Island Holidays in Thailand
Thailand is the main tourist center of the region, a country with a rich history and culture, a country of thousands of temples and hundreds of islands.
There are indeed a lot of islands in Thailand – small and large, inhabited and wild, which have retained their natural beauty, covered with forests, lakes and rivers. And from such a variety you just get confused: Where to go on holiday to Thailand?
Similan Islands
Similan Islands (Thailand) – a group of 11 islands located in the Andaman Sea, 70 kilometers from the mainland and the province of Phang Nga. Since 1982, the territory of the Similan Islands is a national reserve of Thailand, so that a surprisingly beautiful nature has been preserved here.
Similan Islands in Thailand, and throughout the world, are considered the best place for diving: here you can see whale and leopard sharks, a variety of tropical fish, giant sea turtles and overgrown coral reefs.
Granite boulders the size of a house, palm forests and magnificent white sandy beaches – the main advantages of the Similan Islands.
Similan Islands are almost uninhabited, people can be found here only on two islands – Koh Similan and Koh Miang. On the same islands there are two large reserves.
January – April is considered the best time to visit Similan. In May and October it rains here: at this time of year the national park is closed for visits.
Phi Phi Islands is an archipelago located near the coast of Thailand, between Phuket Island and Koh Lanta Islands. Phi Phi Islands are part of Krabi province. The archipelago consists of two islands – Phi Phi Ley and Phi Phi Don.
Phi Phi Don Island consists of two granite mountains, interconnected by a sand spit, on both sides of which splendid sandy beaches stretch. There are several hotels, shops, cafes and restaurants. In the afternoon, numerous visitors from Phuket come here, but their influx begins to subside in about two hours.
The second island, Phi Phi Ley (also called Phi Phi Leh), is a limestone block of bizarre shape. This island is uninhabited. Phi Phi Ley is a magnificent beach, one of the most photographed places in Thailand, where the shooting of the film “The Beach” with the participation of Leonardo di Caprio took place.
Phi Phi Islands, whose photos can be viewed in the Turvik Gallery, are perfect for those who appreciate a relaxing romantic beach holiday and for diving enthusiasts.
It is best to visit the islands of Phi Phi from November to April: at this time of the year there is relatively dry weather with low (for Thailand) temperature indicators.
Lanta Islands – an archipelago located in the southern part of Thailand, on the coast of the Andaman Sea. The largest islands of the archipelago are Lanta Noi (KoLantaNoi) and Lanta Yai (KoLantaYai).
The main attractions of the islands of Lanta are beaches with fine white sand, mountains covered with dense forests and mangroves. The coastal part of Lanta is a marine reserve, a paradise for lovers of scuba diving.
Tourist infrastructure is only on the island of Lanta Yai, and the island of Lanta Noi is uninhabited. Lanta Islands is a great place for interesting excursions to nature reserves, to the village of sea gypsies and to caves with mysterious labyrinths.
The best time to visit Lanta is from November to April, when it is not so hot here.
Samui is the third largest island in Thailand and the second most popular in the country (after Phuket). Koh Samui Island attracts tourists with developed infrastructure, opportunities for a variety of recreation, white sandy beaches and good conditions for diving.
The coastal area of Koh Samui is occupied by beaches, but, despite the island’s great popularity among tourists, it’s quite calm here.
Samui Island is perfect for a family, romantic and relaxing holiday, and numerous excursions, a zoo, a butterfly garden, an aquarium and farms (crocodile, a snake, a monkey) will appeal to kids.
The best time to visit Koh Samui is January-July.
Up until 1974, the quaint limestone rock island Ko Tapu (translated from Thai means “Rock of Nail”) was a little-known island in the province of PhangNga. After another part of the James Bond film “Man with a Golden Gun” came out on screens in that year, Ko Tapu became a popular holiday destination and received another name – James Bond Island. Since those times, thousands of tourists have visited this island.
The island of James Bond is a small rock towering almost 20 meters above the surface of the water, its upper part wider than the base. This Thai island attracts hundreds of tourists with its unusual appearance.
