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 Muko
Ang Thong Marine National Park
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Of all the islands in the Samui area, it is those in Muko Ang Thong
Marine National Park that score highest for sheer beauty and excursion
potential. Located 31 km. west of Samui, the park covers more than
a hundred sq. km. and comprises a group of some 40 lovely steep-sided
limestone islands fringed with forest. Their shores are dotted with
sandy coves and limestone caves, while the lush interiors are home
to a wealth of fl ora and fauna.
Ao Kha, Muko Ang Thong Marine National
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Muko Ang Thong Marine National Park |
The name translates as “golden basin”, and this is indeed
a rich ground for exploration. Mainly because it was a preserve
of the Royal Thai Navy and so closed to the public until 1980, when
it was declared a marine national park, Ang Thong has managed to
preserve its unspoilt character to an exceptional degree. Sea canoeing
offers perhaps the best way of appreciating the islands’ rugged
coastlines, endlessly intriguing with hidden little bays, beaches
and caves. Alternatively, excellent coral and plenty of fi sh, as
well as the occasional dolphin, make the waters around Ang Thong
ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving.
The terrestrial attractions are no less awesome. On the largest
island, Ko Wua Talap, location of the park’s headquarters and
the only tourist facilities in the area, there is a trail up to
a 400-metre-high vantage point, the stiff climb being rewarded by
stunning views out over the archipelago, as well as Bua Bok Cave,
the name meaning “waving lotus”, a reference to the shape
of the stalagmite and stalactite formations. Other walks lead around
the national park village to a small fi shing settlement. Elsewhere,
a magnifi cent emerald-green lake, 250 metres across and surrounded
by cliffs, is the highlight on Mae Ko island.
In addition to the natural wonder of the scenery, wildlife is comparatively
abundant on Ang Thong and includes leopard cats, wild pig, long-tailed
macaques, squirrels, pythons, monitor lizards, and dusky langur.
Among the 40 or so bird species that have been confi rmed in the
islands are the little heron, black baza, brahminy kite, Eurasian
woodcock, and the white-romped shama, while nesting in the caves
on the islands are the variety of swifts whose homes are the basic
ingredient of that Chinese delicacy, bird’s nest soup.
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