Good people,

Can anyone recommend where we could do some snorkeling from the beach, and see some reasonable coral and fish, the reason being one of our party doesn’t like going on boats of any size?

Would you recommend Freedom Beach, and can you get to it from the Merlin Beach Resort without going by boat, and do they have boats going from the MBR?

Also can anyone please share an experience or recommend things to do that are different from the “normal” tourist things, like arts and crafts, any assistance would be very much appreciated.

Regards, Bruce

there are a few places you could try
Phi Phi Island off long beach in fact anywhere on that side of the island. Marks mentioned Phi Phi Isand Villiage before i think good snorkelling off the beach there,off Phra Nang beach walking distance from railaynear Railay beach in Krabi is ok too, otherwise Koh Tao's probably the best ive seen off the beach in fact there i used to be able to just look through the face mask into the water without even getting wet!
Off Haad Yao in Phangan is ok too theres a reef about 100metres off the beach.

Not sure where this Freedom beach is. There's one on Ko Tao...bit of snorkelling there off the headland on the left but there's better elsewhere on Ko Tao... off Ao Tanote for example. I've a feeling the Merlin Resort is on Phuket though??? Not sure as I've never felt the urge to visit Phuket. There is a decent reef off the PPIV but watch out for the longtails in case you get decapitated by the propellers.

Other options....well hate to disagree with Rob but I think the Surins has far better snorkelling than anything around Ko Tao. Unfortunately the only accommodation there is camping or overpriced and none too luxurious NP bungalows.

Ko Ngai has several upmarket resorts now and decent snorkelling off the beach. Beautiful scenery too but the isn't a lot to do there apart from swimming and sunbathing. It's much smaller than Phi Phi and doesn't have an ATM or shops yet AFAIK.

Other islands with coral....Ko Lipe, Ko Kradan, Ko Bulon Le, Ko Eok. The latter is a NP camping only place too though so doubt if that's what you're looking for.

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Err sorry, that should be Ko Rok, not Ko Eok.

__________________
“Not all those who wander are lost.” Tolkien.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

I know that Hong island in Krabi has quite good off shore snorkelling. Go in the early morning before the tourists arrive and there are lots of fishes about..

fish at hong island in the early morning


Hong island


enjoy

Im not as well traveled as Fio, havent been to the Surin islands yet, but i will catch up i hope,
the places i mentioned are easy to get too places with resorts and amenities close by, wasnt sure what you were looking for, it sounded like you wanted snorkelling from the beach rather than boat trips, if your a more experienced snorkeller or diver then the places to go are endless

Hmmm just reread the OP...one of the party doesn't like going on boats of any size..... that really limits the options as the snorkelling is generally better on islands a fair distance from the mainland.

Islands except Phuket and Samui involve a boat trip to get to them. Don't think there's much decent snorkelling off those either of those places but have never been to them....maybe someone knows some good spots.

You might see a few fish in the water off Phra Nang beach in Krabi as Rob suggests but it does involve a short boat ride to get there as well....

__________________
“Not all those who wander are lost.” Tolkien.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

What I meant to say was, snorkelling from the beach in Phuket!

The problem is our friend will not go on any Boat, not even a 100,000Ton cruise ship, let alone a longboat, so we have to find somewhere that we can snorkel from the beach!

We are all staying at the MBR, just around from Patong, and as far as I can tell the Freedom Beach is the next beach south of the MBR beach, around the headland, but too far to swim or trek through the bush!

So we are looking for any advice on where there is a beach that you can get to by road where there is some coral, fish and the like, where we can go snorkelling?

Anyway thanks for all the other good information, we may go off and do our own thing later.

Regards, Bruce

around Kata Noi is OK for snorkelling and pretty safe; other areas such as Nai Harn have some pretty lethal undertows and rip tides at times.

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Best snorkeling you will find at the Northern end of Kata Beach, where there is a nice coral reef, teeming with life, especially all kinds of juveniles.

From November till April: no undertows or anything else dangerous, even the jetskis stay away from the marked coral reef.