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Ang Thong National Marine Park
The beautiful Ang Thong National Marine Park comprises a lush, dense group of 42 small islands strewn like dragon's teeth over the deep-blue Gulf of Thailand, 31km west of Samui. Erosion of the soft limestone has dug caves and chiselled out fantastic shapes that are variously said to resemble seals, a rhinoceros, a Buddha image and even the temple complex at Angkor. The surrounding waters are home to dolphins and on land there are long-tailed macaques, leopard cats, dusky langurs, monitor lizards and pythons.
The largest land mass is Ko Wua Talab (Sleeping Cow Island), from whose peak (a steep 430-metre climb) you can gawp at the panorama. Another climb leads to Tham Buabok, "Waving Lotus Cave", set high in the cliff-face, whose stalactites and stalagmites are said to resemble lotuses.
The park's name Ang Thong, "Golden Bowl", comes from a landlocked saltwater lake, 250m in diameter, on Ko Mae Ko, which was the inspiration for the setting of bestselling novel and film, The Beach. A path leads from the beach through natural rock tunnels to the rim of the cliff wall that encircles the lake, affording another stunning view of the archipelago and the shallow, blue-green water far below, which is connected to the sea by a natural tunnel.
Practicalities
There are no scheduled boats to Ang Thong, only organized day-trips.
On Ko Samui, the main operator is Highway on Thanon Chonwithi (077 421290, www.highseatour.com; dep Na Thon daily at 8.30am; B1300), whose big boats make stops at Ko Wua Talab and Ko Mae Ko.
Several companies in Maenam, Bangrak and Bophut on Samui do speedboat day-trips to Ang Thong (B1500–1800); the luxury yacht Seatran Discovery (077 426000–2, www.seatrandiscovery.com) runs trips three times a week for B2700; and Blue Stars, at Gallery Lafayette on Chaweng (077 413231, www.bluestars.info) does dedicated kayaking trips for B2200.
It's also possible to stay on Ko Wua Talab, at National Parks bungalows and tents (077 280222 or 077 286025, www.dnp.go.th; B200–1400). You can go over on a boat-trip ticket and return on a later day.