Koh Hong - A Day Trip to One of Krabi's Islands

Koh Hong, or better known as Hong Island, is an island off the coast of Krabi. Hong Island is part of the Than Bok Khorani national park and you can do one of the offered tours from Phuket, Phang Nga or Ao Nang to visit this gorgeous island.

Hong Island – a day trip from Ao Nang

During our last stay in Ao Nang in January 2015 we wanted to discover something new. This time our choice was Hong Island and so we took a tour to this beautiful island. Dreamlike water, a white sand beach and breathtaking islands on the way made this trip absolutely recommendable.

How to get to Ao Nang

To reach Ao Nang or Hong Island it’s best to travel via Krabi. With this option you can fly to the Krabi International Airport which is connected to locations in Thailand as well as e.g. Kuala Lumpur or Qatar. More information about flights, departure times and prices can be found on Skyscanner.

You can also travel by bus or boat (from Koh Lanta etc.) to Krabi Town. From there you can continue your trip to Ao Nang. From the airport or the bus station you will have to take another means of transport to get to Ao Nang.

A Songthaew (shared taxi) from the bus station costs about 80 Baht to Ao Nang. A taxi costs about 400 Baht from Krabi Town or the airport. The cheapest option would be the shuttle bus, which runs regularly from the airport through Krabi Town to Ao Nang, for a price of 100 Baht per person.

Furthermore, you can take the ferry from Koh Lanta or Koh Phi Phi directly to Ao Nang. These boats will arrive at Nopparat Thara Pier and not at Klong Jilad Pier in Krabi Town. To see connections, times, prices and tickets for buses and boats, visit 12go.asia.

Accommodation in Ao Nang – our hotel tip

The selection of accommodation in Ao Nang and the surrounding area is huge. We have stayed several times in Ao Nang and tried some different hotels. Since we are always traveling there by scooter, it doesn’t bother us personally if the accommodation is a bit further from the beach. This way you have peace and seclusion and can totally relax. Very suitable for this is the Deevana Krabi Resort, which is located in the middle of a beautiful green area. Both beaches, the Ao Nang Beach and the Noppharat Thara Beach, are just minutes away by taxi or scooter.

You can discover more beautiful accommodations in Ao Nang here.

The way to Hong Island

Getting from Ao Nang to Koh Hong is similar to the last trips to Koh Poda, Koh Gai and Koh Tub. The starting point is Ao Nang beach as well, where you can buy tickets at the small ticket booths near the beach. I described how to buy the tickets in the previous articles like Koh Poda. At those booths you can buy the tickets to your desired destination.

The difference to Koh Poda is that there isn’t a regular service and you have to rent the whole longtail boat for up to 6 persons. This service is offered from 8.00 A.M. to 4.00 P.M. on a daily basis and the boat trip will cost you 2500 Baht – all together. Another option would be booking a day trip to Hong Island.

The advantage of a trip like this is that you don’t have to wait for more people to fill the rented longtail boat. You can just start your trip right away – your private Krabi island hopping. Past the Nopparattara beach and Klong Muang beach you are driving to the open sea. It’s about an hour from Ao Nang to Hong Island by boat. Lean back and enjoy the ride and view for a while.

Before we were going to the beach our driver made another stop at the back of Hong Island, where you can discover a beautiful blue lagoon.

The small entrance is a bit hidden and remembers me of the arrival at the Maya bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh. However there is no white sand beach, but rather a clear blue lagoon, which is also perfect for a swim.

Arrival on Hong Island

At the arrival on Koh Hong you will be required to pay an additional fee for the national park. This fee is 200 Baht per person. Eventually after that you can straight head to the beach.

The beach is separated into two parts by a huge rock. The more beautiful part of it is located between that rock and the big limestone cliffs. Here you can find a small bay where you can have a great swim and some snorkeling. The water is pretty clear and the sand wonderfully white. Does it get any better?

We had some sticky rice with us to attract the fish in the water. They are not so afraid of people and you can take a nice picture or two with them. For example with an awesome GoPro, like we did.

About opposite of the huge rock, which separates both beaches, there are 2 small shops where you can buy some water, beer or other drinks. Obviously the prices are much higher than on the mainland. If you want to save some money then bring along some drinks and food with you when you start the trip.

Unfortunately there will most probably be low tide at the afternoon. Make sure you start your trip to Hong Island in the early morning. Because now the rocks, which are actually in the deeper water, will come to light. The swimming isn’t so enjoyable anymore and it looks way more beautiful at high tide in the morning. Especially for some nice pictures.

After a couple of hours swimming and relaxing at the beach it was time to return to Ao Nang. I can really recommend a trip to Hong Island, because it’s one of the most beautiful islands off the coast of Krabi.

Koh Hong: Tours and Tickets

Do you prefer to travel with a guide who knows the area very well? Then we recommend a guided tour with a local. This way you can get to know Koh Hong and all other surrounding islands in a completely different way. GetYourGuide offers a wide selection of exciting tours for Koh Hong and Krabi.

Have you ever been to Hong Island? Did you like it? Are there any nearby islands we should definitely visit? Leave us a comment below!