Samui national marine park angthong. ang thong samui marine park tour
If you are tired of just lying on the beach and want to see something stunningly beautiful, then an excursion to national reserve Ang Thong is the perfect excursion. From the dizzying panorama of the marine reserve is breathtaking.
Ang Thong means "Golden Pool" in Thai, and it is not by chance, because the nature of the national park is practically untouched. These islands near Koh Samui are perfect place for snorkeling and exploring underwater world. The program also includes a visit to the emerald bay of the Talay Nai salt lake, the bay of the island of Wua Ta Lap, a trip to the observation deck of the islands of Mae and Wua Ta Lap, kayaking, lunch and much more.
Marina Park Ang Thong opened in 1980, has an area of 102 square kilometers and 42 the most beautiful islands. Interestingly, the islands are of limestone and easily change their shape. Because of this feature, there are many amazing caves. Some of them are planned to visit according to the program. Almost the entire surface of the islands is occupied by untouched jungle.
The most beautiful observation deck is located on the island of Wua Ta Lap. It is here that exotic lovers from all over the world come to admire the local landscapes.
Ko Mae is famous for unique lake, which was formed naturally by a breakthrough of limestone rocks, among the mountains. It connects with the Gulf of Thailand and therefore remains salty.
Sea gypsies live on the island of Paluay. You can get acquainted with their features and way of life during the tour.
Table with programs and prices
tours in Ang Thong
Description of program options
excursions to the marine reserve Ang Thong from Koh Samui
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Ang Thong Marine Park is a charming archipelago of almost 60 islands northwest of Koh Samui.
Most of the islands are located close to each other, creating a breathtaking panorama of the entire park. All islands are of different sizes and shapes. Most of them are covered with tropical forests and named after them. geographical features, such as Sleeping Cow Island and Three Pillar Island.
Scenery
Ang Thong, which means "Golden Cup", covers about 250 km 2, and includes 50 km 2 of limestone islands that rise from the sea, like harsh stone cliffs and bizarre rock formations.
Ang Thong National Marine Park is a protected nature reserve, whose territory consists of more than 40 islands, and is known for its natural beauty. All but one of the islands are uninhabited and undeveloped. This island, Ko Paluay, is inhabited by sea gypsies who still live by fishing.
Flora and fauna
The forests in this national park can be classified as dry evergreen forest, riparian forest and limestone forest. Dry evergreen forests can be seen on the most big islands such as Wuatalab, Paluay and Samsao. Coastal, lighter forests can be found in small areas along beaches and coastlines. Limestone forests are located on limestone cliffs with a thin layer of soil. Plants in such forests are lower.
Large animals do not get along on these small islands, covered with only a small amount of small and medium vegetation. Sixteen species of mammals such as otters, langurs, crab-eating monkeys, wild boars, gray bats, dolphins and whales can be seen on the islands.
Other inhabitants are about 54 species of birds, including the little egret, the brahmin kite, the carrier oystercatcher, the eastern motley kalao, the cuckoo and the sacred myna. 14 species of reptiles can be found, such as the ground lizard, iguana, green turtle, hawksbill, python and cobra.
There are only five species of amphibians: common Asian toad, tiger frog, grass frog and tree frog.
Butterfly fish, angelfish, parrotfish, blue-spotted stingrays, blacktip reef sharks, snappers, sea bass, nudibranch clams, blue swimming crabs, sea fans, octocorals, giant clams, oysters live in the waters of the national park and regular corals. The park is also a breeding ground for mackerel.
Entrance fee
Entrance fee to the Marine Park: 400 baht per adult, 200 baht per child under 12 years old. Thai natives pay 80 baht.
