Koh Tachai tour
Update May 2016: Koh Tachai island is closed indefinitely in order to preserve the islands natural beauty. Day trips to Koh Tachai are not available. Where to go instead? We recommend the Surin Islands.
Liveaboard including Koh Tachai
You can still snorkel at Koh Tachai outer reefs (the plateau where the manta rays and whale sharks go) if you go by liveaboard.
Two to five night liveaboard tours offer the very best snorkeling and beaches in Thailand.
Combine Koh Tachai with the Similan Islands, Surin Islands, Koh Bon and Richelieu Rock.
Available from November to April.
Koh Tachai
Koh Tachai is a small island just north of the Similan Islands and part of the mu koh Similan national marine park. It is a little gem of an island that has some of Thailand’s most beautiful beaches. It also has amazing snorkeling and diving. Day trips are available from Phuket or Khao Lak.
Some excellent liveaboard trips have itineraries cover Koh Tachai plus Koh Bon and the Surin Islands. Koh Tachai snorkeling can be challenging in places, currents can be strong. But competent snorkelers will be rewarded with some of the best underwater life. A Koh Tachai tour is highly recommended.
Koh Tachai can be accessed from November to April when the north west monsoon offers favorable weather and flat seas. The best months for the chance to see manta rays is between February and April but note that manta ray and whale shark sightings are not common on the day trip snorkeling reefs, they are more common on the deep outer reefs that the liveaboard boats visit. These reefs often have strong currents that can make snorkeling tricky without a line to hold on to.
It is possible to see almost anything on the reef off the east coast at Koh Tachai including black tip reef sharks, leopard sharks and even dolphins. While snorkeling along the edge of the reef it’s worth keeping one eye looking out in to the blue water.
