Ang Thong National Marine Park Speedboat from Koh Samui

Rush Rush rush

Honest review This is not a bad excursion in itself, and if this were the only way to visit the national park, I would probably do it again. However, for my partner and me, it was very far from being an enjoyable or relaxing experience. There were simply far too many people. We were packed tightly into the boat, shoulder to shoulder, in the heat. After spending a long time on the boat, we were taken quite far out for snorkeling, but unfortunately there was absolutely nothing relaxing or enjoyable about it. There were dozens of boats and hundreds of people in the water. The water was so disturbed that it was difficult to see anything, and people were stepping on the coral and not paying attention to their surroundings. During the snorkeling, the guides were constantly shouting at us to move because other boats were coming in and we might get hit. This made the experience stressful rather than peaceful. In my opinion, there are simply too many stops for the amount of time spent getting from one place to another. It felt like we spent more time on boats than actually enjoying the islands. Personally, I would completely remove the snorkeling stop. It requires a lot of additional boat time, and with so many people and boats, you don't really get to see anything anyway. That time would be much better spent giving guests more time in the national park and on the islands. Another thing that did not suit us at all was the lack of freedom. The guides repeatedly asked everyone to follow them, almost as if we were in kindergarten. Even for a very short 10-minute walk, they wanted to lead the entire group. We would have much preferred to explore at our own pace. The whole day felt like an endless race: hurry up, hurry up, another boat is arriving, we have to leave, we have to move. And because there were so many people, the guides had to shout constantly just to be heard. This is simply not the type of excursion we were looking for. We wanted a calm, peaceful and relaxing day in nature, but instead it felt rushed and hectic from beginning to end. On the positive side, everything was clean and well organized. The guides were clearly working hard to manage a very large group. The lunch was acceptable, although it was served lukewarm. The soup, however, was honestly disappointing: it was basically a cup of hot, transparent water with almost no taste. One final point: several people became seasick during the boat rides. I ended up giving motion-sickness medication to several people because they were feeling so unwell. Overall, I think this excursion could be greatly improved by reducing the number of stops, removing the snorkeling portion, and giving guests significantly more free time in the national park. The park itself is beautiful, but the way this particular tour is structured made the day feel much more exhausting than enjoyable.

via Tripadvisor

Horrible tour

It was a terrible experience. Certain staff on the boat were rude. Instructions for English speaking tourists like myself were not clear. Could not understand most of the instructions. For tourists who do not know swimming or partial swimming staff were extremely unhelpful and rude when concerned with the snorkeling activity. Very disorganised tour. Will not recommend this particular tour and did not enjoy it at all.

Response from the operator: Thank you for your review. We’re sorry to hear that the staff did not provide the level of service expected and that their communication was difficult to understand. This is definitely not the standard we aim to provide. If possible, please share your booking reference with us so we can investigate the team who assisted you on that day and take the necessary action to address the issue.

via Viator

Awesome day trip

Late 20’s couple from the UK. Awesome full day trip. Fast and fun (jumping) speedboat trip followed by all the activities. Super efficient hotel pickup and drop off. Great value. Lovely crew. Thank you !

Response from the operator: Thank you for your review. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the experience. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with our crew team.

via Tripadvisor

Wonderful day of...

Wonderful day of snorkeling, kayaking and hiking up 500m to the most beautiful view! Mia and her team were incredibly nice and helpful. The buffet lunch provided in a small fisherman’s village was delicious and they were able to accommodate food allergy restrictions. Thank you for a great day!

Response from the operator: Thank you for your review. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the experience. Your kind words will be passed on to Mia, your tour guide. She’ll be very happy to know that you appreciated her dedication and hard work.

via Viator

A great tour of the islands

We had a great day, excellent communication, staff were really helpful and friendly, lunch was awesome, overall a great experience. The first hike is taxing, but well worth it, tough it out. Couple of things to note if you're thinking of booking. There are 4 stops but only one for snorkelling if that's your thing, and bring your own snorkelling gear if you have it.

Response from the operator: Thank you for your review. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the experience. Your kind words will be shared with our team, and they’ll be very happy to know that you appreciated their efforts.

via Tripadvisor