Hike to the Top of the Island of Koh Nang Yan Viewpoint

A hike to the top of Koh Nang Yan Viewpoint should be on your itinerary if you are visiting Kho Tao in Thailand. Here are a few tips for your hike.

How to get to Koh Nang Yan

Since this is an island, you will need to go by boat to get there. The best way to reach Koh Nang Yan is from Sairee Beach where you can book a cruise that will take you to the island. Ideally, it is best to get the boat and driver for the day. This way you can take all the time you need to enjoy your hike and even explore more of the island. You will also see several local boat owners along the beach that you might be able to bargain with. If you are going with a local, go with someone who has been recommended by other travellers. The journey to the island and back will cost around 300 Baht. A journey one way will take you about 15 minutes. Additionally, you will also need around 100 Baht to enter Koh Nang Yan. To be safe, make sure to take a little extra cash.

Climbing to the Kho Nang Yuan Viewpoint

The walk up to the viewpoint can be quite tiring, but worth it. From the point you are dropped off from the boat, you will have to take a quick walk to the base of the stairs. From the stairs, you will have about a 15-minute uphill climb to get to the viewpoint. While the stairs make it safer for people to climb to the top, it also makes it quite strenuous. However, once you get to the peak you will be blown away by the beauty that surrounds you. You will be treated to a view of the beautiful ocean adorned with several Islands. It is a view that you enjoy for many hours. Make sure to take enough water and snack with you so that you can spend some time at the peak and relax. This can be incorporated as a day trip during your time at the Koh Samui resort.

Exciting activities

While climbing to the viewpoint and enjoying the view is the highlight of Koh Nang Yan, there are several other exciting activities that you can enjoy on the island. You can ask the staff at Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort the best things to do based on seasonality and time of the day. There is a sandbar separating the islands in the area, which provides an excellent location for swimming and snorkelling. After a tiring climb to the viewpoint and back, it will be ideal to jump into the ocean to cool off a bit. If you have your snorkelling gear, you can even explore the vicinity for marine life. There have been instances where small sharks have been seen around the islands by divers.

Rules when visiting the islands

There are a few simple rules to follow when you are visiting Koh Nang Yan. These rules have been put in place to ensure that the beauty and value of the natural environment are preserved while providing access to travellers. Some of these rules include the prohibition of plastic bottles, water shoes, and flippers on the island. If you have any of these plastic items, you are expected to leave them in the boat until you are back. Therefore, it is best to take water in a non-plastic bottle. You are also not allowed to fly drones on the island unless special permission is sought.

Best time to visit

Since this is one of the most popular destinations within the Koh Tao region, it can get crowded quite easily. This means that during tourist season you will see flocks of people rushing to the island to see its beauty and take pictures. During peak times, you may even witness people queuing up to reach the top. So it is best to visit early morning or late afternoon. However, you will have to time this accordingly to the availability of boats as well as light. Generally, the last boat returns to Koh Tao by 5:00 pm. This is once again something you can check with the locals.