Mu Ko Surin National Park
Mu Ko Surin National Park
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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4.5
307 reviews
Excellent
218
Very good
61
Average
17
Poor
5
Terrible
6
cahedo
Madrid, Spain6 contributions
Jan 2020
The island is beautiful but I found it very expensive (the entrance 500 thb, food and drinks triple price than in another parts of Thailand....)
Also beaches were very dirty with lots of plastic, and the staff of the National Park did nothing about it. Travelers, we were the ones doing the cleaning. Staff of the National park were quite unfriendly, doing nothing almost the whole day....
Also saw several fishermen boats close to the beach: this should be forbidden cause it
is a national park.
It is a pity ¡¡¡
Also beaches were very dirty with lots of plastic, and the staff of the National Park did nothing about it. Travelers, we were the ones doing the cleaning. Staff of the National park were quite unfriendly, doing nothing almost the whole day....
Also saw several fishermen boats close to the beach: this should be forbidden cause it
is a national park.
It is a pity ¡¡¡
Written 4 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FB S
1 contribution
Jan 2024 • Solo
Rules like no alcohol, smoking in non designated area, loud noise music and talking loudly in tents are not enforced. Staff here have no authority and afraid of bad rowdy guests. I am still here on the island while this is going on.
Written 12 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
C11EMK
Belfast, UK28 contributions
Feb 2023 • Solo
This place is great......a real taste of paradise. Best snorkelling so far and I've been to most beaches in Phuket.
Positives: Top snorkelling, and friendly and good guides (Sabina),
Negatives: Ramshackle departure/return point on mainland. No alcohol at all allowed on the islands, and don't even think about having a bite to eat and beer before getting on the speedboat ferry. Nearest 'restaurant' is 16km. Even the local 7/11's on the mainland do not sell alcohol.
Tent accommodation was absolutely fine for me, but I wouldn't bring my missis......if I had one 😭
Positives: Top snorkelling, and friendly and good guides (Sabina),
Negatives: Ramshackle departure/return point on mainland. No alcohol at all allowed on the islands, and don't even think about having a bite to eat and beer before getting on the speedboat ferry. Nearest 'restaurant' is 16km. Even the local 7/11's on the mainland do not sell alcohol.
Tent accommodation was absolutely fine for me, but I wouldn't bring my missis......if I had one 😭
Written 24 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
demi h
3 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
The workers at this National Park are very friendly especially Reggae. It is a more quiet and calm location considering it is a small island and national park. If your looking for peace within nature this is the place! My large study abroad group traveled here through Sea Star Tour company and they did a fine job. We were able to snorkel in the top snorkeling locations in Thailand and we even stopped at a tiny Island where we were able to shop and buy from the local villagers. This was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend staying here. They feed you very well
Written 13 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diana Mihaela I
Bucharest, Romania82 contributions
Jan 2020
Really nice trip, unfortunatelly a long way from Phuket, 1.5 hrs driving and another 2 hrs by boat. the islands are nice and few people around. The gipsy camp a bit dirty, they could at least do not throw their garbage in the sea.
Written 13 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JT2520
Chicago, IL140 contributions
Dec 2012 • Family
I have snorkeled in many places before such as John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo, FL, St. Thomas and St. John in U.S. Virgin Islands, Nang Yuan Island in the Gulf of Thailand, Surin’s neighbor Similan Islands. etc., and so far I like Surin Islands the most! Coral reefs around Surin Islands are mostly in shallow water so it’s perfect for snorkeling. Although some corals were damaged by coral bleaching as a result of extraordinary warm water a few years after the tsunami (coral bleaching is more damaging to the corals than the tsunami itself), they seem to be recovering well and there are a lot of snorkeling spots where corals appear to be healthy. Most of them are not very colorful but yet they are still beautiful and there are lots of things to see. From the 2 days we went snorkeling there, we saw sea turtles, squids, a big moray eel, emperor angelfish, razorfish, batfish, variety of tang, variety of butterflyfish, etc. The two highlights of what we saw were a blacktip shark and a group of large humphead parrotfish--about 10 of them!
The island itself is relatively undeveloped so you can truly immerse yourself in the nature. There are 2 separate islands in Surin Islands: Surin Nua (North Surin) where tourists stay and Surin Tai (South Surin) where locals (the Morgan) live. The only accommodation on Surin Islands is run by Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (“DNP”), so if you want to stay on the island you don’t need to shop around. Be sure to bring mosquito repellent products. Big mosquitos and insects are unfortunate part of being this close to nature.
Since we enjoy snorkeling, we had a great time during our stay on Surin Islands. However, there are not much else to do and it’s not easy to go there, so unless you really like snorkeling, I don’t recommend you go to Surin Islands; but if snorkeling is your thing, I highly recommend you to visit Surin Islands and you’ll love it here! (As a side note, if you like scuba diving, then head to Similan Islands.)
During our planning, we found it difficult to get information so below are what we experienced. Hopefully it will be helpful to your Surin Islands trip planning!
