Snorkeling at Koh Haa Yai

It actually means five islands in Thai and is known for its crystal clear waters. The protected lagoons shape a breathtaking view. The beautiful beach and the turquoise waters invite you in for snorkeling. You can find yourself glide over some of the most diverse coral reefs in the world combining marine life and all the colors of the rainbow. Follow your professional snorkeling guide and experience the variety in marine life. They will spot the colorful parrot fish, Moorish idols playing together in groups, clown fish swimming in and out of the many different types of anemones you can find here.

Koh Hag Yai holds some of the most diverse coral reefs in the world. Check it out on this link

If you are curious what it feels like breathing underwater? We can introduce you to scuba diving without any previous experience. A perfect alternative for those who might not have the time or want to try diving before taking a full PADI certification.

In high season you can join this tour every Saturday from Ao Nang, Krabi. So get ready to explore some of the best snorkeling South Thailand has to offer!

Never tried Snorkeling or just can’t get enough of Snorkeling?

If this is your first time snorkeling or just a keen snorkeler, this tour offers the best Snorkeling! Our professional Kon-Tiki snorkeling guides will brief you about the marine life, corals and how to use all the Snorkeling equipment. They guide you along the reef, so you can always be close to our snorkeling guide. We snorkel at one of Thailand’s biggest coral reefs which are located by Bamboo Island! Big corals, clear water and rich marine life we have the perfect environment for great snorkeling. The size of the reef is 4 football pitches and the water depth varies from 2 to 10 meters. Here you can glide over one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the Andaman Sea combining marine life and all the colors of the rainbow. You get to explore Hin Klai or Ao Ling, where you can find a great diversity of soft corals and marine life. The dramatic rock formations create shelter for many different species of reef fish. At Koh Yung is our last stop, which offers a splendid variety of different types of corals and colorful reef fish. Check it out

A perfect trip for anyone who loves snorkeling!

Scuba diving @ Racha Yai and Racha Noi

Racha Yai and Racha Noi are two small islands just south of Phuket. They can be reached within one and a half hour from Chalong Pier where all dive boats leave from, for daily diving & snorkeling adventures!

The two islands consist of a ton of small bays, with the bays on Racha Yai imaginatively named Bay 1, Bay 2, all the way up to Bay 5. The bays of Racha Noi are a bit more imaginative, Marina Bay, Banana Bay, South Bay etc. All of them given the name because of characteristics, which makes each bay distinct, from one and other. Both these islands offer some great visibility and there is always somewhere we can scuba dive.

For instance Marina Bay, is often refer to as the “Bay of surprises” because you never know if you are going to find a beautiful new Nudibranch, a camouflaged Octopus or maybe a giant Manta Ray! This makes scuba diving at Racha Noi super interesting, even when you’ve dived the sites several times, (it’s like a box of chocolate, you never know what you gonna get) All the bays on Racha Noi are good for all scuba divers out there, with depths ranging from 4-40+ meters. This mixed with corals of all sorts and marine life that are there for your enjoyment makes Racha Noi a super location for your first introduction to the underwater world as a beginner or first timers visiting the dive sites of the Andaman Sea.

The bays of Racha Yai are a little bit different from the bays at Racha Noi. Here the bays are a little bit shallower, but this gives us some beautiful light on the seabed and it’s perfect for long dives with your underwater camera. One of the nice touches of Racha Yai is our two small wrecks just on the outside of Bay 1, these wrecks rest at 16-23 meters, so everybody can join in for a dive here. This dive will end inside the bay in 5 meters of water, among the corals, and the light from the sun playing on the sandy bottom.

That is diving at Racha Noi and Racha Yai! Contact Kon-Tiki Phuket if you are interested in diving these dive sites.

Diving in Khao Sok National Park

In the year 1982 the Pasaeng River was closed off. As rain fall filled the Rachabrappha Dam, Chieow Larn Lake was created over the area of 165 square kilometers. Today, the edge of the reservoir provides one of the best places to spot wild animals such as hornbills, gibbons, barking deer, wild elephant and boar.

Chieow Larn lake lies 2 hour drive from our Kon-Tiki Krabi Dive Center and 1 ½ hour away from our Kon-Tiki Khao Lak Dive Center. We reached our destination in the midst of the lake, a rafting village where we could have lunch and kit up for the dives. The accommodation here is basic but tranquil and you have a 28 degree freshwater pool at your doorstep. After the lunch, wetsuits where on and it was time to go diving.

Diving from a long tail is a great way to get close to the cliffs and in to the smaller lagoons. We kit up and make a back roll in to the water by the wall. As we are descending you can start to see the outlines of tree branches and bushes that once were covered in leaves. Now they stand naked like a winter forest in a green fog. Visibility is around 4-5 meters and we keep close to each other. The lake seems to be bottomless and as you go deeper the darkness comes rapidly. The decision is to stay shallow to have more natural light during the first part of the dive. We come across a large cave opening and we are drawn to investigate this a bit further. Large limestone stalactites spiral down several meters from the ceiling, with diameters wider than a diver.

The karst stone ledges are resting spots for big cat fish, and as we shine our torches in to the cave their curiosity leads them up to us. Some cat fish here are up to a meter long and with the white “whiskers” gives an impression of a great river monster. They are harmless and after a quick look they float away in to the darkness. We spent the remaining time of the dive around the entrance of the cave. After surfacing we make our way back to the rafting village after spending some time exploring the surrounding area together with “Em”. As the sun sets over Khao Sok the dinner is served and exhausted from the day’s adventure we call it a night early.

The next day we packed up and left the rafting village bound for a morning dive after breakfast. We choose to do another wall dive with sunken trees, caves and karst formations. Visibility is a bit better on this dive giving the stalactites and stalagmites beautiful color. As time passes quickly underwater, once again we are limited to the cave opening and the surroundings.

We pack the car as we moor up by the Rachabrappha dam and continue to the other entrance of the park in Klong Sok, a 45 minute drive away from the lake. The Sok River runs through this little village and this will cater for our next adventure, Tubing!

After a lunch with traditional Khao Sok herbs, ferns, leaves and other vegetables we are handed a tyre inner tube and started a journey down the river. As we are floating through the rainforest our guide points out and tells us about different species of vegetation, reptiles, monkeys and birds. After the previous dives in the morning, tubing feels like a nice and relaxing way of exploring the rain forest.

One and a half hour later we arrive at a sand bank and we get a ride back to the starting point where we can get changed for our onwards journey. With a fresh Latté in the cup holder we start our drive back to Krabi. Arriving back in civilization in time for dinner and a cocktail, the impressions from these two days of adventure is slowly sinking in leaving memories for life.

Kon-Tiki is now introducing a new Khao Sok Excursion for this upcoming season. Would you like to explore the National Park of Khao Sok under as well as above water?

Here you can find out more about this trip!