Visiting the Ang Thong National Marine Park from Koh Samui
Ang Thong National Marine Park day visit whilst on Koh Samui. Snorkelling, kayaking and walks to stunning views.
All images on this post were taken by me on the day of our trip in January 2025 with the exception of the image of the dive boat team which was provided by 100 degrees east.
Ang Thong snorkelling – one of the best days out from Koh Samui
We were on Koh Samui for a few weeks as part of a longer trip to Thailand. A trip out to the Ang Thong National Marine Park, an archipelago of 42 islands was on the top of our list of things to do and it didn’t disappoint! This image was a stills grab from my GoPro video that I captured whilst I was snorkelling there.
Getting to Ang Thong National Marine Park from Koh Samui
There are many tour operators that visit the marine park from Koh Samui. After some research we chose to go with the 100 Degrees East team (yes, Koh Samui is exactly 100 degrees east of the Greenwich Meridian) who are based in Bang Rak on the Northern coast, a stones throw from the airport. As with most of the operators they will arrange to collect you from your accommodation anywhere on Koh Samui.
Organising your trip to Ang Thong
If a trip to Ang Thong is on your list (it should be!) I suggest you get in touch with your chosen operator as soon as you know your dates. Leading up to the trip they can advise on the best looking days weather wise. We were on Koh Samui for 2 weeks and the first week the sea state was very rough which would have made for a bumpy ride, poor visibility for snorkelling or even cancellation.
After a few discussions with the 100 Degrees East team we agreed our dates and arranged to be picked up from our hotel and taken to their base at Bang Rak for a quick briefing before setting off.
A summary of our day at Ang Thong
- Departed Bang Rak, Koh Samui at 10:00. Our boat catered for just 12 guests, with 7 staff on board. One of our group was a nervous passenger but was immediately put at ease by the obvious professionalism and experience of the team.
- Arrived at our snorkelling stop approximately one hour later. Our team knew exactly where to go given the conditions of the day and tucked us in close in the lee of one of the islands to the north for flat water and good visibility. We were divided into groups of 3 or so, each one lead by one of the dive team. Those not confident in the water were given their own ’taxi service’ by holding on to a lifering connected to the instructor, all you have to do is float!
- After snorkelling a fantastic cruise south for our lunch stop (all of which is provided)
- A short hike up to the viewpoint on Ko Sam Sao for breathtaking views (see the image at the top of this post!)
- Kayaking around the coast, looking for rare orchids clinging to the cliffs
- Move on to Ko Mae Ko for a hike up to stunning views of the Emerald Lake (or ‘Blue Lagoon’) – a beutiful inland lake – a steep, but worthwhile climb up.
- Return trip back to Koh Samui which took a little longer than the outward trip due to the sea state, arriving back at around 6PM
100 Degrees East
100 Degrees East owned by Roon and Cara (pictured) had small groups, their staff to guest ratio was very high (7 staff / 12 guests on our trip), were extremely knowledgeable about the area, and generally looked after us very well for a special day out to remember. Despite the popularity of the area their experience meant that our schedule for the day was such that we hardly saw anyone else during the trip. Get in touch via https://www.100degreeseast.com/