Day trip vs. staying on the island: Since we stayed on the island, I don’t know much about day trip except you can visit Surin Islands on a day trip with one of many tour operators in Kuraburi or Khao Lak. From what I heard, you would only get a glimpse of what Surin Islands are like, so if you don’t mind very basic accommodation (details to follow), I would recommend you to stay a night or two on the island to get real experience of what Surin Islands have to offer.
Getting there: Getting to Surin Islands can be a challenge. First you have to go to Kuraburi and then go to Surin Islands via speedboat operated by one of private tour operators, such as Sabina Tour or Barracuda Tour.
There is no airport in Kuraburi, so two common ways to go there assuming you are in Bangkok are 1) by overnight bus or 2) by plane to Phuket. We only found a few bus companies operating a route to Kuraburi (Lignite Tour, Phuket Travel, and Phuket Central). We went there with Lignite Tour and we found this overnight trip reasonably comfortable. Kuraburi is the first stop but you should let bus attendant know (he will ask you anyway) so he can wake you up when you are there. It’s important to make sure you go to the right bus terminal as there are a few of them in Bangkok. Check with your bus company! If you fly to Phuket, you should prearrange transportation to Kuraburi with your speedboat operator. They can usually arrange a van to pick you up (at extra charge) but it’s likely that the van will pick you up early in the morning, so you will likely have to fly to Phuket one day in advance and stay there for a night.
Now that you are in Kuraburi, the next step is to go to Surin Islands (finally). The DNP does not operate ferry but there are a few companies that operate speedboat from Kuraburi to Surin Islands: Sabina Tour, Barracuda Tour, and perhaps one other company but I can’t remember the name. They may work together occasionally if needed, e.g. Sabina put us on Barracuda’s boat on the way back from Surin, so I don’t expect significantly different levels of service from these companies. They also have slower ferries to Surin Islands but I recommend speedboat to save time.
Accommodation: As mentioned earlier, the only accommodation on the island is through the DNP and it’s very basic. You have 2 choices: bungalow or tent. We stayed in a 2-bedroom bungalow. It’s very basic--when you walk in there, you are in the first bedroom and you see two doors: one to the other bedroom and one to the bathroom. Our bungalow was one of a few with air-conditioner but we didn’t get to use it much. The power was only generated at night time (from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. if I remember correctly) and air-conditioner can only be used up to around 10 or 10:30 p.m. If you are more adventurous than me, you can opt to stay in a tent but you will have to use a shared bathroom. There are 2 camping sites: one in Ao Chong Kaad and one in Haad Mai Ngam. By just looking at them, I would recommend the one in Haad Mai Ngam as tents seem to be more spread out and beach there appears to be a bit longer.
Booking a bungalow is not as easy as going online to book it though. You can book it through the DNP website but that’s the only first step. Make sure the website ends with “.go.th” otherwise you are not booking directly with them. Then you will have to go to a bank to pay and you will have to bring payment slip with you when you check in. This process would be very difficult if you are not in Thailand at the time of booking. (We had relatives in Thailand taking care of this for us so we were fine.) I would recommend talking to a speedboat operator mentioned above to see whether there is anything they can do for you. You can also talk to them if you want to stay in a tent though from what I saw, there should be plenty of space for tents and advance booking might not be an absolute must.
Food: When you are on Surin Islands, the only food you get is through the DNP. You can choose a set menu (a little more expensive) or order a la carte. Price is more expensive than what you usually find comparable food would cost elsewhere in Thailand but it’s understandable as food has to be transported from shore to the island. When we were there, set menu costed about 250 baht per person and a dish ordered a la carte costed around 100-150 baht. Speedboat operators may sell you a package which includes food but it will be the same food through the DNP. You may also want to bring extra bottled water with you.
Activities: A guy at Sabina Tour told us, “There are many activities on Surin Islands: snorkeling, snorkeling, snorkeling, and snorkeling.” I found it mostly true. You can also enjoy nature and white sand beach on the island too but why would you go through all the troubles to go to Surin Islands for these? So snorkeling seems to be ‘the’ activity on Surin Islands! The DNP offers 2 snorkeling trips a day on a long-tailed boat. It’s very inexpensive and it’s well worth it. You can also go snorkeling with one of the speedboat companies too (but they also use long-tailed boats). We went snorkeling with Sabina Tour and we really enjoyed it. The guide was very knowledgeable. He went into the water with us and he pointed a lot of things for us to see, including the blacktip shark and those humphead parrotfish.
We really enjoyed our trip to Surin Islands but if you don’t like snorkeling, you’d better plan your trip to somewhere else; but if you like snorkeling, you will find paradise in Surin Islands!
The island itself is relatively undeveloped so you can truly immerse yourself in the nature. There are 2 separate islands in Surin Islands: Surin Nua (North Surin) where tourists stay and Surin Tai (South Surin) where locals (the Morgan) live. The only accommodation on Surin Islands is run by Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (“DNP”), so if you want to stay on the island you don’t need to shop around. Be sure to bring mosquito repellent products. Big mosquitos and insects are unfortunate part of being this close to nature.