Worth a look
Ko Mae Ko (Mother Island) is a must visit destination. You will see an emerald lake here with sea water, located in the middle of the island and surrounded on all sides by limestone cliffs, connected to the sea by an underground tunnel. To get to the lake, you need to make a forty-minute climb, requiring considerable effort, but the reward will be a grandiose view of the entire park. The climb itself passes through several stairs, miraculously formed by the natural arrangement of the karst, penetrating a narrow passage in the rock surface. The last steps are a little steep and you need to be careful when going down them. The whole trip up and down will take no more than 40 minutes, unless you stop to enjoy the wonderful view of the Emerald Lagoon (Emerald Lagoon), as this lake is called locals, hidden in the center of the island and located 20 minutes from the highest observation point.
Nautical national park Ang Thong: Google panorama:
The caves on most of the islands are bizarrely formed by heaps of stone. Visit at least one for an incredible experience. The beaches are surrounded by wonderful coral reefs, perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Hundreds of beaches in this archipelago are abandoned. Take a boat and find your own hidden beach, away from other people.
Other popular places to visit are Ko Sam Sao or "Three-legged Island" with a large coral reef, and Wua Talab or "Sleeping Cow". It will take some effort to climb a steep hill (430 m) and reach the observation deck, which offers a magnificent view of the entire archipelago and the coast.
Outskirts
This is perhaps the most the best place for walking in Thailand. In control National Park there is a path leading up the edge of the cliffs. It takes about 25-30 minutes to climb up and it's worth it. At the end of the ascent, a breathtaking panorama of all the islands of Ang Thong awaits you.
The Park Authority is located on Ko Wua Talab, where there are also bungalows for overnight stays. There are two "bars" in the park. Bar usually means a fridge filled with beer.
Ang Thong Marine National Park: video
In this article I will talk about how to get to the Angthong National Marine Park in Thailand, talk about ways to get there on your own, and about options for excursions to Angthong. I will give the current prices for excursions to Angthong from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, prices for transfers to Angthong and back. Also in the article there are many useful tips and recommendations.
How to get to Ang Thong Marine Park: prices and methods
You can go to Angthong National Park on your own or with organized tour. In any case, you can only get to the Angthong archipelago by sea. There are many options - it can be a sightseeing boat, a catamaran or a speedboat, a yacht, powerboat etc.
We visited the Angthong National Marine Park as part of our. And now I will tell you about all the ways I know to get to the Ang Thong Marine Park with prices and descriptions. (Approximate prices for excursions to Ang Thong are already included with tickets for entering the national park).
1. On a Thai boat
An excursion to Ang Thong on a Thai boat is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the sights of the Ang Thong Marine Reserve. On the ship you will be offered breakfast, lunch, fruits and drinks. During the tour, see the main attractions of the archipelago - the emerald lake Thale Nai on the island of Ko Mae Ko, the observation deck on the island of Vua Talap, there will be snorkeling and kayaking. Some tours also visit the village of sea gypsies on the island of Palau. This tour will take all day.
Price:
- from Koh Samui: from 1,00 baht (without kayaking), from 1,800 baht (with kayaking), children's ticket: from 700 baht (without kayaking), from 1,000 baht (with kayaking)
- : THB 2,000 (without kayaking), THB 2,200 (with kayaking), child ticket: THB 1,000 (without kayaking), THB 1,100 (with kayaking)
Travel time: 2 hours one way (from Koh Samui or Koh Phangan)
Pros: This is the cheapest way to get to Ang Thong. Plus, it's perfect for those with seasickness. The ship is coming more smoothly, so the likelihood that you will get motion sickness is minimal. This will be especially true if the weather is rough at sea and it will be stormy on the day of your excursion. If the excursion high-speed catamaran may be canceled due to waves, the ship is more resistant to bad weather.
Minuses: Groups are usually large, 30 people each. It is also one of the slowest ways to get to the Ang Thong nature reserve.
2. By speedboat
As a rule, tourists choose standard speedboat tours. The speedboat tour will be more expensive, but you will get to the islands faster.
Price:
- from Koh Samui: 1,900-2,490 baht (with kayaking), child ticket: 1,300-1,640 baht (with kayaking)
- from Koh Phangan: from 2,200 baht (with kayaking), children's ticket: from 1,640 with kayaking.
