Mu Ko Angthong National Park

It comprises some 40 islands northwest of Ko Samui and covers some 250 square kilometers. Major park islands largely towering, verdant rock masses encircled by clear sras, include Mae Ko which has a beautiful beach and an emerald salfwater lake called Thale Nai ; Wua Talap, site of park headquarters where accommodation is available for visitors wishing to prolong their stays ; Sam Sao with and exciting coral reef and huge rock arch, and Phai-Luak.

Angthong Bay - Between the Samui island and the mainland Surat Thani, lies the Angthong Bay, literally the Golden Basin, which has become a Marine National Park. The scattering island and oitcroppings offer splendit island caves, magical limestone island s, azure-green water in the various lakes and inland waterways, and hundreds of beaches, large and small, filled with glittering white fine sand. Oddly-shaped islands and wonderous rock formations in the area are linked to a famous legend of Samui island involving a fierce battle between two rival lovers wellversed in black magic which turned various objects into stone and thus the wonderful isles and rock formations which are a feast to the eyes.

The second marine national park in Thailand, Mu Koh Ang Thong National Park is located 20 kilometers west of Koh Samui. Spreading out over an area of 102 square kilometers, or 63,750 rai, the park's many islands, plentiful coral reefs, and jagged rock formations are home to schools of fish and a variety of marine life protected from strong winds and waves. The marine park is comprised of 42 islands, the most important being Koh Wau Ta Lap, where the national park center is located. In nearby Bua Bok Cave incredible lotus-like stalactites and stalagmites have formed over the centuries.

The Island Koh Mae contains the crystal clear Thale Nai, or inner lake, craddled in the center of its tall mountain. Koh Sam sao, a coral life area, features a natural stone bridge stretching out to the sea. Koh Tai Phlao and Koh Wua Kantang both have coral reefs and clean white sandy beaches. Scenic stone layers spread out along the beaches of Koh No Raet, while Koh Kon Ban, Koh Hanuman, Koh Nai Put (or Koh Lim) and Koh Tai Phlao to the north present the park's most beautiful resources of shallow coral life.

Marine Park Articles courtesy of Blue Stars Kayaking

Angthong National Marine Park (Mu Ko Angthong)

Angthong National Marine Park is composed of a group of 40 or so islands making stunning vistas of a forest full of rock formations.

Angthong, meaning 'golden bowl', occupies almost 250 sq km and includes 50 sq km of limestone islands and karsts topography. Most of the islands are close to each other making a breathtaking panorama sailing around the park. The park itself is inhabited by a considerable amount of asian wildlife and dolphins also live in the sea.

All the islands are of different sizes and shapes. Most of them are covered with tropical forests and named after their distinguishing geography, a kind of descriptive appellation, such as 'Sleeping Cow Island' and 'Three Pillar Island'.

Caves in many of the islands have intriguing rock formations. Visit one for an awesome experience. The beaches are surrounded with excellent coral reefs which make for perfect swimming and snorkeling. Hundreds of beaches here in the archipelago are deserted. Get a boat and find your own secret beach away from the crowds.

Mae Ko Island is a must to visit. Here lays an emerald seawater lake in the middle of the island encircled on all sides by limestone cliffs causing a perfectly calm sea. There is an underground tunnel connecting with the sea outside. You can climb from the seashore to the edge of the lake in 40 minutes or so for a rewarding and spectacular view across the whole park. Another major highlight is Wua Talap Island or 'sleeping cow'. The park headquarters is located on the island with basic bungalow accommodation. It takes some effort to climb up the steep 430 m hill to a viewpoint offering great scenery of the entire archipelago and the mainland.

The most common transport is to get tour boats taking 40-50 people, with lunch on board. Or else you can take speedboat tours which also provide a snorkeling program. It gets you to the archipelago faster. The best way is to put together a group of friends to hire a boat and explore the islands and beaches in your own time.

Diving
The Gulf of Thailand is a great place to try diving, get certified or sample some of its great reefs on half or one day dive trips. If you have never dived before there are many options available. Discover Scuba Diving gets you straight in the water with an instructor and can take as little as half a day. If you enjoy this and want to learn, you can choose to gain full certification by taking the Open Water Diver course. The operator will offer you a choice of options for completing the course – different locations, boats and even islands. The course takes only four days and will give you an international PADI diving license with which you can go diving all over the world. For the certified diver, you will find the operators on Samui offering a choice between trips to the National Marine Park, Sail Rock and Koh Tao. These are day trips with travel times between one and three hours by boat. The National Marine Park is a beautiful archipelago, with the best diving and clearest waters offered by the islands to the far north called Koh Wao and Hin Nippon Yai and Lek. Further north, Sail Rock is the best-known site in the Gulf, offering a wall dive on the rock, while Koh Tao offers a choice of over 20 dive sites for all experience levels.

Sailing

Thanks largely to the success of the third annual Samui Regatta, sailing in Samui is becoming increasingly popular. The island has excellent weather conditions for sailing — a good all-year-round breeze that is a solid northeasterly between December and April, and a more challenging strong westerly with the occasional violent gust between May and November. Craft available for a day on the ocean waves include yachts, catamarans and more modest windsurf boards.

Kayaking

You can glide across the water’s surface near Samui’s shores or around the cave-riddled islands of Ang Thong National Marine Park. Sea kayaks are very stable and easy to use. A number of hotels in Chaweng rent kayaks, and several kayaking companies can arrange a full day tour complete with guides and kayaks in the marine park.

Diving

Easy Divers: 077 413 373

Abyss Dive Centre: 077 427 720, 01 677 4251

Mui Divers: Tel. 077 232 160

Samui International Dive School: 077 422 386

Travel Solutions (watersports consultants): 077 230 203