Since we enjoy snorkeling, we had a great time during our stay on Surin Islands. However, there are not much else to do and it’s not easy to go there, so unless you really like snorkeling, I don’t recommend you go to Surin Islands; but if snorkeling is your thing, I highly recommend you to visit Surin Islands and you’ll love it here! (As a side note, if you like scuba diving, then head to Similan Islands.)
During our planning, we found it difficult to get information so below are what we experienced. Hopefully it will be helpful to your Surin Islands trip planning!
Day trip vs. staying on the island: Since we stayed on the island, I don’t know much about day trip except you can visit Surin Islands on a day trip with one of many tour operators in Kuraburi or Khao Lak. From what I heard, you would only get a glimpse of what Surin Islands are like, so if you don’t mind very basic accommodation (details to follow), I would recommend you to stay a night or two on the island to get real experience of what Surin Islands have to offer.
Getting there: Getting to Surin Islands can be a challenge. First you have to go to Kuraburi and then go to Surin Islands via speedboat operated by one of private tour operators, such as Sabina Tour or Barracuda Tour.
There is no airport in Kuraburi, so two common ways to go there assuming you are in Bangkok are 1) by overnight bus or 2) by plane to Phuket. We only found a few bus companies operating a route to Kuraburi (Lignite Tour, Phuket Travel, and Phuket Central). We went there with Lignite Tour and we found this overnight trip reasonably comfortable. Kuraburi is the first stop but you should let bus attendant know (he will ask you anyway) so he can wake you up when you are there. It’s important to make sure you go to the right bus terminal as there are a few of them in Bangkok. Check with your bus company! If you fly to Phuket, you should prearrange transportation to Kuraburi with your speedboat operator. They can usually arrange a van to pick you up (at extra charge) but it’s likely that the van will pick you up early in the morning, so you will likely have to fly to Phuket one day in advance and stay there for a night.
Now that you are in Kuraburi, the next step is to go to Surin Islands (finally). The DNP does not operate ferry but there are a few companies that operate speedboat from Kuraburi to Surin Islands: Sabina Tour, Barracuda Tour, and perhaps one other company but I can’t remember the name. They may work together occasionally if needed, e.g. Sabina put us on Barracuda’s boat on the way back from Surin, so I don’t expect significantly different levels of service from these companies. They also have slower ferries to Surin Islands but I recommend speedboat to save time.
Accommodation: As mentioned earlier, the only accommodation on the island is through the DNP and it’s very basic. You have 2 choices: bungalow or tent. We stayed in a 2-bedroom bungalow. It’s very basic--when you walk in there, you are in the first bedroom and you see two doors: one to the other bedroom and one to the bathroom. Our bungalow was one of a few with air-conditioner but we didn’t get to use it much. The power was only generated at night time (from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. if I remember correctly) and air-conditioner can only be used up to around 10 or 10:30 p.m. If you are more adventurous than me, you can opt to stay in a tent but you will have to use a shared bathroom. There are 2 camping sites: one in Ao Chong Kaad and one in Haad Mai Ngam. By just looking at them, I would recommend the one in Haad Mai Ngam as tents seem to be more spread out and beach there appears to be a bit longer.
Booking a bungalow is not as easy as going online to book it though. You can book it through the DNP website but that’s the only first step. Make sure the website ends with “.go.th” otherwise you are not booking directly with them. Then you will have to go to a bank to pay and you will have to bring payment slip with you when you check in. This process would be very difficult if you are not in Thailand at the time of booking. (We had relatives in Thailand taking care of this for us so we were fine.) I would recommend talking to a speedboat operator mentioned above to see whether there is anything they can do for you. You can also talk to them if you want to stay in a tent though from what I saw, there should be plenty of space for tents and advance booking might not be an absolute must.
Food: When you are on Surin Islands, the only food you get is through the DNP. You can choose a set menu (a little more expensive) or order a la carte. Price is more expensive than what you usually find comparable food would cost elsewhere in Thailand but it’s understandable as food has to be transported from shore to the island. When we were there, set menu costed about 250 baht per person and a dish ordered a la carte costed around 100-150 baht. Speedboat operators may sell you a package which includes food but it will be the same food through the DNP. You may also want to bring extra bottled water with you.
Activities: A guy at Sabina Tour told us, “There are many activities on Surin Islands: snorkeling, snorkeling, snorkeling, and snorkeling.” I found it mostly true. You can also enjoy nature and white sand beach on the island too but why would you go through all the troubles to go to Surin Islands for these? So snorkeling seems to be ‘the’ activity on Surin Islands! The DNP offers 2 snorkeling trips a day on a long-tailed boat. It’s very inexpensive and it’s well worth it. You can also go snorkeling with one of the speedboat companies too (but they also use long-tailed boats). We went snorkeling with Sabina Tour and we really enjoyed it. The guide was very knowledgeable. He went into the water with us and he pointed a lot of things for us to see, including the blacktip shark and those humphead parrotfish.
