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Ang Thong National Marine Park, Thailand
By Joe Samui
Angthong National Marine Park A 90 minute boat ride from Koh Samui, Mu koh Angthong National Marine Park (literally translated as “bowl of gold” ), Ang thong National Marine Park consists of more than 40 small islands, each possessing beautifully descriptive names such as “Three Pillar Island” or “Sleeping Cow Island” and covered in tropical jungle and pristine white sand beaches. With many of these islands in very close proximity, a day trip from Koh Samui will provide ample opportunities for adventure with snorkeling, kayaking and beach-combing being some of the preferred ways to spend the afternoon. Carved out of limestone, these islands possess some of the most breathtaking and picturesque landscapes you will find anywhere in South East Asia. Towering cliffs, caves, hidden lagoons and one private beach after another will give each visitor an opportunity to relax, tan, swim while the number of islands available means that everyone can have an island to themselves. Most official tour boats stop at the park headquarters to pay the 400 baht per person entry fee, have lunch and allow travelers to get their bearings before heading off to different islands to begin the adventure.
Swimming or snorkeling around the islands, you may see anything from whales to sharks, groupers to mackerel, rays, clams, oysters and abundant coral. On land, a hike around any of these islands will allow the visitor to see smaller mammal species such as otters and crab eating monkeys, hogs and bats. There are a number of reptiles on these islands and each visitor should expect to see lizards, iguanas, pythons, cobras and turtles, although it is much more common to see evidence of reptile life rather than come face to face with them.
Photographers are well advised to come prepared with extra storage devices or film as the case may be. Koh Mae Koh or “Mother Island” will reward photographers and hikers with a breathtaking photo-op after a semi-strenuous hike up through the beach jungle and into position for a view out over the entire park system but especially prominent is the emerald blue-green lake , fed by underground tunnels and surrounded by limestone cliffs.
Basic bungalow accommodations are available at the park headquarters and for those adventurers who stay overnight, they will be sharing their night sky and surroundings with only the native Thai sea-gypsies who have been fishing these waters for hundreds of years.
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Those islands look like something out of a fairy tale. I guess the lack of expansive white-sand beaches keeps the riffraff away. Must be a fantastic place to explore. Thank you for this intel.
 |  | nick Jun 21, 2008 06:25 | |
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
thanks for the comments Nick. There are few places in the world that i've seen that evoke the same feelings as Angthong, the Grand Canyon in the U.S. being one of them. There are quite a few stretches of white sand beach there, however as it is another journey from Samui after already undertaking what is for most of us a very long flight, it does keep the tourist traffic down. i'm thinking about buying a small trimaran to sail around through the park on the weekends.
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