Travel time: 1 hour-1 hour 20 minutes one way.
Pros: you will be one of the first to sail to Ang Thong, so you will have time to see the sights of Ang Thong without the fuss and crowds of tourists. This is one of the fastest ways to get to the islands.
Minuses: on such a boat, the motion sickness is much stronger, especially if the sea is restless and there are waves.
You can also choose a tour on a comfortable speedboat. There will be much fewer people here (12-16 people), but the price tag is much more expensive: from 4,600-5,250 baht (adult with kayaking), from 2900-3500 baht (children with kayaking).
In addition, they offer individual tours by speedboat where you can rent a whole boat:
- Boat for 20 people: from 32,000 baht
- Boat for 30 people: from 39,000 baht
- Boat for 40 people: from 44,000 baht
I found information that you can also swim to Ang Thong by speedboat from Surat Thani, correct me if this is not so, and I'm wrong.
If you want on your own, and not with a tour, boat rental will cost about $800 per day— fun to put it mildly is not budget. 
3. On a speedboat (speed boat)
Speedboat is a very popular type of sea transport in these parts and the fastest way to get to the Ang Thong Marine Park from Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan. The advantage of the speedboat is that it can swim as close as possible to the beach, unlike large slow boats, where you have to transfer to the boat each time to swim to the beach. For example, the SAFARI BOAT company organizes such excursions. On Koh Phangan they are based near the main pier in Thong Sala, and on Koh Samui not far from the Seatran pier.
Tour cost: from 2.800 baht per person
Travel time: approximately 45 minutes from Koh Phangan
4. On a catamaran
This is one of the types of comfortable tour to Ang Thong. There will be no more than 20 people on board. Such catamarans are usually equipped with a slide so that you can slide right into the sea, they also offer other entertainment.
Price: from 3200 baht per adult from Koh Samui
Travel time: approximately 1 hour 45 minutes
5. On a yacht
Such tours are more like sea cruises, where you just sail and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and relaxation on a yacht. The yacht goes for quite a long time, so such tours are not very focused on sightseeing directly. These tours are more suitable for leisurely rest and relaxation.
Price:
Travel time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Price: 3700 – 4200 baht (without kayaking) from Koh Samui
6. On your own on a rented boat
An option for those who want to get to Ang Thong exclusively on their own. In this case, you can rent a boat for the whole day with a boatman. You will be able to travel independently to all the sights of the archipelago and will not be tied to the schedule of the excursion group. If you liked some place, you can stay there longer, and not rush into the "half an hour" allotted by the guide.
However, in this case, I advise you to agree with the boatman in advance at what time you will return back in order to assess the proportionality of the monetary costs and the amount of time spent in Ang Thong.
You will also have to pay extra for the entrance to the national park (you can do this in the administrative building of the island)
Price: 3000-5000 baht, that is, about $ 100-150 for a boat from Koh Samui or Koh Phangan.
Travel time: 1 hour-1 hour 20 minutes
They say that you can get there from Surat Thani, but I don't know the price. Write in the comments if you know the prices, it will be very helpful.
Can be purchased combined tour, for example, sail away from Koh Samui, and sail after Ang Thong to Koh Phangan. may vary slightly and excursion programs. A visit to the emerald lake is usually included in the tour. The second island can be either Wua Talap with observation deck or the island of Paluay (Sam Sao) with a fish restaurant. Also, not all tours include a snorkel stop around Koh Islands Wao or Koh Tay Plaow.
You can choose a tour with or without kayaking. There are also tours accompanied by a Russian guide (more expensive), and where there is only an English-speaking guide.
In excursions, the time of departure to Ang Thong and back may also differ. The requirements for child tickets may also differ, somewhere a child ticket applies to a child 4-12 years old, somewhere 5-12 years old or 3-12 years old. There may be height requirements for a child, for example, children above 130 cm, regardless of height, go on an adult ticket
Thus, from all these factors, the final price of an excursion to Ang Thong is formed. The price range is quite large.
