Surin Islands Snorkel Tour by SeaStar Andaman from Khao Lak
Description
Explore the unspoiled, remote located Surin Islands on a truly island adventure trip from Khao Lak by SeaStar Andaman without the usual high amounts of visitors. Get the privilege to snorkel around the pristine reef sites off the Surin Islands following the guidelines of the Green Fins initiative to protect the coral reefs after the massive bleaching in 2010. Learn about the nomadic sea culture of the Moken and spot turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays and with a little bit of luck impressive whale sharks, manta rays and dolphins which often patrol the islands.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Get conveniently picked up in the early morning by minivan from your hotel in Khao Lak and head over to Nam Khem Pier. Meet the enthusiastic boat crew of SeaStar Andaman and enjoy a light breakfast before cruising by speed boat in less than 90 minutes to the unspoiled Surin Islands. Mu Koh Surin National Park is situated in Phang Nga province, roughly 60 kilometres away from the shore. Make the first snorkel stop in Chong Khat Bay which is located between the two main Surin Islands. At low tides it is actually possible to walk across, as the water is extremely shallow. Our guides will explain you how to protect and conserve coral reefs through the environmentally friendly guidelines of Green Fins for your snorkelling experience. Continue to Koh Surin Tai (the Southern Surin Island) to discover the natural way of life of the 150 Moken sea gypsies. The Chao Leh, which means 'The Sea People' in Thai, spend much of their lives on their boats, called 'kabang'. The Moken survive mainly through fish hunting and gathering of shellfish and other marine life from the reefs and mudflats. At Mai Ngam Beach you can enjoy the beach life or do some walking along the 2-kilometre hiking trail. Then indulge in a delectable buffet lunch in the canteen of the park ranger station to fuel your energy for the next snorkelling sessions. Make your way to Bon Bay or Pineapple Bay (depending on the sea conditions) where you can swim on vibrant coral reefs and spot colourful fish hovering around their natural habitats in calm waters. The last snorkel stop will be at Mae Yai Bay with a jump into the clean and clear turquoise waters brimming with magnificent underwater aqua life. After a lovely time, it is time to say goodbye to Surin Islands and to return to the pier in Khao Lak. Enjoy some sweets and coffee before returning to your accommodation in Khao Lak with happy smiles and an amazing story to tell your friends. Itinerary: • 07:00 - 08:30: Hotel pickup in Khao Lak • 08:30 - 08:40: Meet the boat crew of SeaStar Andaman at Nam Khem Pier • 08:40 - 09:00: Enjoy a light breakfast • 09:00 - 10:30: Cruise by speed boat to Surin Islands • 10:30 - 11:30: Sightseeing around Moken Village • 11:30 - 12:30: Enjoy a buffet lunch at the canteen • 12:30 - 13:30: Relax on the beach at Chong Khad Channel • 13:30 - 14:30: Snorkel at Bon Bay or Pineapple Bay • 14:30 - 15:30: More snorkeling at Mae Yai Bay • 15:30 - 17:00: Head back to Nam Khem Pier • 17:00 - 18:00: Transfer back to the hotel
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Meet at Seastar Andaman Pier in Baan Nam Khem 30 minutes before scheduled departure.
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Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Get picked up from your hotel in Khao Lak. The exact pick-up time will be confirmed by email after you have made the booking. If you stay in a hotel in Natai, Thai Muang or Khok Kloi, there is an extra charge of 300 THB per person. Pickup times for each zone: • Bang Niang Beach: 07:50 - 08:00 • Bang Sak Beach: 07:10 - 07:20 • Khuk Khak Beach: 07:40 - 07:50 • Laem Pakarang: 07:30 - 07:40 • Merlin Beach: 08:20 - 08:30 • Nam Khem Pier: 07:00 - 07:10 • Nang Thong Beach: 08:00 - 08:10 • Pak Weep Beach: 07:20 - 07:30 • Sunset Beach: 08:10 - 08:20 • Takaupa: 08:20 - 08:30
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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
- To be able to confirm the booking, it is very important that you send us a copy of the passport ID page for all travelers. We have to send this information to the Thai Marine Department before the trip starts. It will be handled strictly private and confidential. Please also bring a digital photo of the passport on your phone or a copy of the passport to the trip.
- The tour program is subject to change due to weather & sea conditions
Reviews(47)
I haven’t stopped thinking about how well organised this tour was, they thought of everything. I rarely write reviews but I truly think Sea Star deserves 5 star reviews here. From someone who has lived in South East Asia, this tour was one of the best run and well organised tours I’ve ever been on in SEA. The drop off and check in was seamless, clear instructions and direction upon arrival to check in and collect flippers. Funny tour guides who made us laugh throughout the day and feel welcome. Food provided on arrival and departure as well as stunning waters. The catamaran was a definite plus, loved the whole day, would recommend. Definitely worth the money even if it looks steep.
