Ang Thong National Marine Park

 

Hello family and friends, 

As our time in Ko Samui came to an end we decided to take a one day boat adventure to Ang Thong National Marine Park, the name means "golden basin". The park was established in 1980 and consists of 42 islands which are robustly maintained and governed by Thai authorities, it costs 300 Baht (about $10) for the day and you can only access it with a tour operator but once there you could book to stay and camp (which we did not). The islands are largely uninhabited, they are rugged limestone embankmenkments covered with trees, lush vegetation and caves. Apparently the novel, "The Beach" was filmed here - a film none of us have seen but one which made this area famous. 

We signed up for a speed boat tour, which included about 30 people on a long boat with three engines racing across the sea. There were people from all over the world on our boat, we met some French, Austrian and Germans - though most people, including the tour operator, communicated in English, it was not the dominant language spoken with lots of pauses as one person did translations for their group. After a quick breakfast and some trip info we made our way onto the sea...  with a plan for many stops across the islands to hike, kayak and snorkel. Our family sat at the back of the boat, we were shaded and comfortable to see out to the horizon but once it got wavy we were pretty wet! Thankfully, none of the seats were reserved so we shifted closer to the captain for later segments of the trip. Our first stop was to kayak - 2 people per sit-a-top boat to enjoy the rock formations. Unfortunately, the wind was already getting strong and it was a lot of work! The girls were champions, paddling in the front like mad. 

Next, we went for a hike on the main park island where there is a visitor centre and we hiked 500 meters straight up a mountain aided by a rope. The footing was tricky and the heat intense but the view was worth it. Even though 500 meters doesn't sound far - every step is effortful so we made distractions with others by humming and singing - sometimes the same song in different languages! People were helping one another up the steepest parts and it seemed like a great accomplishment. 

Later, on another island, we visited Ko Mae Ko, which means mother island and we saw an emerald saltwater lake that is connected to the sea with underwater caves. This was also a steep trip up but with the aid of concrete stairs and boardwalks! As long as you held on all the time, it was not dangerous and the climb only took about 20 minutes. 

The snorkeling was a bit of a bust because the wind had continued to build all day but the girls still got to wear snorkle masks for the first time and do a bit of swimming in a beach/bay area. We also enjoyed walking the beach to make use of the rope and tire swings - chatting with people from Australia and Tasmania who are living in Thailand to teach and learn Thai. All in all, it was a great day - so fun to be outside, to see new things while learning more about this beautiful place!