Koh Nang Yuan, with its three small, green islands connected by fine strips of white sand, is a picture postcard setting. On the island lies the Japanese Garden, a small bay with crystal-clear waters, lined with granite rocks that have been polished by the water. In the water you will see clownfish in their anemones, butterflyfish, clams and shoals of parrotfish, but the coral bed are damaged in some places.
Koh Nang Yuan is a few hundred yards off the coast of Koh Tao. It costs around 150 bahts per person for a one-way trip to Sai Ree Beach (minimum 2 people) in a long-tail boat. An admission fee of 100 bahts per adult (50 bahts for children) is charged on site. A large number of snorkeling excursions are organized in Koh Tao, including a stop at this spot, as well as others nearby (Tanote Bay, Shark Bay, etc.). For an excursion including stops at 3 or 4 spots, the price is between 1 000 and 1 200 bahts per person.
Get into the water from the small stretch of sand between the isle where you landed and the island to the north (see map below).
Go straight ahead from the beach, crossing a few dozen yards of sandy sea bed, sometimes covered with pieces of dead coral (↕3-10ft/1-2m). Shoals of parrotfish and spinefoot feed tirelessly in this area, raising clouds of white sand. Move on further to reach the coral areas (↕6-12ft/2-4m). Soon you will see some heads of porous coral, incrusted with multi-colored giant clams and Christmas tree worms. Look out for the large green and purple sea anemones attached to the sea bed. Each one is the home of pink skunk clownfish, which will keep a worried eye on you if you come too close, as they nestle in the tentacles of their hosts. In the Japanese Garden, the sea bed is in poor condition, which is the case for almost all the snorkeling spots nearby.
This spot is a great favorite with diving clubs, which come here for first-time snorkeling and lessons. Make yourself visible if you plan to go more than a few hundred yards from the beach.
It is so easy to go to Koh Nang Yuan for the day that it is not essential to have accommodation there. If you wish, you can rent a bungalow at Nangyuan Island Dive Resort for a much higher price than at Ko Tao, however. There is a restaurant and a bar near the beach.
Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
Been in Nang Yuan yesterday (1 aug 2019) during snorkel tour visiting 5 sites around Koh Tao. While the best of the 5 sites visited (Nang Yuan, mango bay, Hin Wong bay, Aow Leuk and Shark bay) still huge areas (>80%) are covered with dead coral seabed with Some islands of living coral. Lots of people standing on the coral! Reallifesoap sad…. go to Red Sea instead, is 10x better!
While the best of the 5 sites visited (Nang Yuan, mango bay, Hin Wong bay, Aow Leuk and Shark bay) on snorkel tour around Koh tao, huge areas (>80%) are covered with dead coral seabed with Some islands of living coral. Lots of people standing on the coral! Reallifesoap sad…. go to Red Sea instead, is 10x better!
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