A Day At Ang Thong National Marine Park

 

 

Ang Thong National Marine Park

Ang Thong National Marine Park

 

One of the added bonuses of staying at the Intercontinental Samui was the close proximity to Ang Thong National Marine Park, which consists of 42 islands.  We decided to take a day trip to this park which was only about a 45 minute speed boat ride from the hotel.  Once again, the excellence of the Intercontinental was on display.  They arranged the whole day tour from start to finish which made for a fun and relaxing day.  The hotel staff on the tour were friendly, well organized, and took a lot of pride in providing one of the more memorable days of our trip.  Ang Thong Park was absolutely spectacular.

 

The islands of Ang Thong National Marine Park

The islands of Ang Thong National Marine Park

Islands consisting of steep limestone cliffs seemed to jut up from the sea everywhere you looked.  These islands combined with the amazing aqua color of the water provided an amazing backdrop.  Our first stop on the tour was Ko Mae Ko, which is one of the main islands in the park.  Here, we took a short, but steep hike to the interior portion of the island where Thali Nae saltwater lake awaited us.

Saltwater Lake

Saltwater Lake

Once again, limestone cliffs surrounded this serene lake.  After visiting the lake, we went snorkeling around one of the many islands in the park.  The marine life around the islands appeared well developed and flourishing.  After a picnic lunch on the beach, we headed over to Ko Wua Talap, one of the main islands in this archipelago.

View for Ko Wua Talap

View from Ko Wua Talap

It was here, we took a strenuous hike up a rocky path to the numerous look outs on the island.  The strenuous hike, combined with the stifling humidity, made for a great work out and the views from the look outs were incredible.

Looking out over the islands of Ko Wua Talap

Looking out over the islands of Ko Wua Talap

After the hike, we cooled off in the bath-like water on the beach of Ko Wua Talap.  From here, we took the short 45 minute boat ride back to our hotel after an amazing day at the park.  If you are staying on Ko Samui, I can highly recommend a day trip to Ang Thong National Marine Park.