Hong Island’s Wonderful Blue Lagoon

Hong island -Koh Hong in Thai- is one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand.

If Leonardo Di Caprio’s movie ‘The Beach’ had been filmed on Hong Island instead of the Phi Phi Islands, today Hong Island would be one of the two or three most famous islands in Thailand.

Fortunately, that was not the case, and Hong Island has remained little known until relatively recently.

Koh Hong is part of Than Bok Khorani National Park, so it is protected by the government. That keeps it unspoiled and undeveloped, with no construction other than 4 cabins used by Park staff. It is a small island with a nice triangular shape, with mountains covered by jungle and two gorgeous beaches of crystal clear waters backlined by limestone cliffs.

Thailand’s Blue Lagoon

On Koh Hong’s eastern coast there are two gorgeous beaches. They are just perfect. And there is also a viewpoint that you can climb to enjoy breathtaking views. But Koh Hong’s best secret is hidden within, not visible from the outside. A gorgeous inland blue lagoon with precious blue-green waters, which can only be accessed through a narrow opening in the north side of the island. So narrow that only one boat can pass at a time.

Entering this blue lagoon in Thailand is an almost mystical moment. The boat sails slowly surrounded by high limestone cliffs and, little by little, you see the impressive lagoon appear before your eyes. You won’t hold out for more than a few minutes before jumping off the boat to take a dip in the limpid lagoon. A dip that you won’t easily forget.

Where is Hong Island

Hong Island is located between Krabi‘s Tubkaek Beach and the islands of Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi. Most people go to Koh Hong and its blue lagoon from one of the beaches in Krabi. From Ao Nang village it takes about 40 minutes by longtail boat, and about 20 minutes by speedboat. Here is the location on GoogleMaps.

How to visit the Blue Lagoon and Hong island

On your own: Hong Island can be easily visited on your own, simply by going to one of Ao Nang piers and chartering a long-tail boat for half a day or a whole day. The price is negotiable. You can do it, for example, at Nopparat Thara jetty. You can also charter the boat at one of the local agencies in Ao nang.

On an agency ‘island tour’: Many tour agencies offer half or full day boat trips to Hong Island, which usually combine Koh Hong with other islands. Keep in mind that boat tours to the same island can be very different from one another: there are all kinds and prices.

You should assess:

• Group size. The more people, the cheaper.
• Itinerary. Some tours stick to the most common itineraries and schedules, so they visit the beaches at their busiest.
• Number of islands that are visited. If you just want to go to Hong Island and spend many hours there, look for a tour that only visits that island. If, on the other hand, you want to visit other islands and beaches as well, then look for a quality tour that takes you to the best beaches at times when there are fewer people. Better if it is a tour with an open itinerary. Why? Because they will adjust the route to get the best possible experience, taking into account the particular conditions of that day. They will consider the tides, visually check how crowded each beach is, and reschedule when possible to avoid crowds, etc. There are dozens of beaches and, if you want, you can ask to visit the quietest ones.

My recommendation is the following tour:

🚤 Hong Island, James Bond and Koh Yao Noi Tour

At InThailand Travel we offer a tour in which on the same day you visit Hong Island, with its blue lagoon, a beach on Koh Yao Noi island, and James Bond Island, in the Phang Nga Bay area. It is a very long but very complete tour.

🎫 Entrance fee to Hong Island

As Hong Island is part of a National Park in Thailand, there is an admission fee of THB 300 for adults and THB 100 for children.

What to see near Hong Island’s Blue Lagoon

Mu Koh Hong is an archipelago made up of several small islands and islets, including Hong Island. One of these small islands also has a very nice beach and is usually visited together with Hong Island. It is Koh Lao Lading, another small paradise with a beach where usually many boat tours stop to have a picnic lunch.

You can see it in the following two images:

Very close to Hong Island we also find the islands of Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai. Both have beautiful beaches worth visiting if you have enough time. Don’t miss the incredible Laem Had beach, on the island of Koh Yao Yai, a long beach with a narrow strip of sand that juts out into the sea in a very unique way.