Have you ever gone snorkelling and thinking to yourself.. the corals and sea life are so beautiful but there are way too many people that I kept swimming into them OR I wish there are places I could snorkel without running into so many people!
The good news is those places in Thailand actually exist… in the city called Chumphon, which is one and a half hour flight away from Bangkok. You can also bring a car with you, it will take approximately 6 hours to reach the city.
Hotels around there are nearly half the price of what you find in Koh Samui or other islands that are well-known to tourists, and if you visit the place around June to August accommodation prices are reduced as it’s a low travel season.
If you ask any hotels of the activities you can do to explore the place more, they all will give you the same answer… snorkelling around the four beautiful islands of Chumphon!
Like these ones!
In order for you to do so you would have to book a one-day trip, and the best company to go for is Siam Catamaran that you can contact here.
They provide a free pick-up and drop-off service so you don’t have to go through a hassle of finding a transportation to the bay.
The pick-up time for us was 7.30 am which was an hour and a half before departing. When you get there you have to check in at the reception to be able to get towels, snorkel sets and fins.
Once you have arrived to the first island and realised that you don’t own a GoPro or forget to bring one but want to capture some photos of your experience, you can ask one of the crews to take the photos for you just like I did as one of them carry a GoPro with him all day.
Each spot is only 3 meters deep so it’s perfect for someone who just started snorkelling or who is not a strong swimmer. But honestly you even have to know how to swim to snorkel, as the tour guide will provide you with a lifejacket and offer to guide you to where corals and sea creatures can be found most.
If you don’t know how to use a snorkel tube, the guide will also instruct you on how to do so. However, I can teach you on this post right now! All you have to do is breathe with your mouth using the tube attached to the mask. When you wear a mask, you won’t be able to breathe through your nose as the rubber band around it is supposed to fit to your face enough to not let the water in. Trust me, it only take seconds to master it!
The price for this tour is about $45 per person, which is a fair price as this includes swim gears, pickup and drop-off service, lunch and a visit to four different islands!
We went there around late June so there were only 10 other tourists with us on the cruise. It was definitely a great experience as we were seeking for places we could enjoy the beauty of the ocean without a concern of the experience being disrupted by many tourists trying to swim to the same spot!
Your photos look amazing! I recognize that it can be way too busy sometimes indeed. Now only hope your post doesn’t convince too many people of going there 😉
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Thank you so much! Haha we’ll have to see what’s going to happen 😝
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Its great that Thailand has countless islands that are still relatively unexplored. This is the first time I have heard of Chumphon…what a unique name. The waters look amazing.
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It really is! The place is not as well-known as Phi phi island but it is just as beautiful!
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I find your post to be very encouraging for me! I tried snorkeling once in open water and was so scared I never tried again (I can’t swim…). Now I’m going to think about snorkeling in places that are more shallow. Bonus points for that tour group for having GoPros for their customers! Very thoughtful gesture! Did you book the tour before you got to Thailand or after you arrived?
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I’m so glad that it does! ❤ I booked it when I arrived, in fact I booked the tour only a day before I went on a snorkelling trip!
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It looks like an amazing place to snorkel from your photos. I think my dad visited there the last time he was in Thailand but I haven’t been. I am not a great at snorkelling so I do like to be in a small group and away from everyone else 🙂
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It really is! If so I hope he enjoyed his trip there 😄, it is a perfect place to start that’s what my mom and I did as we never snorkelled before in our lives
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I love snorkeling so this would be the perfect trip for me! Love your underwater photos!
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Definitely! Thank you so much! ❤
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What a beautiful area to snorkel at! I’ve gone twice in my life, and though there were a lot of people I didn’t really mind. The area must have been pretty big though for us to swim around with out bumping into anyone 🙂
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Yes it was! Which made our first snorkelling experience quite wonderful!
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Never been snorkelling but its on the bucket list!
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Looks like a great trip! You took some awesome underwater photos. I can always find good places to snorkel in the Bahamas and USVI.
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Thank you! I’ve always wanted to go to Bahamas!
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Looks beautiful! Can’t wait to visit Thailand and hope to finally try snorkeling. Love all your pictures!
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You definitely should try, it’s so much fun! Thank you! ❤
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