A nice trip to the nature reserve - Very well organized, hotel pick-up, check-in, small breakfast, magnificent scenery, go swimming, view point - climbing stairs (was tiring but doable), lunch, paddling/swimming, nice relaxing return trip by boat. Shuttle to the hotel. It was a beautiful day.

Really cost effective way to experience the National Marine Park - A great cost effective way to see the National Marine Park and have a few hours on a tropical beach. The water was warm and the sand soft (unlike the beach at my hotel) and this was my only opportunity for a sea swim. Everything ran to time and safety precautions were in place.

Must - This was the most beautiful experience. You have to do this. Great views everywhere you went, the hikes were worth it

Spectacular trip - Had a wonderful time in the most beautiful and amazing place. It can’t be put in words…Staff were friendly and helpful Must do if in Samui

Beautiful lagoon - Nice experience People in bord was very nice and funny Thanks for this beautiful day I recommend to do this Thanks again to the staff

The views from climbing... - The views from climbing to the top are gorgeous. Kayaking is too expensive. The description of the tour leads us to believe kayaking is included but when you book the tour, there is option to choose. The option for kayaking is much expensive. Luckily we didn’t book because it’s only a 30 minutes ride but it costs 300 bants.

Without infamy or praise - Very touristy excursion, frankly there is very little to see. The organization is ok, but with so many people that it doesn't allow you to enjoy the peace of the sea and the uncontaminated islands.

Boat broke down. We sat... - Boat broke down. We sat out on the water for a good hour before they could bring another boat. Didn't get to see everything as paid for. Not pleased. No English speaking tour guide. Wouldn't go again.

Many boats sailing to one main location with large numbers of passengers to enjoy 20 min activities, climbing lots of stairs and - There are many tours to the Marine Park but this one was one of the lowest cost. Originally we were booked on the Red Baron (a substantially better equipped vessel) with fewer passengers but due to high waves it was cancelled with 24 hour notice and we were asked if this tour was of interest to us. It was the last vessel available for that day so we took it. It was less than half the price of the Red Baron. We were about 50-60 passengers in all. So, this tour leaves Nathon pier at 8:30 am and sails for about 90-120 minutes (depending on waves) to reach a passage in the islands where it moors. The motoring over was tough on some passengers with a few heaving over the rail. We did fine having taken seasickness pills 30 min before departure and keeping an eye on the horizon throughout. Once at the marine park we were shuttled by long boat to the island for a strenuous ~30 min steep hike to a windy viewing platform for shots of the surrounding islands. It was pretty. We descended to find three little monkeys up a tree eating fresh shoots. Without a powerful telephoto you'll see little. We then waited an hour before being shuttled to the other side of the bay where we hiked up precipitously steep sets of stairs to view a lake in the middle of the island. In actuality it is a body of salt water about 300 meters in diameter fed through cracks and tunnels in the karst formations, that access the sea. You cannot swim here as much as you'd like to jump the fence and cool off in the clear waters. Authorities should definitely make a water access for swimmers by just adding a staircase down 2 meters to water level. Of course this would mean supervising the area and they are not interested in paying someone to do it. After hiking back up and back down we are back at a busy little beach for swimming or snorkeling. Snorkeling here will result in nothing to see so don't bother. After another 30 minutes or so we are asked if we want to do the 20 min kayaking along the island back to a beach where group one had originally started, to return the kayaks. No idea where the caves are unless they mean the paddle throughs in the overhangs. Not caves; just short narrow passages between the island and the sea. We were then hustled out of the water to wait 15 min for the long boat to take us to the big boat for the return voyage. Once on the boat we lined up for a hot buffet of chicken curry with side dishes, which was actually quite good. Our Thai lady guide was helpful on the boat making sure things went off as planned and keeping wobbling passengers from falling or dropping their meals. Her English was ok. Once fed the boat shifted into high gear and made a B-line for Nathon, arriving there in just under two hours. Now the important summary and tour comments: As mentioned this tour was one of the lowest priced public sailings to the islands so the seven of us in our party didn't have high expectations. But let me give you my impressions as a mature seasoned traveller. From pier to pier it took just under 8 hours, 4 of which were sailing. That leaves precious little time to enjoy what the islands have to offer both from a snorkeling and kayaking point of view but also to just explore. Additionally because the group is large, sharing gear and kayaks is necessary cutting in half the time we had to enjoy them. Twenty minutes to kayak and an hour total to snorkel fishless sandy bays is poor value regardless of what you pay. Negotiating the islands' floating piers made of plastic interlocking pontoons, buckling and heaving in the surf requires balance and good footing. Many people required assistance to keep from taking an unintended dip. Why there is no permanent wooden or cement pier on these heavily used beach accesses is beyond me. And why all tour boats go to the same islands when there are 42 of them is also a mystery. Sure, the park headquarters are here, and whatever tourist infrastructure has been built is here, but again why not offer different itineraries to other locations to reduce bottlenecking and overuse? Snorkeling elsewhere in the islands would definitely have been great. There is no question that in Thailand the amount of money pulled in by the thousands of tourists every week to these islands would be more than enough at their wages to expand the meagre infrastructure and offer more variety. Over many years it doesn't change! Why? Because so many tourists are satisfied with what they're getting and write glowing comments for mediocre tours. Writing detailed accurate and helpful reports is not about hurting someone's feelings or being polite, folks! It's about spending a large amount of money for the average Thai and getting good value. Not true? Well, where was the nature guide to explain the history or geography of the area? Where is the exhibit area or interactive interpretation center? It can be built right beside the park headquarters! Does anyone know what kind of monkey we saw? No? Well no wonder. The people from the boat and in the area also had no idea. Why are we all herded to the same venues day after day, week after week, year after year? Because few people give them thoughtful feedback that would affect change... maybe... I say maybe because how the money we give tour companies is divided up may be the key to why nothing seems to be improving. Last word For a day tripper wanting to catch a glimpse and a selfie of this beautiful island chain, what's on offer likely feeds the need. Been there, done that. But almost all visitors based on reviews from multiple sources say the same thing about this tour: long sail; short time activities; terrible snorkeling; strenuous climbs; beautiful viewpoint panorama; decent food; no guides much less information about the islands; and a lot of people in one area. This is a three star tour... no more. It's a mass production cost cutting exercise in pushing through the maximum number of passengers on a single itinerary with limited liability. A four star tour is only available privately at 5-10 times the price.

