Andaman sweetlips
Oriental sweetlips
Cornetfish
Moorish idol
Titan triggerfish
Orange linned triggerfish
Ebony Triggerfish
Long fin bannerfish
Yellow tail fusilier
Yellow back fusilier
Sargent major
Moon wrasse
Blue streak cleaner wrasse
Java rabbitfish
Lined butterflyfish
Raccoon butterflyfish
Threafin butterflyfish
Red tail butterflyfish
Long nose butterflyfish
Copper band butterflyfish
Andaman butterflyfish
Latticed butterflyfish
Vagabond butterflyfish
Threeband pennant fish
Pennant coral fish
Lined surgeonfish
Powder blue surgeonfish
Orange spined surgeonfish
Blue ring angelfish
Seal face pufferfish
Common porcupinefish
Long finned batfish
Ember parrotfish
Parrotfish
One spot snapper
Black & white snapper (juv)
Sand Lizards
Golden Damselfish
Humbug Damselfish
Indian Damselfish
Black diadetium urchin
Blue seastar
Indian cushion seastar
Crown of thorn starfish
Long arm Feather stars
Christmas tree worms
Sea pen
Tube worm
Orange spiked sea cucumber
Marbled sea cucumber
Magnificent anemone
Boring clam
Barrel sponge
Mushroom coral
Slipper coral
Delicate whip coral
Fine table coral
Solid table coral
Blue staghorn coral
Fire coral
Brain coral
Maze coral
Compact coral
Boulder coral
Lobed pore coral
Tube coral