How to get back from Ang Thong Park: transfers and cost
If you are visiting Angthong Marine Park as part of a day trip, you can safely skip this paragraph. But if you are going to the reserve with an overnight stay or even for a few days, then this info will be relevant for you.
You can arrange a return transfer in advance. You can contact tourist centre the islands of Wua Talap. Transfer from Wua Talap to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan costs 500 baht per person.
A return transfer with excursion companies that organize one-day tours to Angthong will be more expensive. They usually ask for 1000 baht per person. In this case, as a rule, you will be picked up from the main island of Wuat Talap at about 3 days.
We did a little differently, we agreed with the guys from whom we took an excursion that we would leave the islands of Angthong Park the next day with the next excursion group. We did not pay any additional money for this service.
Easy and comfortable sailing to the islands of Ang Thong)
beach forest, a narrow strip, encircles the largest islands. Tree species include: Terrminalia catappa, Thespesia populnea, Carophyllum inophyllum, Scaevola taccada, Erythrina fusea, Pandanus monotheca and Crinum sp.limestone forest, grows on open areas of rocks, in the most high points. Most of the plants here are small, very adapted to survive in harsh conditions. Plant species include: Dracaena loureiri, Euphorbia Antiquorum and Morinda sp.
mangrove forest, as a rule, grows in the most protected place, where mud flats form. This type of forest is best represented near Mae Ko Island and on the east side of Phaluai Island. These forest areas are well structured, with many trees, large and small, the dominant species being Rhizophora apiculata.
On the major islands where the forest has retained its original appearance, various species of animals live. These include langurs, otters, bats, Pacific reef herons, white-bellied sea eagles, sandpipers, swallows, eastern pied hornbill, southern pied hornbill, ashy drongo, monitor lizards, turtles, and pythons.
Max Depth the territory on which the islands are located does not exceed 10 meters. This means that the water here is more influenced by the turbid river water from the mainland, the streams of river water do not intersect with deep water, which in turn does not allow precipitation to settle. Thus, the water around the islands is quite muddy. all year round. The coral reef on the islands is not developed, and is limited to a narrow strip around each island close to the coast, especially on the southwestern and northeastern side. Despite the fact that the northwestern side of the islands is most exposed to the influences of the monsoons, a fairly developed coral reef can be found in protected areas. These corals are inhabited by a variety of animal species, including: butterfly fish, angelfish, parrot fish, rays, black reef sharks, sea bass and cowrie shells.
In areas where the water is not so clear, or subject to strong currents, the species diversity is quite poor, dominated by marine worms, crabs and brown algae from the genera Sargassum and Turbinaria.
In places with steep rocky coastlines or where the water is very muddy, coral reefs cannot survive. These areas are dominated by sedentary species including sea fans, oysters, clams and mussels that can be seen on exposed rock surfaces.
The water in the Gulf of Thailand is very rich in nutrients and is a valuable resource on which a wide variety of animals and plants can thrive. Plant and animal species collected commercially: soft corals, sponges, squid, seaweed and shells, various types of fish, including mackerel and anchovy.
I wanted to visit the Angthong National Marine Park back in 2009 when we first visited Koh Samui, but the trip was postponed due to the fact that my wife was diagnosed with seasickness, and I didn’t want to go alone. Angthong Marine Park - located 20 kilometers northwest of Koh Samui, includes 42 islands covering 102 square kilometers. All the islands are uninhabited, and only one has the administration of the park and a small museum.