We really enjoyed our trip to Surin Islands but if you don’t like snorkeling, you’d better plan your trip to somewhere else; but if you like snorkeling, you will find paradise in Surin Islands!
Written 1 January 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andaman D
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! :D
Written 11 November 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
christina T
Corvallis, OR102 contributions
Jan 2016 • Friends
Our first visit to Mu Ko Surin was a brief visit to the park as part of an organized snorkeling tour. For me, it was love at first sight and I instantly began planning my return. When we were initially planning the trip back in the states the national park websites were daunting... maybe because they are all in Thai? I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Here's some on the ground info that could help:
First off, if you are going to stay out on Mu Ko Surin think of it as a camping trip. If you plan to stay in one of those little bungalows it would be glamping at best. They are cement hot houses and not very glamorous. But, if you are into camping, and swimming, and snorkeling on some of the worlds most beautiful reefs -- welcome to paradise!
If you are not well at organizing, or like to be guided, your easy ticket would be to join an organized camping tour directly with Sabina Tours or Tom and Am, but it isn't necessary. You can find your way to Khuraburi and purchase a round trip ferry ticket from Sabina (boats run daily 9am) -- it is 1200-1700 bhat ($40-50 USD) round trip. They will write you a ticket in the office, hang on to that -- it gets you there and back and helps on the island when you check in for camping. Sabina also helped us book our overnight layover in Khuraburi and taxi transfer both the morning of and on the return trip. They are very helpful, but, keep in mind, in this part of the world english is a second language, for some ... at best. The language barrier is tricky.
If you go for the DIY Camping when you get out to the island it seems to be first come, first served on tent choice. Pay your park entrance fee at the beach kiosk (about $12 USD for 5 days) and they sign you in for camping and point you off towards the cluster of tents. Tents run about $8 day. You might have to wait a day until your beach front tent opens up. There is an area for putting up your own tent, so BYO is a possibility.
I've read some reviews complaining about the services the park offers and I am shocked. Is the cup half full or half empty? I was able to travel to Thailand, get myself to the middle of the Andaman sea with a little backpack in tow and was able to rent an oceanfront tent in paradise!?! Wow! Yes, the pad is thin (.75 day to rent -- maybe pack a thermarest?) You don't need a sleeping bag, a lightweight sheet or cacoon is all that is necessary. (But renting bedding is an option) Ah, it is sandy... Beach mat for rent? Yes, I'll rent one for $.75 a day! Food? An option to purchase three meals per day at a cost of $3-10 USD? Score! I didn't have to haul my own food, cookstove or cooler! And, yes, the menu is limited. And, yes, you would be well served to go to the market and score some fresh fruit to bring with you. (None served). And if you like coffee you'd be well served to bring your own stash of nescafe. And yes, by day three I was getting mighty tired of green curry and coconut and galangal soup! (great combo by the way!) Oh, right. No ice cream. Cold drinks are a novelty, best bet after the boat comes with ice. Ice melt, no cold drinks. Yes, they do sell beer. But, the fact that you can show up with little or nothing, get a tent and eat is pretty amazing feat.
The park does use a quirky coupon system, in which you buy monopoly looking money to use in the restaurant. It's odd. Maybe it helps keep everyone accountable for the money coming in? Who knows, but it is easy enough, the lady in the kiosk sells the coupons, you buy them and use them to buy your meals.
Another thought is the folks that work for the park speak VERY LITTLE english. Do not expect they will understand a thread of what you say. They do understand what they do and sell, so smile, be polite, point at the signs and it will all be good.
What else? Snorkeling? The best I've seen, but it is going to be a long swim if you want to get to the hot spots by yourself. Probably a good thing to keep all the tourists off the good reefs anyway. You can swim a good 1/4 mile off the beach to a deep reef (see those boats way out there?)... but the reef off the beach is really not the best of the islands reefs. But it does have some good coral and fish. So here's the kicker. Two times a day the park organizes longtail boats out to the reef for less than $10 USD. It lasts approximately 2 hours. Sign up the night before at the kiosk and in the morning pay for the ticket you will need to get on the boat. Be forewarned, snorkeling out here is not for beginners. You should be comfortable in your gear and swimming in open water. It took me a while to get use to the routine. You pull up to a spot. Guy points in one direction. Swim to boat? How many buoys? Back to boat? A lot of times the boat drops you off and you swim in one direction and then the boat picks you up. Sometimes your on reefs, sometimes you are in deep water. In the channel between the north and south island the current is ripping you and you just have to trust that boat is going to move around to get you. It's a little unnerving. Especially the first time and especially with the language barrier, but the rewards are astounding. These reefs are colorful and alive, coral is vibrant with electric neon fish en mass. They didn't make this place a marine reserve for nothing...
Most of all RESPECT. If you come here, remember you are blessed with the privilege to be able to rough it in paradise. Take care of the land. Live lightly. AND, If you see garbage (which you will), be an outstanding citizen of the earth and pick it up. It is the least we can do to make Mu Ko Surin and all of Thailand a more beautiful place.
