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
V national park You can go to Angthong 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, a motor boat, 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 on excursions to Ang Thong I bring tickets already included 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, 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 sails more smoothly, so the chances of you getting seasick are 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 an excursion on a high-speed catamaran can be canceled due to waves, then 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 marine park Ang Thong from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. 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
These tours are more like sea cruises where you just sail and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and relaxation on the 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. Tour programs may vary slightly. A visit to the emerald lake is usually included in the tour. The second island can be either Wua Talap with an observation deck or Paluay (Sam Sao) island with a fish restaurant. Also, not all tours include a snorkeling stop near Koh 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. None extra money We did not pay for this service.
Easy and comfortable sailing to the islands of Ang Thong)
Thailand, Koh Samui, 145/1, Talat Lang rd, Talat Sub-district, Amphur Muang, Surat Thani 84000, Thailand
To show on the map +(66 77) 288-992 adult ticket - $ 6.5, children - $ 2.3Thailand only accepts baht.general information
More than 40, covered with lush greenery, the islands of the Ang Thong archipelago are spread in the azure waters of the Gulf of Thailand (100 km 2), like a living emerald necklace. time and sea water gave these volcanic rocks the most bizarre shapes, reminiscent of the outlines of animals, people and mythological characters.
It was these islands of Thailand (and not those filmed later in the film) that served as the prototype for the "perfect beach" where the hippie colony settled in Alex Garland's legendary novel "The Beach". Here, indeed, you can completely abandon the hustle and bustle of life, completely merging with the heavenly harmony of tropical nature.
The beaches of Ang Thong are one of the most popular destinations on the Siamese coast of Thailand.
Attractions of Ang Thong Park
The archipelago got its name ("Golden Cup"), thanks to the salt lake that arose in the rock massif of the island of Ko Mae Ko (Ko Mae Ko). The largest island and, at the same time, administrative center The park is the “Island of the Sleeping Cow” (Ko Wua Talab), from the top of the highest cliff of which, a beautiful panoramic view of the surroundings of Ang Thong opens.
Another well-known attraction of Ang Thong Park is "Mother Island" (Koh Mae), which gained fame due to the luxurious beach and the "Emerald Lake" (Thale Nai) lagoon located in the depths of the island.
You can get to the Ang Thong Marine Park by ordering a day tour ($49 - $59) on the islands of Koh Samui, or Koh Tao. If you want to stay in this Koh Samui resort for more than a day, then you can rent an inexpensive bungalow or tent from the park administration on the island of Vua Talab ($ 13 - $ 39 per day). Here you can also book a boat tour of the National Park.
Companies on Koh Samui where you can book a day tour of Ang Thong Park
Tour firm Highway Tour
Address: 11/15 Moo 3, Angthong, Samui 84140
Phone: +(66 77) 421-285
And now it's time to talk about an amazing sea voyage to the Angthong nature reserve. For me it was one of the highlights of my stay on the island. This is an unusual and incredibly beautiful tour.
Angthong Reserve Park is an amazing creation of nature, with an area of 102 sq. km. Not a small one.)) Here is located 42 islands various sizes, from small to large.
In Thai it means " golden bowl". It is a national treasure of Thailand and is located under the protection of the world organization UNESCO.
Angthong is located just 30 km from Koh Samui, so getting there is not at all difficult and fast. Almost all of the park's islands are uninhabited. The only exception is Phaluai, where several families of sea gypsies are allowed to live. They are engaged in fishing and at the same time lead a secluded lifestyle. And the island of Wua Talap, where the tourist office of the reserve is located.
There are several ways to get to the park:
- Rent a boat on your own. Unaccompanied and driver of the boat or with escort and driver. This is for those who love comfort, but the cost will be much more expensive than a standard excursion
- As part of the excursion program.
I advise everyone to buy sightseeing tour. So you will be much cheaper and safer than on your own. But I don’t think I can keep fans of extreme sports.
Without exception, absolutely all travel agencies on the island can offer you an excursion.
There are two options to choose from here.
- On a speedboat. Approximately 30-40 minutes in time.
- On a comfortable two-story barge. Time 60-120 minutes.
We chose the option on a high-speed boat, we really wanted to swim faster and admire what we saw longer.
When traveling, be sure to take sunscreen, glasses, a towel, a change of clothes, a flashlight with you. Put on your bathing suit and swimming trunks immediately. For those with seasickness, don't forget the pills.
The beginning of the way
At 8:00 in the morning, a tour car arrived at the hotel for us. Then we were taken to the pier. And here a huge surprise awaited us, which we did not suspect at all.
It turns out that landing on boats is carried out not from the pier, but from the water. Yes, from the water. And due to the fact that there were waves, in order to get into the boat we had to be almost chest-deep in water.
The big downside is that we weren't warned about this. And because of this “beautiful” landing, we drove wet all the way. I wrapped myself in a towel to keep me warm. But on the barge landing is made from the pier.
Boat capacity 40-45 people. After landing, everyone was given old life jackets. As it turned out later, when there are no waves, boats swim as close to the shore as possible and when landing, the maximum that you soak is knee-deep.
There were tourists from Italy, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine on the boat. With such an international composition, we set off on our sea voyage. We were accompanied by two female guides who spoke Russian and English.
During the landing, the boat rocked strongly on the waves, and then, when we set off, everything became just fine. Do not be discouraged if during the sailing there will be a light storm and the sky will be covered with clouds, as it was with us.
The boat raced us along the water surface, and we enjoyed the beauty of the green velvet hills rising above the water. I do not advise you to sit in the last places, there you will be very sick and there will be strong splashes all the way.
