Koh Nang Yuan is one of the smallest islands in the southern half of the Gulf of Thailand merely more than a wafer thin beach connecting a large and small rock outcrops. The beach and setting are beautiful but the real draw for visitors is what lies below the water level.

The small island of Koh Nang Yuan has possibly the most abundant coral based marine life found in the region. The island is rightfully popular with divers and shallow water snorkelling.

Koh Nang Yuan lies of the north western edge of Koh Tao but the only access is via long boat or much larger passenger ferry which brings in the day trippers from the surrounding islands. The thin beach though very narrow can handle the numbers of visitors and most of the larger groups of day trippers only stay for a couple of hours.

As an act to protect the tranquillity of the island plastic bottles have been banned and there is a 100THB access fee to the island. This fee is covered by the organised tours and it is very dubious if the money is spent on the ecosystem.

The thin sliced beach which stretches from the main bulk of the island to the southern rock outcrop is the main beach of the island. The beach is unique as it is bounded by the sea on both sides with one side leading into deep water coral while the other stays as a shallow sandy beach.

To read a guide about getting to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Phangan as a day tour please click here. For those snorkelling on the beaches of Koh Nang Yuan head out to the western side and here the varied marine life can be viewed. Hiding between the corals fish include; angels, barbs and groupers.