First off, if you are going to stay out on Mu Ko Surin think of it as a camping trip. If you plan to stay in one of those little bungalows it would be glamping at best. They are cement hot houses and not very glamorous. But, if you are into camping, and swimming, and snorkeling on some of the worlds most beautiful reefs -- welcome to paradise!
If you are not well at organizing, or like to be guided, your easy ticket would be to join an organized camping tour directly with Sabina Tours or Tom and Am, but it isn't necessary. You can find your way to Khuraburi and purchase a round trip ferry ticket from Sabina (boats run daily 9am) -- it is 1200-1700 bhat ($40-50 USD) round trip. They will write you a ticket in the office, hang on to that -- it gets you there and back and helps on the island when you check in for camping. Sabina also helped us book our overnight layover in Khuraburi and taxi transfer both the morning of and on the return trip. They are very helpful, but, keep in mind, in this part of the world english is a second language, for some ... at best. The language barrier is tricky.
If you go for the DIY Camping when you get out to the island it seems to be first come, first served on tent choice. Pay your park entrance fee at the beach kiosk (about $12 USD for 5 days) and they sign you in for camping and point you off towards the cluster of tents. Tents run about $8 day. You might have to wait a day until your beach front tent opens up. There is an area for putting up your own tent, so BYO is a possibility.
I've read some reviews complaining about the services the park offers and I am shocked. Is the cup half full or half empty? I was able to travel to Thailand, get myself to the middle of the Andaman sea with a little backpack in tow and was able to rent an oceanfront tent in paradise!?! Wow! Yes, the pad is thin (.75 day to rent -- maybe pack a thermarest?) You don't need a sleeping bag, a lightweight sheet or cacoon is all that is necessary. (But renting bedding is an option) Ah, it is sandy... Beach mat for rent? Yes, I'll rent one for $.75 a day! Food? An option to purchase three meals per day at a cost of $3-10 USD? Score! I didn't have to haul my own food, cookstove or cooler! And, yes, the menu is limited. And, yes, you would be well served to go to the market and score some fresh fruit to bring with you. (None served). And if you like coffee you'd be well served to bring your own stash of nescafe. And yes, by day three I was getting mighty tired of green curry and coconut and galangal soup! (great combo by the way!) Oh, right. No ice cream. Cold drinks are a novelty, best bet after the boat comes with ice. Ice melt, no cold drinks. Yes, they do sell beer. But, the fact that you can show up with little or nothing, get a tent and eat is pretty amazing feat.
The park does use a quirky coupon system, in which you buy monopoly looking money to use in the restaurant. It's odd. Maybe it helps keep everyone accountable for the money coming in? Who knows, but it is easy enough, the lady in the kiosk sells the coupons, you buy them and use them to buy your meals.
Another thought is the folks that work for the park speak VERY LITTLE english. Do not expect they will understand a thread of what you say. They do understand what they do and sell, so smile, be polite, point at the signs and it will all be good.
What else? Snorkeling? The best I've seen, but it is going to be a long swim if you want to get to the hot spots by yourself. Probably a good thing to keep all the tourists off the good reefs anyway. You can swim a good 1/4 mile off the beach to a deep reef (see those boats way out there?)... but the reef off the beach is really not the best of the islands reefs. But it does have some good coral and fish. So here's the kicker. Two times a day the park organizes longtail boats out to the reef for less than $10 USD. It lasts approximately 2 hours. Sign up the night before at the kiosk and in the morning pay for the ticket you will need to get on the boat. Be forewarned, snorkeling out here is not for beginners. You should be comfortable in your gear and swimming in open water. It took me a while to get use to the routine. You pull up to a spot. Guy points in one direction. Swim to boat? How many buoys? Back to boat? A lot of times the boat drops you off and you swim in one direction and then the boat picks you up. Sometimes your on reefs, sometimes you are in deep water. In the channel between the north and south island the current is ripping you and you just have to trust that boat is going to move around to get you. It's a little unnerving. Especially the first time and especially with the language barrier, but the rewards are astounding. These reefs are colorful and alive, coral is vibrant with electric neon fish en mass. They didn't make this place a marine reserve for nothing...
Most of all RESPECT. If you come here, remember you are blessed with the privilege to be able to rough it in paradise. Take care of the land. Live lightly. AND, If you see garbage (which you will), be an outstanding citizen of the earth and pick it up. It is the least we can do to make Mu Ko Surin and all of Thailand a more beautiful place.
Written 10 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ozzykhk
Hong Kong, China221 contributions
I spent a week camping in a tent here in April 2010. I didn't book or reserve ahead. I just showed up in Khuraburi on my own and found a guesthouse there to stay the night---one company called "Tom and Am Tours" has a big sign at the bus station-and when you arrive they may come and ask to help you/drive you to their guesthouse which is along the river. I stayed with them one night then took the ferry the next morning to Surin islands. There is only one slow and one fast ferry a day--leaves in the morning--forget the exact time though...maybe around 8 am or 9am.
