T.I.C.D.: Mu Ko Ang Thong
One of the most dazzling island chains in the Gulf of Thailand, condensed.
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Resuming Surat Thani province…
Mu Ko Ang Thong is covered below as a separate entity, but some count it as another arm of Mu Ko Samui to the E, where Ko Samui and Ko Phangan are 30-50 km away. In any case, these two archipelagos are closely related, with many tour boats running between them each day when the weather is good. The other, less-used, entry points are in Don Sak on the mainland, directly S of the Ang Thongs.
Mu Ko Ang Thong
The 57 islands of the Ang Thong or ‘Golden Basin’ Archipelago begin just N of mainland Don Sak and continue in that direction for 70 km, splotching the teal Gulf with staggering cliffs, beaches, viewpoints, caves and lagoons.
As for natural beauty, I place the Ang Thongs right up there with the 5 or 6 most magnificent island groups in Thailand. Parts of the chain can get crowded with day trippers — most notably at the viewpoints on Ko Mae Ko and Ko Wua Talap — but the sheer number of terrific spots found within the archipelago keeps any one place from becoming the Maya Bay of the Gulf.
The countless limestone cliffs resemble numerous animals and objects, joining peaks that tower near 400 m on both Ko Phaluai and Ko Wua Talap. The knotty limestone topography is especially notable in this region because, while karst cliffs with sea and beach is fairly common over in the Thai Andaman Sea, Mu Ko Ang Thong, along with Mu Ko Chumphon to the NW, are the only major island groups in the Gulf of Thailand where you can catch this specific type of scenery.
Established in 1980, Mu Ko Ang Thong is Thailand’s second oldest marine NP. Earlier, most of it had been entirely closed to the public by the Royal Thai Navy.
Today, Mu Ko Ang Thong NP is primarily a day trip destination with many boat tours operating out of Ko Samui and Ko Phangan, including speedboats and slow boats equipped with kayaks. However, the chain’s largest island, Ko Phaluai, is starting to catch on as a low-key alternative destination with simple bungalows on empty beaches and a tremendous limestone landscape in the N.