Wua Talap Island
We sailed with a breeze to the first destination. Here we were taken almost to the dense shore. As soon as I jumped off the boat for a few minutes, I just froze with admiration. Transparent birch water, purest white sand surrounded by emerald hills and palm trees. And all this is not somewhere far away, but very close. Just heaven. Absolutely beautiful wherever you look.
On one side the coast is a bit rocky.
We were on the second largest island of the Wua Talap Nature Reserve, which translates as Sleeping Cow.
The tourist office of the Angthong Reserve is located on the territory. You can visit a museum, a restaurant, and, if you wish, rent a house or bungalow. There are also cabins for staff. Renting a house on the island is a great option for a romantic getaway.
Observation platform 261 m above sea level with a rise of 500 meters, they say there is very beautiful view but the climb is very hard. From here you can see all the islands of the reserve. (Will definitely go up on our next trip)
Houses on the territory
Climbing into the cave
Our group chose the second climb option, and we went to explore the cave with stalactites and stalagmites. And they didn't regret it at all. By the time it took us a little over an hour there and back.
The ascent was not easy. Here you need to be very careful not to stumble and fall. A steep mountain path with obstacles, in some sections a rope was stretched, we held on to it so as not to fall. They climbed over huge cobblestones and large tree roots. In general, a good active rest.
And now we have reached the beginning of the cave and the moment has come to climb inside. Very strange feeling. There was no one around except for our group. Amazing acoustics. Unusual views hanging in different shapes right above your head are stalactites. In general, you feel like a pioneer.
To get through - you have to climb the rocks
We walked a little and went down into a huge hole in the rock. And it turned out, not the end of the road. Then they crawled through a narrow gap and found themselves in complete darkness. And when they shone a flashlight through the darkness, they saw how everything glittered around. This brilliance exudes thousands of small crystals.
The guide offered to stay in complete silence for a minute and feel complete detachment from the outside world. I have never heard such silence before. And now it's time to go back.
After the descent, a hearty lunch awaited us. Delicious hot, fruits and mineral water. After lunch, we had some free time to explore the island.
Koh Mai Koh and Emerald Lake
Then we went to another island - Ko Mai Ko. Here we were first met by a large floating pontoon, along which we went down to the shore.
Unlike the previous island, there are no houses on this one, there is no beach. Here all tourists tend to look at salt Lake located at the top of the hill. The path to it is cut off from the sea on all sides by rocks. Water comes from underground sources.
We again had to climb up, this time along the iron steps. Compared to climbing into the cave, this one was much easier. The staircase is located on a rock and rises on huge props, on the sides of the real jungle.
There were questions to the person who made such steep steps
At the very top is an observation deck. Wooden benches are located in a circle, which is very useful after such an ascent.
Here is an overview of the entire lake and nearby small islands.
The lake is shaped like a huge bowl of emerald green water. This is the case when you think, well, it’s already much more beautiful, but here it is beautiful and an amazing miracle of nature. Solid rapturous emotions. Very cool place. When I stood and watched, fatigue vanished.
snorkeling
And at the end of our amazing day, we took a ride along the small islands of the reserve, and then we stopped at one of them for snorkeling.
After all the hikes, it was especially nice to plunge into the warm water. Thanks to the good weather and the transparency of the water, we managed to get a lot of pleasure from communicating with the fish.
I dived deeper to see underwater world and at that moment I was surrounded by a flock of yellow fish. The sensations were magical.
My rave review
The journey turned out to be not only fascinating and informative, but very bright and amazingly colorful. I advise everyone to definitely take such a boat trip. I can say with confidence that you will not remain indifferent.
As a keepsake, you will take with you a lot of incredible views that are simply breathtaking.
The organizers are just great. Despite the fact that the tour was very busy, we had enough time for everything. We managed to enjoy what we saw, take photos and videos. We returned around 5 pm satisfied and a bit tired.
Such a sea adventure will appeal to absolutely everyone. I advise families with small children to get on a comfortable barge, to replace the ascent to the cave with a rest on the beach. Everything else I think you will be on the shoulder.
Happy rest and interesting discoveries to all.
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 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 to thrive. big variety animals and plants. Plant and animal species collected commercially: soft corals, sponges, squid, seaweed and shells, various types of fish, including mackerel and anchovy.
Traveling on a comfortable speedboat, you can appreciate the incredible beauty of the Ang Thong Marine National Park, which consists of 42 islands. The first stop of your adventure will be the island of Wau with an amazingly rich world of marine life. Armed with a mask and snorkel, you will discover an unimaginable underwater world with its many inhabitants. parrot fish, sea urchins, stingrays, neon, colorful corals will amaze your imagination.
Wua Talap Island
The next stop on our tour will be the island of Vua Talap inhabited by wild monkeys. The golden beach and untouched nature will create an atmosphere of comfort of a real paradise Bounty. You can climb to the observation deck located at an altitude of 500 meters, which offers a unique view of the Ang Thong Marine National Park with its magnificent islands. Here you will be invited to ride a kayak. (kayaking included), along bays hidden from prying eyes, rocky grottoes and wild beaches. After a delicious lunch in the island's restaurant, you can take a breath from new experiences and emotions, relax on the beach or visit the Lotus Cave with unique stalactites and stalagmites.
emerald lagoon
But that's not all! The next stop on your adventure is Mae Island, which means "Mother Island" in Thai. According to legend, an eruption from the crater of this ancient volcano formed the islands of the Ang Thong Marine National Park. To date, the volcano is considered extinct, and in its crater there is Lake Talay Nai, better known as the "Emerald Lagoon". Climbing up to the observation deck, you will see great view to the lake and Ang Thong National Park. You can also go down to the foot of the lake, along comfortable steps and admire it up close.