I would next time stay at a new place called "Alex guesthouse" which is right on the only main street in town--when you exit the bus station and if you see the Tom and Am tour sign across the road, "Alex" tour or guesthouse is just to the right of it--in the direction of the river. At Alex, they had more computers to use for free internet and were much more friendlier than Tom and Am. Tom and Am guesthouse seems to be the party place, if you want that scene. (The islands were very quiet, no parties there at all. They did sell beer at the eating shop area.)
You can buy your ferry ticket through either one of these places--everyone seemed to charge about the same price. You choose either slow boat or fast boat. They also were able to "reserve" my tent for me at the campgrounds. The bungalows were full. The park admission ticket is for 5 days (??) but I was able to extend and stay longer. Bring cash as no ATM or exchange on the island. There was at least one ATM in Khuraburi town along the main street. Also would bring any snack foods, some fruits(I got watermelon at the cafe about 3 times only in a week!!), toiletries, or medicine as there is not much of anything to buy there. The DID sell very limited snacks, drinks, and some postcards and some t-shirts. Take a water bottle and you can refill it for free....ask the staff.
Meals are available at set times during the day. When you first arrive, you buy "coupons" with your money to use for meals, snorkel trips, snacks, etc.
Coupons I bought as I needed them and could return any unused ones at the end of my stay.
If you bring your own tent, there is a more secluded area. If not, they have tents already set up. There were different prices depending on if you want the government tent or a private company tent, and also beach front, or back....there is a separate charge for the thin mat to sleep on, a sleeping bag, or pillow. Be sure to bring your own towel and toilet paper and flashlight and bug spray too. Could also bring 2 or 3 small luggage locks if you want to be able to lock your tent. My tent had 2 doorways to go trhough--so I needed 2 locks.
Lights went off about 10:30 or 11pm every night. And there was always a rush for people to use the electric outlets about 5 or 6pm ?? to charge their phones and camera batteries.
The place caters to mostly Thai tourists, so you can't find the usual fruit shakes here-or other Western Thai foods. You have to watch out for large spiders and snakes in the outdoor but covered shower and toilet areas at night....also scorpions and centipedes and some ants that bite/sting.....
Snorkeling was amazing---they have I think 4 different tours which they offer every-other-day. So it is always the same. Private boats might also be available. Could rent the snorkel and fins there.
Also went to the Moken village tour ---felt a bit sorry for the people though--they didn't seem thrilled to have tourists walking through their village and taking photos of everything.
I camped at Ao Mai Ngam and thought it was nicer than the other area-Ao Chong Khad. Could snorkel right off the beach--but the tide would get very very low, so you would have to walk out a ways. Saw lots of baby sharks right along our beach daily. While snorkeling, saw lots of cool fish, sharks, sea turtles, squid, sea snakes, moray (?) and other....
I found that on the weekends there were more Thai tourists, and even though it seemed crowded in the eating area, everyone would disappear during the day for their snorkel tours. The beach was quiet during the day...maybe just a handful of Westerners.
In Khuraburi when I booked my ticket and got the reservation for the campsite/tent, I told them I wasn't sure when I would return. I had an "open return" for my boat ticket and just had to let them know the day before at the campground when I was leaving to check out and reserve my space on the return boat. I paid the total cost for my tent/park fee/mattress/pillow all on the last day, in cash.
I would def go here again. And be sure to bring enough sunscreen and books to read, they don't have those to buy at all. You can buy and surprisingly mail postcards from there though!! :-) A great place to "rough it".
I would next time stay at a new place called "Alex guesthouse" which is right on the only main street in town--when you exit the bus station and if you see the Tom and Am tour sign across the road, "Alex" tour or guesthouse is just to the right of it--in the direction of the river. At Alex, they had more computers to use for free internet and were much more friendlier than Tom and Am. Tom and Am guesthouse seems to be the party place, if you want that scene. (The islands were very quiet, no parties there at all. They did sell beer at the eating shop area.)
You can buy your ferry ticket through either one of these places--everyone seemed to charge about the same price. You choose either slow boat or fast boat. They also were able to "reserve" my tent for me at the campgrounds. The bungalows were full. The park admission ticket is for 5 days (??) but I was able to extend and stay longer. Bring cash as no ATM or exchange on the island. There was at least one ATM in Khuraburi town along the main street. Also would bring any snack foods, some fruits(I got watermelon at the cafe about 3 times only in a week!!), toiletries, or medicine as there is not much of anything to buy there. The DID sell very limited snacks, drinks, and some postcards and some t-shirts. Take a water bottle and you can refill it for free....ask the staff.
Meals are available at set times during the day. When you first arrive, you buy "coupons" with your money to use for meals, snorkel trips, snacks, etc.
Coupons I bought as I needed them and could return any unused ones at the end of my stay.
