The name Thailand brings to your mind pictures of stunningly beautiful beaches, grand palaces, ancient temples, and elephants. If you are planning a visit to Thailand, you will surely visit the capital city – Bangkok, famous beaches, and all other attractions. But before you set off on your visit with your Thailand visa, why don’t you read about Coral Islands, also called tropical paradises? You will definitely decide to include a trip to these little heavenly stretches of land.

Things to Do and See in Coral Island, Thailand

There are two Coral islands in Thailand- Koh Larn and Koh Hae, both with crystal clear water, coral reefs, and beautiful stretches of fine white sand.

Koh Larn

 Koh Larn is just a short 40 minutes’ boat ride and a distance of 7Km from Pattaya pier. As you reach the island, you will see the visitors in flying parachutes in the sky. Enjoy a panoramic view of Pattaya Bay from here.

This is a beautiful island with lush vegetation. Measuring just 4Km by 2Km, you will find six main beaches and a few small ones here. The beaches border the island which is hilly and green. The narrow roads and footpath encourage you to explore the island. Enjoy great views of the white sand beaches and deep turquoise water from the hills.

The beaches have all necessary public facilities like toilets, bathrooms and shower areas. Swimming areas are specially demarcated from the boating areas at all the beaches, for safety purposes. There are restaurants on the beach though you are allowed to bring your own food.

Some of the best beaches here are Samae Beach, Tien Beach, Tawaen Beach, Tayaiy Beach, Tong Lang Beach, and Nual Beach. Tawaen beach has many restaurants and a wide choice of food. But do not forget to go to Kuan Yin Viewpoint, located centrally between Koh Larn Pier and Tawaen Beach. On the way up, you will pass a giant Buddha statue, one of the main attractions here.

Nual Beach is a small one and is great for swimming and snorkeling. You also find colonies of monkeys here. Tong Lang is also a small beach, accessible only by boat or by hiking. Several activities are available at each of the best Thailand beaches. You can also hire a taxi and visit all the beaches in a day. There are hotels near the beaches if you are interested in staying overnight.

Day visitors generally leave by evening and the quiet of the evening adds to your pleasure as you watch the sunset. Enjoy parasailing, rides in speedboats, banana boat rides, underwater sea walking, etc. Go bicycle riding over the narrow paths or rent a jet ski.

Koh Hae

This Coral Island, located in south-east of Phuket, can be reached in 20 minutes by boat and is famous for its golden beaches. Koh Hae is just 2.5 Kms long, jungle covered, and attracts a large number of tourists every day. It is also part of a marine preserve.

The two main beaches here are Long Beach and Banana Beach. Explore the shallow coral reefs near Long Beach though Banana Beach is better for snorkeling. And about 50 meters at Banana Beach, there are vast Staghorn Coral Reefs. To explore the coral reefs, at Koh Larn or Koh Hae, you can choose either snorkeling or viewing the coral from glass bottom boats.

Those interested in hiking can go on the trail from Long Beach to Banana Beach. It takes around 15 minutes, and the terrain is uneven. There are restaurants with excellent food, if you are not on a day tour by the Coral Island Resort that provides buffet lunch. The third beach, Freedom Beach, is small but its rich vegetation and quiet makes it a perfect place to relax.

Enjoy your time here with snorkeling or scuba diving classes, riding in speed boats, or a relaxing massage. Go parasailing above the water. Ride the banana boats or kayaks for a different experience. You can also go and see the fish feeding or the Hornbill feeding. If interested, try the Batik painting classes which are conducted in English, Chinese, and Thai languages. The numerous hotels here give you plenty of stay options.

The best time to visit the Coral islands is during winter, i.e. from November to February, when there are no rains. But the islands can be visited until the onset of the rains, i.e. till the off season begins.

Visit the tropical paradise of the Coral Islands if you want to relax and sunbathe. Visit them if you are interested in water activities. It would also give you a good, relaxing break during your Thailand trip. Whether you come for a day or a longer stay, the Coral Islands of Thailand would refresh your mind and body. Extend your trip to Khao Sok National Park to connect with nature.