Ang Thong Marine Park
Forty-two limestone islands and an emerald lake inside one of them.
Duration
8 hrs – 10 hrs
Difficulty
●●●●○
Best time
First departure of the day
Open
Closed November and December
Entry price
To confirm
Ang Thong marine park brings together forty-two limestone islands north-west of Samui, protected since 1980. They rise vertically from the water, forested, and most are uninhabited.
Mae Koh island holds a turquoise saltwater lake inside a collapsed crater, linked to the sea by underground fissures: it is the setting that inspired the novel The Beach. The Koh Wua Talap viewpoint is earned by a steep five-hundred-metre climb, with fixed ropes near the top.
Getting there
Departures from Nathon pier, about an hour and a half by boat. Day trips only; no accommodation on the islands beyond the park campsite.
What the price covers
day trip charged, plus the national park entry fee payable on site
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Sportswear
Rules on site
The park usually closes in November and December for the monsoon, and trips are cancelled on the morning itself in heavy seas. The park fee is paid in cash to the ranger and is rarely included in the advertised price.