Fantastic trip beutiful Coral great food plenty of it Only disappointment was the way mokan people kept their beach went there to buy of them but as soon as I saw cans bottles trash all about I thought not my Aussie dollars they are staying in my pockets Guys a big downer they want tourist bucks cleanup there act .Loved the history talk befoe the trip about these nomadic sea gypsys really got excited about seeing them I think your cruise group would have the power to say hey cleanup your act or else. Other wise trip couldn't be faulted would definitely recommend and hopefully hear this area is bought back to pristine beach
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughtful and detailed feedback. We’re delighted to hear that you had a fantastic trip, enjoyed the beautiful coral, and found the food plentiful and satisfying. It’s also great to know that you appreciated the historical introduction about the Moken community—it’s a special part of the experience. At the same time, we sincerely appreciate your honest comments regarding the cleanliness of the beach. We understand your concerns and disappointment, and we will certainly share this feedback with the relevant parties. Protecting the natural environment and supporting local communities in a sustainable way is very important to us, and your input helps highlight areas where improvement is needed. Thank you again for your recommendation and for bringing this to our attention. We truly hope to welcome you back again in the future for an even better experience.
This is one of the best run tours I've ever taken. Not because of the designation itself but just how organized and efficient they are. If these guys could run America...hey, the world, the place would be perfect! From the timely pickup, to the crazy (as there's a bunch of people) but super quick check in, the fun guides, the attention to detail (new mouth guards given for every snorkel - never had that before, defogger for your masks, flippers, drinks, fresh/nice towels, snacks after each stop, breakfast/lunch/dinner). Most tours just give you a boat, some food, and old equipment so I appreciated all the little touches. When you come back they've printed every photo from the trip and have them in frames (not sure how they did that so quickly). Seems a bit of a waste (printer ink/paper/manpower) as only a fraction were bought. Maybe invest in TV screens with the photos on, but again, amazing efficiency. The food is not amazing but it's endless so you wont go hungry. I did the Surin tour by recommendation of the travel agent I booked with in town and the snorkeling was great...some of the best colors and abundance of fish I've seen in years.
The snorkeling is lovely and the staff is so kind but the boat ride is awful. They cram a bunch of people onto high benches with straight backs so it’s very uncomfortable for the entire very rough ride. Also it’s chaotic and unorganized when you arrive. There’s a lot of waiting around in the hot Sun. If there is another option to get to Surin islands I’d recommend taking that.
Beautiful snorkeling. Boat packed like sardines. Food was not good. Staff was mocking people of the Mock village, found that unprofessional and insensitive. No real personal interaction with the staff. Would choose a different tour option next time.
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. We are truly pleased to hear that you enjoyed the snorkeling experience and found it beautiful. At the same time, we are sincerely sorry to learn that other aspects of the tour did not meet your expectations. We regret that you felt the boat was too crowded and that the food was not to your satisfaction. Your comments are very important to us, and we will carefully review them with our team to see how we can improve the overall comfort and quality of our service. We are especially concerned to hear your remarks regarding our staff’s behavior. Please accept our sincere apologies if anything was said or done that appeared unprofessional or insensitive. This is certainly not the standard of service we aim to provide, and we will address this matter internally to ensure it does not happen again. Thank you again for your honest feedback. It helps us improve and provide a better experience for our future guests. We truly hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again and offer you a much better experience next time.
It was the best excursion we ever took. Corals, fish, visiting the local island, scenery just wow. Everything is really well organized and well thought out. I give 5 stars. We really liked it I recommend 100%. Next time I'd like to sleep on the island!
Very positive experience .. everything organized perfectly. Punctual hotel pickup...excellent services...friendly and prepared guide
Absolutely fantastic tour with very experienced and attentive guide and crew. The snorkel locations were so great - we saw angel fish, clown fish, parrot fish and beautiful coral reefs. The time at the sea gypsy village was really fascinating and we all loved meeting the locals. We saw flying lemurs and pig macaques on Surin island. Snacks, drinks , breakfast, lunch and dinner were included. We would definitely recommend this tour.
Travelled from the uk. Had a great trip, really good communication, with detailed instructions of what we needed to do before the trip and bring with us. Snorkelling gear and towels were provided. We were picked up on time and taken to the port where we were served a nice breakfast. We were given an introduction of what would happen and some interesting info on the places we were going to. We were on Patee's team (unsure how to spell the name) who were all fab and looked after us, spoke excellent english and gave us interesting facts and made us laugh all day. We were on the speedboat for 90 minutes to the 1st stop which was where the moken tribe lived. Bought some nice souvenirs and enjoyed our time here. We had 1 snorkelling stop before going to the next island which was where we had a lovely buffet lunch and a swim in the lovely bay. Then 2 more snorkelling stops, we saw lots of fish and amazing coral reefs and then we set off back which took approx 90 mins. On arrival back at the pier there was a nice buffet dinner waiting for us and there was photos of us for sale from the photographer who had been with us all day. Had a great day, for me the sea was very choppy, which apparantly was normal for november. The speed boat was very bouncy and hurt my wifes back. Its like going to the uk seaside and going on a speedboat, but for 90 mins. Seasickness tablets were given out for free and you were never short of water or fizzy drinks and snacks. All in all its worth it when you get there and we had a lovely time.
Totally amazing day the Surin Islands are so beautiful and the surrounding reefs just perfect and pristine. Sea Star operates a five star service from the moment you arrive until second you leave. Amazing friendly and knowledgeable team look after you throughout. Breakfast on arrival, super well organised and ethical operation very safely conscious but not over the top. Three 45 minute snorkels, great lunch on islands, and fast clean boats. Even food and ice cream on your return! The reefs were pristine and so many fish to look at and observe. Brill day out. Special mention to Chris who looked after us. Great value for money.
