Angthong National Marine Park

Angthong National Marine Park is a collection of 42 uninhabited tiny islands dotting the Gulf of Thailand.  They are the tree covered peaks of a flooded range of limestone mountains.  These islands have a rugged limestone rock face and beautiful, white mica sand beaches and they are a perfect destination for a day trip since they are only 31 km from Koh Samui.

Beach at Angthong National Marine Park

For this trip our boat was much larger than our snorkeling speedboat and we were happy to see its size after the rough ride we had the day before.  It was a slower ride and we settled in for the 1 1/2 hour cruise in the sunshine. 

Our slow boat to the National Marine Park

At our first island stop we hopped into a sea kayak and toured around the sheer limestone cliffs.

 Erosion has carved interesting shapes into the limestone and we paddled into and around these areas. 



We kayaked under these overhanging rocks



If it's there, it must be climbed

We were all called back onto the boat in time for lunch, which was traditional Thai food.  Lots of rice with green chicken curry (spicy) and stir fried vegetables.  Thai people tell you if the food is spicy but their idea of spicy is vastly different from the Canadian definition of spicy.  All Thai food is spicy by our standards and if the Thai menu says "spicy"  then know you will need the fire hose later. 

After lunch we sailed to another little island, Mae Koh.  It was very picturesque, with a beautiful beach and a hidden lake to hike to.  This hike was 500 m high, tucked into the middle of the island.  As with some other aspects of Thai tourism, there were few safety standards in place.  For most of the hike we had to climb stairs.  They were steep, almost ladderlike. Very difficult to maneuver, and very scary.

The steep staircase up to the hidden lake

Once at the top, the view of the lake is beautiful.  Its colour changes depending on the tide-at low tide it is green and at high tide it is blue.  We were there at low tide so our pictures are green.  The lake contains barracuda and sea snakes so we didn't swim there.

We made it to the top

The hidden lake



 After the hike we were sweaty messes and we needed to cool off.  We snorkeled around for a bit.  The island isn't surrounded by coral so the fish weren't as plentiful or colourful as the ones we saw yesterday.  The swimming was nice-the water was warm and the sun was bright.  All too soon we got the call to head back to the boat.  It was moored offshore so we were loaded into traditional longtail boats to be ferried over to it.



Boat People



Long boat tenders to shore

After eight days on Koh Samui it is time to begin our homeward journey.  Our flight back to Bangkok was on Bangkok Air-the boutique airline of Asia.  This plane was a real jet this time and the flight was very quick.

The Koh Samui airport is our favourite airport, ever!  It has 3 gates, all of which are outdoor.  The waiting areas are covered in the traditional Thai style with thatched roofs, and the furniture is rattan.  Free refreshments and light snacks are offered. Travellers reach their gate via an outdoor promenade and all the airport shops are located along side it.

Outdoor airport walkway lined by shops

Al, on one of the outdoor lounge chairs at the airport

View from the plane of our hotel

We're spending our last days back in Bangkok and making the most of our time there at the MBK shopping centre and the Patpong outdoor market.  We'll be back in Canada June 16th.  We fly from Bangkok to Hong Kong at 6:30 am Bangkok time on June 16th.  Then, after our six hour layover, we leave Hong Kong at 3:10 pm and arrive in Toronto (15 hours later) at 6:05 pm Toronto time.