Surin Islands

Surin Islands Review

Mu Koh Surin National Marine Park is a remote island paradise practically unknown to anyone other than adventurous scuba divers and Thais. Five islands make up the national park, each with sea turtles, varieties of shark, and plentiful coral. If you get tired of sun and sea, there are several hiking trails that lead to waterfalls and a sea gypsy village.

The tsunami hit the Surin islands quite hard, damaging shallow reefs and destroying all park structures. Coral at snorkeling sites in shallow water received considerable damage, but most dive sites were protected by their deeper water and were generally unaffected. All dive sites have reopened and conditions are good—reefs have recovered and there aren't any visual reminders of the tsunami today. The visibility and diversity of marine life is spectacular, and this is arguably the most unspoiled Thai island retreat, owing to its remote location and low number of visitors. Note that the park is normally closed during the rainy season (June-November).

There are 15 newly built, comfortable fan-cooled wooden huts on Koh Surin Nua (B2,000), and tent camping is allowed at a site that has decent facilities, including toilets and showers. You may bring your own tent and camp for B80, or rent one that sleeps two from the national park for B450.