Pig Island & Koh Taen Snorkelling Experience

Just south of Koh Samui are two islands you may never have heard of but are definitely worth the short trip. On the sparkling reefs of Koh Tan and Koh Madsum, you can find an abundance of sea life that you won’t get a chance to see at their bigger neighbour Koh Samui. Our half-day snorkelling tour will introduce you to these two scenic deserted islands and the wildlife that inhabits them. Yes, that means lots of fish, turtles and, believe it or not, wild pigs too! Pigs were introduced by locals to these islands many years ago, so now they’ll pop out of the jungle to be fed by anyone kind enough to visit them.

If you are staying on one of the busier beaches in Koh Samui or perhaps yearning for the sea from your pool villa, this snorkelling trip could be a perfect quick and easy getaway for a real tropical island experience with a twist.

You have two options to choose from for this adventure: a morning trip with a delicious lunch by the sea, or an afternoon trip with dinner served in front of a special sunset.

The morning trip will start the day early with a pick-up from your Koh Samui hotel between 8:30am and 9:00am. From there, we will escort you to the pier at Thong Kroot to board a speedboat which will take you directly to Koh Tan, the first of these two unspoiled islands.

For those taking the afternoon trip, the hotel pick up will be between 2:00pm and 2:30pm. In the first part of the trip, you can snorkel around Koh Tan for an hour or so. Koh Tan is the bigger of the two islands and is a pristine ecological environment with mangroves, coral reefs and native subtropical forest.

We then leave Koh Tan behind and move onto see some more wildlife and to feed the pigs at Koh Madsum. The pigs are becoming more famous and have now rather unknowingly renamed this island “Pig Island” as increasingly tourists ask for the trip to see these feral islanders. Coming in from the sun and maybe out of the water again, you will be more than ready for a lovely Thai lunch or dinner by the beach before you set sail for Samui from Koh Madsum at around 2:45pm (afternoon trip) or 6:45pm (evening trip).

Sights and activities on the tour:

• Swimming and sunbathing on the beach at Koh Madsum
• Snorkelling amongst the corals
• Feed the pigs
• Kayaking in the blue open spaces of the Gulf of Thailand
• Beachside dining before you head back to your hotel

• Koh Tan island is free of motor vehicles and without electricity, so there is total peace and quiet here. Although less than 3 kilometres from Koh Samui, Koh Tan is a different world compared to its bigger neighbor, since it has all but lost its native subtropical forest. With the coral reefs, subtropical forests, mangroves and wildlife, the island is a true paradise.
• Koh Tan is as close to nature as it gets near Samui. The lush green tropical vegetation of these islands is often a welcome sight for tourists from more barren northern climates. It’s tempting to think that nature is robust and abundant here. Truthfully though, it’s under assault like everywhere else. Koh Tan and Koh Madsum are seen as pristine and untouched compared to Samui but they are two remaining footholds of wildlife in the area and should be treated with great respect.
• A sad and unknown fact about nature in the South of Thailand is that it’s incredibly devoid of biodiversity compared to centuries ago. A classic example is the growth of Rubber Tree plantations which dominate the landscape along with the big business of palm. While they may appear “green” from a passing van, they are actually an alien and toxic species from Brazil and the plantations are completely devoid of life. No squirrels no birds.. nothing. Their sap is poison.
• We would like to encourage you to please support environmentally responsible travel and be part of the cure, not the problem. Tourism can help believe it or not. You can make a difference by visiting these last remaining footholds of wildlife and by encouraging protected areas to be expanded, whether by leaving comments on trip advisor, with the tourism authority of Thailand (TAT) on social media pages or even just commenting with your tour guide. Whatever the trip please respect nature and leave it behind the same as it was when you arrived.