During the recent long weekend, our group of 5 had the opportunity to spend 4 days and 3 nights living on an island in the Surin Islands. Since there was hardly any mobile phone signal on the island, we had more time to spend with the people around us. By being on an island of this size, we got to know almost everyone on the island. Stay tuned!

The Surin Islands, a name that may be familiar to many, as most tourists in the area tend to focus on Koh Tachai and the Similan Islands, due to their fine white sand and contrasting blue waters. However, when it comes to the beauty and abundance of the underwater world, the Surin Islands are considered the best snorkeling spot in Thailand. To visit the islands, you can choose a one-day trip or stay overnight. You can contact various tour package providers, but we chose to prepare everything ourselves, including food and accommodation.

This trip, we started our journey at the Southern Bus Terminal. We took a bus from the Bus Terminal of Thailand (BTK) that departed at 7:30 PM and arrived in Kura Buri at 7:00 AM.

At the pier, there will be a Sabina company pick-up truck waiting to pick up customers who are traveling to Surin Island. Then stop by the market to buy food and drinks to eat on the island.

The round-trip boat ticket costs 1700 baht per person. You can also rent life jackets and snorkels from the mainland for 100 baht per day (renting on the island is slightly more expensive). The journey to Surin Island takes about 1 hour.

(Let's cut to the scene when we arrive at the island.)

Day 1

As soon as I got off the boat, I immediately grabbed my camera. The water was so clear (at first I didn't expect it to be that clear because it was almost monsoon season).

First, let's take care of the park entrance fees. Thai citizens are charged 100 baht per person, and the overnight fee is 80 baht per person/night.

Normally, there are two rest stops: Mai Ngam Beach and Khao Chong Khad Beach. However, during the time we went, Mai Ngam Beach was closed due to the inability to adequately care for tourists. As a result, we slept at Khao Chong Khad Beach, and the park ranger took us to choose a camping spot. We chose the area in front of the beach because it was more open and we could sit in front of the tent.

A tent by the beach like this, it's amazing!! Waking up in the morning and seeing the sea right at your feet.

After preparing the sleeping place for tonight, let's jump into the water. The water is so clear that we can play in it without worrying about getting tanned. There are no corals or rocks in front of the beach, so we can swim comfortably.

We explored the area around Ao Chong Khad, all the way to the area between North and South Surin Islands. We went diving and found clownfish, or Nemo, as you know it. It was amazing, even just around the islands there were corals to see.

This photo was taken with a Canon 6d (during low tide).

This picture is from SJ.

Tonight we have a plan to hunt elephants in Surin. Be fully prepared, bring your tripod to visit the sea.

However, the clouds obscured the Milky Way that we were going to photograph all night. Every time we woke up, there were only clouds, so this is the best picture we could get.

Cut to

Morning of the 2nd

We woke up early to cook a simple breakfast and eat rice together. However, since the five of us are the dishwashing unit on almost every trip we take, the rice got burned. We changed our plan to eat instant noodles instead and walked along the nature trail to Ao Krathing to prepare for diving.

As we sailed towards Ao Krating Bay, the navy officer pointed out a sea turtle. Everyone on board craned their necks out of the boat, which tilted to one side. He explained that during the high tide in the morning, sea turtles come to feed on the seagrass in front of Ao Krating Bay.

In the morning, we went diving at 3 spots: 1. Pineapple Bay 2. Pakkad Bay 3. Sinkid Bay.

When we went diving, there were sailors who would pull the younger ones and point out different marine animals.

In the afternoon, we bought a 150 baht snorkeling tour to 3 spots.

In the evening, we cooked sukiyaki and invited two Dutch friends to join us.

Enjoying sukiyaki while watching the sunset in the evening. It's so premium.

In the evening, sipping beer and listening to the guitar from the tent next door, it was truly a complete experience. It was hard to sleep late at night. Almost every tent would lay out a cloth to reserve a sleeping space in front of the tent. It was strange to see. People are willing to do anything for happiness.

Day 3

This morning's rice was better than I expected. It was cooked perfectly and there was enough to eat. Cooking rice is always a bit of a gamble. Sometimes it turns out perfectly, and other times it ends up being more like rice porridge. But that's just part of the fun of cooking!

Our plan for the morning was to walk to Mai Khao Beach to see the black-tipped reef sharks in the mangrove forest. As we walked, we found that Mai Khao Beach was very quiet, with no tourists at all.

Afterwards, we went kayaking with the navy officers in Ao Krating Bay.

Let's refuel first. Today's highlight is

I was preparing spaghetti for dinner, thinking I would have a nice meal. But I forgot to bring tomato sauce. At that moment, canned fish was the closest thing I had, and I had to eat it even though it wasn't ideal.

In the afternoon, we decided to do something relaxing. Some of us went snorkeling, while others stayed on the beach to read books.

After the afternoon, the island will be very quiet because everyone will be out diving.

The island's atmosphere is very private, making it ideal for relaxation and taking photos from various angles.

The rainy season is approaching, marking the end of the Andaman Sea's tourist season.

This has led to the closure of various marine parks in order to ensure safety and allow for the natural environment to recover.

Watch the last sunset on Surin Island before returning home.

Expenses

Round trip fare from Bangkok to Kuraburi is 1300 Baht.

Round trip boat fare 1700 baht

Snorkeling fee for 4 days is 300 baht.

Park entrance fee 100 baht

Accommodation for 3 nights 240 baht

Afternoon diving fee 150 baht

Common fund 500 baht

Total 4290 baht / person

Follow the journey at

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