If you bring your own tent, there is a more secluded area. If not, they have tents already set up. There were different prices depending on if you want the government tent or a private company tent, and also beach front, or back....there is a separate charge for the thin mat to sleep on, a sleeping bag, or pillow. Be sure to bring your own towel and toilet paper and flashlight and bug spray too. Could also bring 2 or 3 small luggage locks if you want to be able to lock your tent. My tent had 2 doorways to go trhough--so I needed 2 locks.
Lights went off about 10:30 or 11pm every night. And there was always a rush for people to use the electric outlets about 5 or 6pm ?? to charge their phones and camera batteries.
The place caters to mostly Thai tourists, so you can't find the usual fruit shakes here-or other Western Thai foods. You have to watch out for large spiders and snakes in the outdoor but covered shower and toilet areas at night....also scorpions and centipedes and some ants that bite/sting.....
Snorkeling was amazing---they have I think 4 different tours which they offer every-other-day. So it is always the same. Private boats might also be available. Could rent the snorkel and fins there.
Also went to the Moken village tour ---felt a bit sorry for the people though--they didn't seem thrilled to have tourists walking through their village and taking photos of everything.
I camped at Ao Mai Ngam and thought it was nicer than the other area-Ao Chong Khad. Could snorkel right off the beach--but the tide would get very very low, so you would have to walk out a ways. Saw lots of baby sharks right along our beach daily. While snorkeling, saw lots of cool fish, sharks, sea turtles, squid, sea snakes, moray (?) and other....
I found that on the weekends there were more Thai tourists, and even though it seemed crowded in the eating area, everyone would disappear during the day for their snorkel tours. The beach was quiet during the day...maybe just a handful of Westerners.
In Khuraburi when I booked my ticket and got the reservation for the campsite/tent, I told them I wasn't sure when I would return. I had an "open return" for my boat ticket and just had to let them know the day before at the campground when I was leaving to check out and reserve my space on the return boat. I paid the total cost for my tent/park fee/mattress/pillow all on the last day, in cash.
I would def go here again. And be sure to bring enough sunscreen and books to read, they don't have those to buy at all. You can buy and surprisingly mail postcards from there though!! :-) A great place to "rough it".
Written 29 July 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
one_pilgrim
Piha, New Zealand35 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
This was my first visit to Koh Surin, an island whose reputation of fine white sand beaches and shimmering emerald waters, put it on the top of my, and many fellow travelers’ and divers’, lists. In theory the Ko Surin archipelago is a protected marine park. In reality I discovered the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has sold out to the fishing and tourist industry.
Koh Surin lies in the Andaman Sea, 60km due west of Khuraburi. The easiest and usual way to reach Koh Surin is via speedboat. Most people first land on Ao Kong Khad, which is located on a southwestern peninsula off the northern island. There’s a visitor center, restaurant, shop, bungalows and one of the camping sites located here. It’s also where all the daily tour boats stop for lunch cramping the small beach with 400-500 people during the course of the day. The spectacle continues at night with wall-to-wall tents placed less than a meter apart spread across the beach and four rows deep. The second camp spot a short long tail boat ride(or 40 minute walk away) on Ao Mai Ngam is a little better. Though the tents are still adjacent to one another they are far less in number and the constant noise of people and motor boats is in the distance. Each camp site had a restaurant offering over cooked and greasy Thai food.
One cannot question the huge environmental damage as a direct result of the number of visitors Koh Surin receives. Both camping areas have serious waste water management issues. Tour guides are neither trained or reliable. In front of a 3 meter by 2 meter sign that warns of the impact of littering I saw tour guides from Greenview and Sabina tours extinguish their cigarette butts on the beach while throwing their plastic lunch bags on the ground. A fishing trawler sat just a few hundred meters off shore, within the protected reserve, next to the spot where I had seen a black tip reef shark earlier in the day.
There are still quite a variety of fish though. Throughout the week while there I saw angel fish, butterfly fish, anemone fish, moray eels, barracuda, sharks, a green sea turtle and a glimpse of a whale shark. In stark contrast the underwater landscape of coral was totally bleached. What was once a colorful undersea palette has all disappeared.
Koh Surin lies in the Andaman Sea, 60km due west of Khuraburi. The easiest and usual way to reach Koh Surin is via speedboat. Most people first land on Ao Kong Khad, which is located on a southwestern peninsula off the northern island. There’s a visitor center, restaurant, shop, bungalows and one of the camping sites located here. It’s also where all the daily tour boats stop for lunch cramping the small beach with 400-500 people during the course of the day. The spectacle continues at night with wall-to-wall tents placed less than a meter apart spread across the beach and four rows deep. The second camp spot a short long tail boat ride(or 40 minute walk away) on Ao Mai Ngam is a little better. Though the tents are still adjacent to one another they are far less in number and the constant noise of people and motor boats is in the distance. Each camp site had a restaurant offering over cooked and greasy Thai food.
