Breathtakingly beautiful beaches, cerulean waters as clear as glass, swaying palm trees and some of the most extensive underwater coral gardens in Thailand: welcome to the Surin Islands. This archipelago of five unspoiled islands is located in the Andaman Sea, just 60 km from the Thai mainland. Inhabited only by the Moken, an ethnic group of sea-faring people, and protected under the status as a National Marine Park, the beauty and biodiversity of these islands remain pristine. The warm tropical waters with incredible visibility provide a haven, not just for the abundant aquatic life, but also for nature lovers, snorkellers and divers. This is the opportunity to experience the underwater life of an area untouched by mass tourism.
Inclusions & Exclusions
✔ Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver
✔ A full day tour with a professional English-speaking assistance
✔ All applicable taxes and service charges
✔ Return speed boat transfer from and to the Surin Islands
✔ Lunch at the National Park restaurant is included (food only)
✔ All entrance fees for visits as mentioned in the description.
✔ Use of life jacket, snorkelling equipment during the tour
✖ Personal expenses such as meals, drinks, tips and gratuities, shopping, portage fees
✖ Hotel accommodation in Khao Lak
✖ Supplements for transfers outside the main Khao Lak region; this includes any cruise port, the Baan Naam Khem district as well as transfers from Khao Sok National Park.
✖ Any airline tickets, visa fees, additional transportation cost from and to the general meeting point
✖ Travel insurance coverage for customers (highly recommendable)
Pickup Locations
1. Devasom Khao Lak Beach Resort & Villas
2. Tony Lodge
3. Nang Thong Bay Resort
4. Suwan Palm Beach Resort Kokotel
5. The Shambhala Khaolak Resort
6. Khaolak Bhandari Resort and Spa
7. Seaview Resort Khao Lak
8. Chongfah Beach Resort
9. The Beach Resort
10. Khaolak Tusneem Resort
11. Hongte Khaolak Resort
12. Khao Lak Riverside Resort & Spa
13. Khaolak Orchid Beach Resort
14. The Sands Khao Lak By Katathani
15. Motive Cottage Resort
16. The Oasis Khaolak Resort
17. The Waters Khao Lak by Katathani Collection
18. Nang Thong Beach Resort 2
19. Khaolak Oriental Resort
20. The Leaf Oceanside By Katathani
Itinerary
1
Mu Ko Surin National Park
Early morning, join the speed boat for an exhilarating journey over to the Surin National Park. The ‘Robinson Crusoe’ feeling soon becomes reality as the jungle-clad hills of the islands appear on the horizon. Ao Mae Yai is one of the larger bays and the first stop of the day. Don a mask and flippers (provided by us) and jump into the luminous waters to discover extraordinary marine life, or just take a gentle stroll along the powder-soft sands.
Duration: 1.5 hours
2
A visit to a village inhabited by the Moken sea gypsies is an absolute must on this trip. Semi-nomadic by nature, the seafaring community used to spend a lot of their time travelling, however they have now permanently moored their wooden boats off Surin Tai Island where many live in stilted wooden houses with thatched roofs. Also known as Chao Leh, they have their own language and culture and are known for their exceptional underwater swimming and fishing skills. The chance to meet with the villagers and watch them as they go about their daily life gives an insight into a way of life dictated by the waves of the ocean.
There’s time for relaxing on Surin Beach, along with a leisurely Thai lunch in the fresh sea air at the National Park centre.
Duration: 3 hours
3
Chong Khat Bay
More swimming and snorkelling can be enjoyed at Chong Kad Bay and Suthep Bay. Both boast coral reefs teeming with sea creatures – some rare, others common – along with an impressive range of corals. Almost a thousand different species of fish are reported to live within the Surin Archipelago. Keep a look out for tiny seahorses, ghost pipefish, rays, clown fish, angel fish - maybe even small reef sharks and turtles.
Finally, return by speedboat to the mainland and transfer back to your hotel in Khao Lak.
Duration: 3 hours
Additional info
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• This tour is operated on joint / Seat-In-Coach basis only with English-speaking assistance on board.
• Return transfers for this excursion apply only / are inclusive for customers staying along Khao Lak’s main beaches. Transfers outside these areas such as Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong, Takua Pa Town including any harbour or airport are excluded. Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions.
• A minimum number of guests are required for this excursion to operate; many of our tours do not have limitations on group size, depending on the availability of seats and other factors. We regret that we are not able to communicate in advance about this.
• We will do all possible to comply with any dietary requirements during this excursion; it may not always be possible to confirm your wishes in advance based on the choice of local restaurant.
• We will always make the effort to confirm the exact pick-up time upon reservation. For any operational issues in which are not able to confirm the exact pick-up time in advance, we reserve the right to inform you the day before the departure of the tour.
• Please note pickup and drop-off services may not be confirmed for customers staying at private residences, apartment complexes, or other non-registered tourism accommodations. Customers may be asked to meet at a nearby hotel for pick-up and drop off.
• Natural elements of any kind have a destructive effect on electronic equipment. It is the customer’s own responsibility to ensure that any camera, mobile telephone or other device is properly wrapped and protected against these elements. We cannot be held responsible in any way for negligence and/or not following suggestions for any damage related to this.
• Please ensure that you bring sunglasses, a hat /cap and sunblock with a high SPF factor when traveling with us on this tour – even when it is cloudy, the sun’s rays are still very powerful. We reserve the right to make necessary changes to the excursion in case of unfavourable weather conditions or situations where we are forced to make alterations to guarantee the safety of our guests.
• It is the responsibility of the customer to provide us with the correct hotel information, should pick-up and drop-off services be included in the package. Any changes in accommodation outside 24 hours will be handled accordingly: changes within 24 hours may be on request.
• In the event of no-show or change of accommodation without prior consent and confirmation from us within 24 hours may result in the applicable cancellation charges as outlined in the terms and conditions.
• This excursion only runs from October until May. The expected boat trip from the mainland to the Surin Islands takes approximately 90 minutes one way.
• Recommended to bring: change of clothing (2 sets), towel, swim wear and slippers / waterproof sandals. We strongly advise not to bring any valuables with you as there are no lockers available.
