The Surin Islands offer the best snorkeling sites in Thailand. Due to their remote location and size, a trip to the Surins is still a true island adventure without the usual high amounts of other visitors.
The two main islands of Ko Surin Nuea (North Island) and Ko Surin Tai (South Island) are roughly the same size and form a very shallow, extensive channel, which is only about three feet deep at low tide. As the tides wash fresh sea water between the two islands every day, the reefs have recovered rapidly from the coral bleaching in 2010. They now offer excellent snorkeling conditions again. Especially the hard corals flourished for the last three years and are home to countless animal species again.
On the southern island is a village of the indigenous Moken, the nomadic sea folks of the Andaman Sea. About 300 residents from 80 families lead a more or less authentic traditional sea nomadic life under the protection of the National Park authority.
The sea nomads’ village is accessible for tourists and the Moken accept the limited daily visitor groups. Unlike in neighboring Myanmar, where the Moken neither posess nationality nor have the right to designated settlement areas, the last descendants of this fascinating people in Thailand are granted at least the status of a recognized ethnic minority with the right of settlement in their ancestral habitat. We pay the Moken village a short visit to give you a little insight of the original Andaman Sea inhabitants history and lifestyle.
Upcoming Surin Tours:
no trips planned so far.