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Ko Lanta island tours: why go from one beach to another, you may ask. Well, because the islands around Ko Lanta - Ko Rok, Ko Ngai, Ko Muk and Ko Phi Phi - are simply stunning as well as offering amazing snorkelling. You won't regret stirring from your hammock, we promise.
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Activities on the Krabi mainland - Activities in Ko Phi Phi

The Lanta Islands Guide: Island tours

Although there is not much snorkelling to be done locally around the shore in Ko Lanta, there are several day trips to outlying islands that you can go on.

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    Ko Rok

    It is precisely because of their remoteness and their inaccesibility to the Ao Nang and Phuket crowds that the twin Ko Rok islands are probably the best snorkelling spot in the south Andaman Sea.

    Perfect, pristine corals, in clear, shallow water, with almost obscene amounts of tropical fish and other marine life await those who endure the bumpy 45-minute ride from Ko Lanta. It feels as though you are swimming inside a giant aquarium. Ko Rok is part of the Ko Lanta National Marine Park and the islands themselves are stunning.

    Ko Rok Nok, the larger of the two, is home to the Marine Park HQ, as well as a handful of bungalows where you can, if you wish, stay overnight in this mini-Eden, returning the next day with a tour company. Advance booking is essential; contact the National Marine Park in Ko Lanta itself first, or visit www.dnp.go.th.

    The island is also where the tour boats stop for lunch; you can either lounge on the white sand beach, or go exploring inland: there is a horseshoe bay on the other side, which is home to a community of Hermit crabs, as well as a viewpoint, a short scramble up the hill. This trip should not be attempted without mosquito repellent, however; and remember to cover every inch of your body - or scratch the consequences.

    The second island, Ko Rok Nai, is mainly rocky with a tiny beach opposite Ko Rok Nok. The tour boats circumnavigate the island for a snorkelling stop, as well as to see the magnificent waterfall on its western side, tumbling down the sheer cliffs to the sea.

    Tours cost around 1500 Baht per person, including lunch, soft drinks and snorkelling equipment. Only available November - April - the sea conditions during the monsoon months make travel impossible.

    Four island tour: Ko Muk, Ko Ngai, Ko Kradan, Ko Cheuak, Ko Waen

    Yes, that's five islands! But the last two are only snorkelling stops, so the itinerary depends on the company and the tides on the day.

    The four/five islands are located to the south of Ko Lanta, around half an hour by speedboat from the southern tip of the island. Only one of them (Ko Ngai - often pronounced Ko Hai) actually belongs to Krabi Province; the others, close by, are part of Trang province and all are popular tourist destinations in themselves - both Ko Muk and Ko Ngai have resorts and bungalows where you can stay overnight.

    This day trip from Ko Lanta, however, takes in the main beaches, several snorkelling stops, as well as the slightly scary but astonishing Emerald Cave on Ko Muk. The boat moors outside an unassuming rock face, and then you get out and swim through apparently only a 50m long dark tunnel in the cliff - although it feels like more - and out onto the other side. For those who are not strong swimmers, or are afraid of the dark, a life jacket is available and recommended. There is also a rope to guide you through the passage and the boat staff usually sing and make noise to reassure you.

    The other side, a collapsed cave, feels like a secret world. A tiny beach, open to the air, but enclosed on all sides by towering cliffs: this is Emerald Cave.

    Tours cost around 1200 Baht per person.

    Ko Phi Phi

    The magical Phi Phi Islands are also accessible from Ko Lanta by speedboat on a day tour, where you will take in most of the famous sights like Maya Bay, Losamah Bay Monkey Beach, as well as the main island of Phi Phi Don. For more on the Phi Phi Island beaches, see our Phi Phi Island Guide. See also our Phi Phi day trip guide on the same site.

    Tours cost around 1400 Baht per person by speedboat.

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