One cannot question the huge environmental damage as a direct result of the number of visitors Koh Surin receives. Both camping areas have serious waste water management issues. Tour guides are neither trained or reliable. In front of a 3 meter by 2 meter sign that warns of the impact of littering I saw tour guides from Greenview and Sabina tours extinguish their cigarette butts on the beach while throwing their plastic lunch bags on the ground. A fishing trawler sat just a few hundred meters off shore, within the protected reserve, next to the spot where I had seen a black tip reef shark earlier in the day.
There are still quite a variety of fish though. Throughout the week while there I saw angel fish, butterfly fish, anemone fish, moray eels, barracuda, sharks, a green sea turtle and a glimpse of a whale shark. In stark contrast the underwater landscape of coral was totally bleached. What was once a colorful undersea palette has all disappeared.
Written 19 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
markgage
Collingwood, Canada28 contributions
Feb 2018 • Family
This was the absolute highlight of our trip. The snorkelling was incredible and better than anywhere else I’ve been in Thailand. You do need to be able to rough it a bit though. This place is not the spot you want to go if you need luxury. Alcohol is prohibited here. They do have bungalows with hard mattresses and power from 6pm to 6am and tents on the beach with sleeping bags and camping matts but do not expect comforts here. What you can expect is the most wild and beautiful place. If you go be respectful. Don’t litter. Clean up after yourself and keep this place as you find it. I was disappointed only with the behaviour of some of the tourist who seemed to think this place and its staff were there to preform for them. It is a national park not a circus. Staff cannot make turtles or sharks appear upon request. Have no expectations and it will be amazing. (Sorry for the rant) ;)
Written 17 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello can anyone tell me the name of the bungalow how I can book this for overnight sleep
Written 9 February 2024
Hi guys, is it possible to book a bungalow on the island in advance from outside Thailand? It seems that the website doesn’t work. Even if I called and could communicate in English, can I pay with Revolut upfront? If I manage to book a bungalow separately, is it possible to get a ferry only from Khura Buri, without any “2d1n snorkeling” framework? We would basically like to have some 2-3 nights of chilling on the island. Feasible?
Written 17 December 2022
hello - avec quelle agence vous etes partis pour la journée???
Written 22 December 2019
hello - avec quelle agence vous êtes partis???
Written 22 December 2019
Avec "Celtour" au départ d'un hôtel de Khao Lak. Guide thaïlandaise mais parlant couramment français.
Written 22 December 2019
Bonjour,
En parlant du snorkeling à Ko Surin vous disiez ceci en 2018...
"L'idéal c'est faire du snorkeling en partant du rivage…"
Mes questions sont les suivantes…
1)Pensez-vous que c'est possible ? Les coraux sont-ils aussi beaux depuis le rivage ? Et si oui à un endroit précis ou de partout ?
2) Sinon le parc organise-t-il des excursions de snorkeling ? (sûrement moins chers j'imagine qu'avec des compagnies privées).
Et si oui combien cela coûte ?
3) Peut-on arriver à Ko surin sans avoir réservé préalablement; et payer sur place une tente avec matelas pour quelques jours ? (quitte à prolonger éventuellement ). Je précise que je suis seul.
4) Sinon comment faire pour réserver sans passer par le site des parcs nationaux qui est en Thaï?
5) Dernière question : quelle est la pluviométrie en janvier ?
Merci d'avance pour votre réponse.
bien cordialement,
Written 28 September 2019
I like to do a 2day 1night trip in surin island. I will be staying in Phuket. Can you please help me with the process
Written 23 March 2019
Yup, But I didn't go for it. If you check with tour agents they will arrange everything. But it's too hot so we went for scuba diving instead of staying on the islands.
Written 25 April 2019
จองตั๋วไปภูเก็ตไว้ 2-5 กนกฎาคม มีทริปอะไรปฝแนะนำคะ? จากสนามบินภูเก็ต ไปคุระบุรี ไปได้ยังไงคะ ไกลมั๊ยคะ ไปภูเก็ตครั้งแรกคะ มีเด็ก2คนคะ อายุ 7และ 16
Written 21 March 2019
Hi. Does anyone have the direct link to Mu Ko Surin National Parks homepage, so we can book a tent in advance before going there? Thanks =)
Written 24 January 2019
hi, I like to understand how we can book a 3 day / 2 nights tour to either Surin our Similan islands somewhere in period from October 29th - November 3rd,
thanks Jarl
Written 21 October 2018
Adriano C
Zurich, Switzerland
Guten Tag. Meine Frau und ich reisen Anfangs November für 3 Wochen nach Thailand. Wir planen einen Aufenthalt auf Koh Payan von wo aus wir zum Mu Ko Surin Nationalpark gelangen möchten. Wir möchten gerne 1-2 Nächte im National Park übernachten. Kann ich eine Überfahrt vor Ort buchen? Und kann ich die Rückreise flexibel vor Ort buchen?
Written 9 September 2018
von Phayam mit Mr.Trip / Mr.Kao , fährt alle 3 Tage zu den Surin Islands, 3000 Baht p.Person.
Written 18 February 2020
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