This year I found a company - my mother came to us, and Vanya has already grown up and the three of us finally decided to visit this attraction. Several companies are engaged in the supply of tourists to Angthong Marine Park, but the prices for all are approximately the same. On a speedboat, the excursion will cost 2,100 baht per adult and 1,500 baht per child over 4 years old. On a Thai boat 1850 baht for an adult and 1000 baht per child in the program with kayaking or 1300 and 750 baht respectively without kayaking. We chose the most economical option, because, firstly, we wanted to save money, and secondly, I was already on a speedboat, so the choice fell on a Thai boat
We were lucky with the weather - the sea was very calm, and the sun was not very hot. Although we sailed on a boat, and not on a boat, the arrival time is the same - 10:00. This is due to the fact that we set sail 30 minutes earlier (at 8:30, and those who leave at 9:00 on the boat), and secondly, we sailed from the pier in Nathon, from here the shortest path to the park, and those who boats depart either from Maenam or from Big Buddha, depending on the company.
An hour and a half of the road passed quickly enough, besides, on the way you could drink tea, coffee or water with cola.
We swam to the first island, those who had a program with kayaking changed to kayaks and paddled to our first stop, but we got on our boat. All people on kayaks swam 500-700 meters.
Our first stop is Mae Island in Angthon Marine Park. The long boat in the photo is sailing behind us. This island is located famous lake Talay Nai, the lake is located in extinct volcano and is connected to the sea by underground channels, it is from the sea that water flows into the lake, therefore it is salty. Stairs are laid to the lake, very steep by the way, along which you can climb to the top and look at the lake from above, or you can go down to the lake itself. True, bathing in it will not work, it is forbidden. You don’t have to climb for a long time, it takes about 10 minutes for this activity
We moored to the island, the boat in the background is ours
We started climbing to the lake, turned around, and there is such beauty
View of the lake from above
View of the lake from below
The water near Mae Island is clear, if you quickly run to the lake and go back down, you can have time to swim
While we were running around the island, kayaks were loaded into our boat.
On the beach you can refresh yourself with a shake, I was pleasantly surprised that the prices here are the same as on Koh Samui, we usually have drinks in such places that cost an order of magnitude more.
Every time we crossed on a long boat to our boat, we were put on life jackets
We dived and went to the main island of the park - Wua Ta Lap. We ate on the way. Lunch is not fancy, but tasty enough
And so we are on the island of Wua Ta Lap.
Here you can 1 - go up to the observation deck from where you can see all the islands of the park, visit the Bua Bok cave and just relax on the beach and go snorkeling. I wanted to go everywhere, but we were given only 2 hours of free time, this time is only enough for one thing. It’s not very clear why it’s so short, because the departure time is 15:00, it’s quite possible to stay here walking up to 4 hours.
I chose the viewpoint, and my mother and son stayed on the beach. According to the sign, it is only 500 m to the viewpoint, but these meters will have to be overcome along a very steep climb. The round trip took me an hour and a half.
The beginning of the ascent and this is just the flowers. In order not to fall along the entire path, a rope is pulled
Climbing 100 meters you get to the first observation deck, from which you can see the beach and several islands
You go another 100 meters and you get to another lookout, the view is already better, but still low
And the last 50-70 meters is generally full of tin, I don’t advise climbing here in slippers
It is rather difficult for an unprepared person to climb, but such a gorgeous view opens up from here that you forget about fatigue.
It is this picture that is used in advertising the tour to angthong marine park. The descent is easy, except for the first 50 meters, although this is subject to good shoes. In total, the ascent and descent took me a little less than 2 hours. In total, we were given 2.5 hours of free time, so I did not have time to visit the cave. I dived with a mask, the view under the water here is so-so, Koh Tao is much better. It is a pity that we were not allowed to stay here for at least 4 hours. On the way home, you could have a snack with a banana, drink tea, hot chocolate or water.
I liked the trip to Angthong Marine Park, I would recommend this excursion as a must for everyone who visits Koh Samui.
Our video (better to watch in full screen in HD quality)
You can book a tour to Angthong Marine Park directly from our website. Ecotel will be happy to organize your trip, besides, they speak Russian, which means there will be no language barrier.
