Bella_Bluebell

Can anyone recommend a good beach for swimming and snorkelling on Ko Samui, Ko Phangnan and Ko Tao? Also - which beaches have lovely soft white sand? Are there any which are pebbly/shingly?
Thanks

granny

I'd like to know also.

Hanuman

Koh Samui: Best beach for "sand quality", i.e. soft powdery sand, is Chaweng. This is also the most commercialized beach or beach front. NO GOOD snorkeling on Samui.

Phanga Nga Bay: The sea around Phang Nga bay is usually greenish colour(algae bloom?) and not really known for good swimming. On a few occasion I've found that the water there made my skin itches! Can't comment on the sand as I don't know which island you'll be interested in(perhaps a misspelling but I know of no such island as "Ko Phangnaa&quot.

Koh Toa: Good for snorkeling and diving! I really like Koh Nangyan, a small island very close to Koh Toa, for swimming, snorkeling and diving.

Check out the web site below:

http://www.nangyuan.com/

Bella_Bluebell

I think Phang Nga Bay is over nr Krabi - am pretty sure we went out kayaking there a few years ago. Ko Phangnan (or sometimes spelt koh phang nan) is the island between Ko Samui and Ko Tao. I have been there a few times, but all the beaches I had visited were really shallow and not very good for snorkelling. We are looking for somewhere away from Haad Rin beach.

Hanuman, do you - or anyone else - have any views on Bophut in Samui? In terms of the water, the sand, the atmosphere? I think maybe we will visit Chaweng but not stay there as I think it will be a bit busy for us. I haven't been to Samui to stay there for about 8 years and think maybe some beaches are more busy now than when we were there before. We will be going with our little girl (2) so want somewhere that is peaceful.

We are thinking of staying at Sensi Paradise resort on Ko Tao - and will definitely go to Nang Yuan. I am hoping our little girl will be able to see all the fish in the water there even though she wont be able to snorkel.

travelfish

There is some good snorkelling on Ko Pha Ngan. For example, on the northwest coast on Ao Mae Haad and around Ko Ma (the little island just off the beach) there is some very good snorkelling. On the west coast on Haad Yao and Haad Salad there is also reasonable snorkelling -- none of it is spectacular, but still reasonable.

Bophut has what they brand as "the fisherman's village" in the centre and the water here is poor. There are a few resorts stretching out to the west from there, but I wouldn't say it is one of Samui's nicer beaches.

If you're travelling with kids, take a look at Thong Ta Kien Bay -- it is between Chaweng and Lamai and is lovely. Sensi Paradise is also a top choice.

Hope that helps

Hanuman

Bella,

Sorry I misunderstood your question and got you the wrong information about Koh Phangan.

Hanuman

Oops - continue:

I mistook your question to be about Phang Nga Bay(near Phuket)!

Bophut beach is not that nice. Once you go in the water(below the water line) it feels like mud! The best beach I've found on Samui is Chaweng but as I've said it's very crowded.

Talk about taking little girls snorkeling or swimming - a few years ago I took my daughter(at that time she was around 7 years old) to Koh Nangyuan. The corals were only a few meters from the beach and quite a nice drop off too. I put a life vest on my daughter along with goggles and snorkels and held her by the hand while we swam out from the beach together. She loved it and I could here her making sounds like "ooh" and "wow" even though she was breathing through a snorkel! Apart from the reefs there were a few schools of Barracudas, Jacks and the smaller fishes around the corals. Water clarity was very good then. Hope you'll have the same experience with your children!

Bella_Bluebell

Thanks for tips guys - gives me somewhere to head for! Hanuman - that is a lovely story about your daughter