By Paula Parker
Koh Nang Yuan in the Gulf of Thailand is absolutely stunning.
The island is surrounded by crystal clear waters which are renowned for great diving spots and snorkeling day trips from Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan.
This small picturesque island is located just off the west coast of Koh Tao, and only a short 15 minute longtail boat ride from Koh Tao's Mae Haad and Sairee Beaches.
The island is a well-worn travel path, with boat loads of day trippers arriving daily from the neighboring Islands.
The Island of Koh Nang Yuan is actually made up of three islands which are connected by sand bars.

Koh Nang Yuan has both good and bad reviews, and before our visit, we were advised by an expat living on Koh Tao not to waste our time, as it's just too busy.
I am pleased we didn’t heed their advice, as the Island is absolutely stunning.

To access the best view of the interconnecting Islands you will have to make your way to the viewpoint.
The walk to the top is not to difficult, even for a pair of oldies like us.
Just follow the stairs up, it does get a little steep and once you’re at the top there is a bit of a climb to get onto the rock.
Check out the view

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If you would like to stay for a couple of nights at Koh Nang Yuan Island, you will have to stay at the Nangyuan Island Dive Resort.
When we booked our trip to Koh Tao, we didn't even think about staying at Koh Nang Yuan. But after spending some time on the Island, which was before all the crowds arrived, the island was absolutely breathtaking, peaceful and felt like a true island escape.
By staying overnight, you would be able to enjoy the peacefulness of the Island, be able to explore, swim, snorkel and completely chill out.
We asked if we could have a look at the rooms while we were there, and from what we could see, they looked very clean and comfortable.
There is a selection of room choices, two restaurants and some activities available for guests.
If you’re staying at Koh Tao, access to the Island is easy, and you can choose what time of the day you would like to visit.
Throughout the day the resort allows day-trippers to visit the Island from 10.00am to 5.00pm.
Entry fee to the island is 100 Baht per person.
The best time to go is either early morning, from memory we arrived around 9.30am. They didn’t allow us access until around 9.45am, but thankfully we still beat the crowds. The majority of day-trippers started arriving around 10.30am.
Another option is to go mid-afternoon, there will still be lots of people, but most of the day trip tours from Koh Samui will start to depart around 3.00pm.
You can join an organised tour from Koh Tao to Koh Nang Yuan, which includes exploring hidden bays, with lunch included.
If you only want to spend a couple of hours exploring Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Tao, you can easily catch a longtail taxi boat. The cost from memory, was around 500 Baht for the return journey for two people.
You will have to advise your taxi boat driver what time you want to be picked up from the island for your return to Koh Tao in advance.
Unless you are staying overnight at the resort, I wouldn’t recommend staying for an entire day just on the Island, as
it gets extremely hot and overcrowded.
If you are staying at Koh Samui, you can book a Koh Samui snorkeling tour which includes a visit to some amazing snorkeling spots around Koh Tao, like Mango Bay and a couple of hours exploring Koh Nang Yuan.
This Tour includes:
Tour Price
Adult - 2,100 Baht | Child 1,600 Baht
If your just there for the day, the resort doesn’t like you to place your towel on the sand to sun-bake. There is beach chairs and umbrellas along the entire stretch of beach.
The beach chairs are not free, the resort will charge a fee of 150 Baht per day for two beach chairs, including the use of an umbrella.






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