Explore The deep south
KO HAI (also known as KO NGAI), 16km southwest of Pak Meng, is the most developed of the Trang islands, though it’s still decidedly low-key. The island’s action, such as it is, centres on the east coast, where half a dozen resorts enjoy a dreamy panorama of jagged limestone outcrops, whose crags glow pink and blue against the setting sun, stretching across the sea to the mainland behind. The gently sloping beach of fine, white sand here runs unbroken for over 2km (though at low tide, swimming is not so good at the northern end, which is scattered with dead coral), and there’s some good snorkelling in the shallow, clear water off the island’s southeastern tip.
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Ko Hai activities
Ko Hai activities
You can rent snorkelling equipment (B100/day at Coco Cottage, for example) and kayaks (B50/hr at Koh Ngai Villa, for example) at most of the resorts. All the resorts offer boat trips (B1500/boat, or B300/person in a group of six, at Ko Hai Seafood, for example) that take in the Emerald Cave on Ko Mook and some snorkelling off Ko Hai. (Ko Cheuak, just to the southeast of Ko Hai, is currently off-limits to visitors to protect the coral, which was badly bleached during a sudden rise in sea temperatures in 2010 – avoid any place that offers trips there.) Ko Hai Seafood can also put together overnight snorkelling and camping trips to Ko Rok for B2300 per person.
Towards the southern end of the beach, Fantasy Resort has a well-organized dive shop, the German-run Rainbow Divers.
