Difference between revisions of "Surin Islands"
Revision as of 17:22, 25 November 2010
The Surin Islands are beautiful protected islands 60 km west of the Northern Andaman Coast.
Mu Ko Surin National Park is situated in the Andaman sea approximately 60 km from the coast of Phang-Nga province in the southern peninsula region. The park covers an area of approximately 135 km of the protected area 102 km or 76% is sea. The park comprises 5 main islands; Koh Surin Nua, Ko Surin Tai, Ko Ree (Ko Stok),Ko Pachumba and Ko Kai (Ko Torinla). A few kilometers to the north of the park is the Myanmar border and about 100 km to the south are the Similan Islands.
These stunningly beautiful islands are open to visitors from 16th November to 15th of May each year, the picture postcard beaches and excellent snorkeling are a big draw. The main activity enjoyed by visitors is snorkeling, closely followed by scuba diving. Accommodation is the form of bungalows and tents, there are two campsites on Koh Surin Nua.
The islands were declared a national park on the 9th July 1981 in recognition of the islands unique beauty and to protect the fragile marine habitat. Green and Hawksbill turtles are frequent visitors to the islands, they come to nest on the islands beaches, in the 1990s some rare Olive Ridley turtles were also laying their eggs here. Diving is not allowed in certain areas of the park where conservation initiatives are taking place.