Budget sailing in rough waters with many people to see few islands and stick to a tight schedule. - The 'big boat' experience was a nice day out but this particular tour (there are many) left us wanting. Why? Because too much time is spent eating, sailing and waiting. Additionally, there is little time allocated to actually exploring, learning and being informed about the park. Bottom line? It felt rushed and lacked depth; that is, no explanation about the park or description of features was undertaken. If you've ever been to China and taken a tour you'll know what I mean. It felt to the seven of us that we were being herded from one place and event to another on a tight timeline. We saw almost nothing of the Ang Thong island chain except for one island passage where we hiked up a very steep rock trail to a lookout point for a selfie moment. Even the inland salt lake (fed by the ocean) was inaccessible with no way to swim there. The stairs were frighteningly steep; I mean almost vertical! You cannot fall! Fit people like myself negotiated the narrow steep staircases but I can imagine what the far less active people around me thought. There were three monkeys up in a tree at the foot of the lookout trail. The floating docks were heaving up and down as we walked the 50 meters to the boat. I thought it was kind of fun and a challenge but many didn't, trying to keep their balance and not go for an unplanned swim ;-) The ride to the islands and back can be daunting Tor some. Many days of the year sailing in a 35 meter vessel in the open sea can result in sea sickness or just keeping your personal effects from flying overboard. Moving around was not safe while underway. But this a common problem when on the sea here; not just to this tour. Our trip to Koh Tau on a larger Lamprayah ferry was worse where dozens of people vomited; not a pretty sight. Here at least we were all outside and we're able to roll with waves and watch the horizon to minimize seasickness. In summary: the price of this tour is low so I didn't expect much. But the boat staff seemed helpful and the facilities were acceptable, even the head (toilet). The meal on board was hot, tasty and sufficient; no complaints.