Nang Yuan is a group of two small, idyllic islands adjacent to Ko Tao in the Gulf of Thailand. It's a must-see if you're staying in the area, as the scenery is truly incredible, despite its somewhat touristy feel. And even then, on that particular day in April, it was far from crowded, which was quite pleasant.
Ko Nang Yuan, a must-see island in Ko Tao
After our morning of snorkeling and therefore spending most of our time in the water, this time it was dry land that awaited us and what could be described as the real "highlight" of the day.
So we disembark on the pontoon not without a certain excitement. The view of the island, with the beach of Maya Bay, is one of those iconic images when you think of the south of Thailand.
Boats are not allowed to stay more than a few minutes, to avoid polluting near this protected site and also because there are people to disembark for a single small pontoon. We have 2 hours to go around these two small islands, located northwest of Ko Tao, enough time to explore and enjoy the place, starting with going to the viewpoint.
Ko Nang Yuan's viewpoint
It was really the first thing I wanted to see and so I headed straight to the left after the pontoon, following the small signs indicating the latter.
We found ourselves crossing the sandbar, surprisingly deserted since most people were crammed onto sun loungers to nap and swim in its undeniably magnificent lagoon called the "Japanese Garden." Something we would do later as well (swim, not lounge).
You can also have fun ziplining over the lagoon in question, but I think there must often be a queue (and I especially think you have to pay extra).
It takes no more than 10 minutes to reach the rock that serves as a viewpoint over the island. The climb is quite steep, but it's the heat on this warm April day that's the most difficult.
When I arrive and discover the view, I am completely sweaty, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying the moment.
Given the heat, and since there's still time, it's more than time for a dip. As such, you can't really see much of the island, as a whole area is occupied by the resort and therefore private.
It was in the translucent waters of its lagoon that we enjoyed those few extra minutes in paradise. I remain particularly happy with the atmosphere that day, because although many tours pass by the island, there were frankly very few of us that late afternoon, and it gave the feeling of having the island only for a privileged few [Editor's note 2019: this was also just before the Chinese started arriving in large numbers in Thailand…]
Time passes and it is already time to reach the pontoon where our boat must be waiting for us. This concludes this beautiful day of snorkeling around the island of Ko Tao and this time spent on Nang Yuan is certainly one of the best moments.
It is easy to understand the success of this little piece of sand just a stone's throw from Turtle Island, and sleeping here must be a particularly great experience, because once you have passed all the towers, you are the only ones here, until the early hours of the morning.
