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Underwater Koh Chang
You may not find too many people getting
excited about the diving around Koh Chang but the snorkelling is as good as
you'll find in the south of Thailand.
There are different kinds of boat trips
available, all of which include some snorkelling. But you'll need to
think about a few factors such as how much or little time you want to spend
on the boat compared to in the water, what type of food you require - a
western buffet or regular Thai food, how much you want to pay etc
before you book a trip.
The best snorkelling spots are the small
islands to the northeast of Koh Rang - a large uninhabited ( except for a
few rangers) island south of Koh Chang and west of Koh Mak. You'll see
names such as Koh Lon, Koh Yak, Koh Thonglang mentioned on adverts. Boats
will often also stop at Koh Wai, which is a good spot for snorkelling
off the beach and feeding the fish from the pier or whilst standing waist
deep in water. trips to the se islands are usually sold simply as '4
Island' tours. It's
always better to bring your own mask & snorkel if you have one as those
supplied on boats tend to be cheap & well worn. Fins aren't supplied
but you can hire them if you are taking a boat that departs from
Bangbao, figure on 100 baht/pair.
In high season - especially New year or times when a
lot of Thais are visiting the islands the boats get packed out - better to
avoid taking a trip then if you can as all you see are flailing body parts
There are a dozen boat companies offering
trips on the sea. All include free transfer to/from your hotel - boat in the
price. These are a few of them:
Sattra Tour
& Attipol Tour -
The budget carriers of Koh Chang's snorkel trip world. Big converted
fishing boats, good Thai food lunches and stops at the main snorkelling
islands for around 600 baht/person. If you want to see fish, want to be well
fed and don't mind that the boats will be busy - especially at
weekends - then either of these companies is fine.
Mr. Khai
& Kon Tiki both
of which have nicely painted boats, smaller groups and a better
standard of food than the regular trips. Think of these as boutique
snorkelling trips.
Chai-Chet
Speedboat & Kai
Bae Hut Speedboat - The benefits
of going by speedboat are less travel time, more time in the water, fewer
people on the boat . . but no toilet, no freshwater shower, no buffet lunch
or tea making facilities and no deckchair to sit in. Figure on around 1000
baht/person for a day trip by speedboat to the main snorkelling islands.
If the weather is a bit windy be prepared to be bounced about a bit.
Sea
Adventures - The only sailing ship
currently operating day trips, this catamaran cruises slowly down the west
coast of Koh Chang to Koh Klum, a large island just south of Bangbao.
If a day lazing in the sun, enjoying good food and slowly watching the
beaches of Koh Chang go past is for you, then take this trip. You won't
get to see many of the outlying islands closely though or go to the main snorkelling spots but it's a chance to be on a large catamaran for a day.
Thai Fun
- You'll see a lot of different islands on this 1250 baht day trip aboard a
large white vessel. But it is a long day on a boat, you're looking at
around 10 hours or so if you are staying on White Sand Beach, more of a nice
sightseeing cruise with a bit of snorkelling thrown in rather than a trip
you'd take specifically if you wanted to snorkel.
Supercat -
The ultimate in day trips is aboard the 'SuperCat', the large power
catamaran used by the Amari Emerald Cove to ferry guests on luxury day trips
to Koh Kood. on the way you'll get to snorkel around Koh Rang as well
as stop off at Koh Mak and Koh Wai. All of this whilst enjoying a 5
star buffet and drinks. Not cheap at 3,900 Baht++ for adults & 2,900
Baht++ for under 12's. But definitely a unique way to see the islands.
Photos
We always use Attipol Tour for guests staying at our
place who want to go and see some fish. The service is good, the Thai
food is good, you're guaranteed to see loads of underwater life. Why pay
more - unless you really want to.
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