Though I had wanted one day to relax on the beach, my next day what I had planned was to do some more adventuring. Which was why I’d booked a boat trip out to Ang Thong National Marine Park. 

The Marine Park sounded incredible, so booking a tour was an easy way to get out there and enjoy it to the fullest. I booked a full day tour through Get Your Guide to be able to take a boat out to the park, do some snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking.

They picked me up with a van at my hotel and drove us back to the marina. The company even provided a light breakfast before we took off, which was good because we’d left early enough I wasn’t able to eat at the hotel. 

The weather was perfect compared to the day before with sunny clear skies. The sea still felt a little choppy, but they provided some motion sickness tablets before we took off, so I didn’t deal with any nausea onboard.

There were probably thirty other people on the tour. We boarded a good sized motorboat and set off into the sea towards the marine sanctuary.

Our first stop was in a bay to enjoy some snorkeling. I’ve never had much luck with using my camera underwater in those protective cases, so sadly no photos from the snorkeling, but it was still a great experience. I saw lots of beautiful fish and enjoyed the calm waters to get to swim around and explore. 

After a while I headed back to the boat to snap a few pictures and dry off. Most of the others began heading back onboard as well, so we did take off for our next destination. 

The boat headed around some of the islands (the park is made up of 42). We enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the dramatic limestone jutting out of the vibrant ocean waters. 

At last we arrived at Mae Ko Island where we disembarked and took a short hike up the hill to get a view of the Blue Lagoon, a beautiful lake in the middle of the island. It looks stunning but apparently isn’t great for swimming due to snakes and jagged rock edges. Still the view was gorgeous and we enjoyed ourselves before heading back to the boat.

Once back on the boat we had another short ride before stopping on a sandy beach on the other side of the island. There we disembarked and had a lunch at a small picnic area. We had rice, vegetables, and some chicken. It was tasty and hit the spot after so much activity that morning.

There was a short break to enjoy the beach before heading back to the boat to head onwards to our next activities. 

On the island of Ko Wua Ta Lap we were offered the chance to do some kayaking. Unfortunately the kayaks they had were all for two people, no singles. I asked the guide and he just said I could go with him, but as it was my very first time possibly kayaking I didn’t really feel comfortable possibly capsizing someone else. I’ve done rafting and canoeing, so probably would have gotten the hang of it, but it just didn’t appeal to me to not be able to try on my own or with someone I knew. 

I instead headed over to the beach to do some swimming. The water felt great. 

When our guide got back with the kayakers he led a hike up the Pha Jun Jaras Nature Trail, a steep climb to the top of the island for incredible views. I opted to go, though I trailed behind much of the group as it was a pretty steep climb. It was only five hundred meters, but the signs at the bottom estimated it would take an hour. I’m not quite sure how long it really was for me. 

Still, the view from the top was spectacular and well worth being out of breath and very sweaty for. 

Back at the bottom I bought myself some ice cream and a milk tea and enjoyed the beach for a bit longer before being called back to the boat. Onboard, we headed back to Koh Samui to disembark for the day. 

We again met vans back at the marina which drove us back to our hotels. I had been the last picked up in the morning so was the first dropped off. It was still pretty early in the afternoon so I just kept my swimsuit on and opted to go enjoy some time by the beach and pool for the remainder of the day. 

At long last, I did get cleaned up and went to find some food. I didn’t feel like walking quite as much after a busy day, so settled for a place a little closer to my hotel. It was called Super Chef Restaurant. I had some spring rolls, a mango smoothie, and I believe a chicken and basil dish. It was delicious and filling and the perfect thing to finish off a great day. 

I definitely stopped on my way home to get some ice cream and enjoyed a relaxing evening on my hotel porch in the ocean breeze. Definitely a good way to finish off my time in Koh Samui.