The small island of Koh Taen (often also called Koh Tan, but the pronunciation "go tèn" is more correct) lies about a twenty-minute boat ride south of Koh Samui, opposite Thong Krut or Bang Kao, the two departure points for longtail boats. Located very close to Samui, it's the most popular snorkeling spot around Koh Samui. The island is surrounded by a reef teeming with colorful fish. A little further out, Koh Matsum (or Koh Madsum) offers pretty beaches and a lagoon with turquoise waters. There's a small bar on the main beach where the longtail boats regularly drop off their passengers – a bit of a shame, as there are much more secluded beaches on the other side of the island. The purpose of this excursion, for me personally, is to experience a tour away from the crowds. One of the two islands also has a cave inhabited by giant bats. If you'd like to explore the islands on your own (see below), I recommend this tour to Koh Taen and Koh Matsum for a more enjoyable and comprehensive experience.

Don't forget to see the wild cochos, enfin, plus si wildes of Koh Matsum!

You can visit Koh Taen and Koh Matsum independently. Simply head to Thong Krut in the south of Koh Samui. Almost all the beachfront restaurants there offer boat trips to these islands. Expect to pay around 1500 THB per boat, regardless of the number of passengers. For this price, you'll get a 2- to 3-hour trip with a snorkeling stop off Koh Taen (mask and snorkel provided by the captain) and a short stay at Koh Matsum's main beach (where you'll find the bar, sun loungers for 100 THB, and kayaks). Longtail boats typically offer the minimum price, which is nice (that's what I did), but Koh Taen and Koh Matsum have so much more to offer. Try negotiating with the boatmen to see more.

How to get there

How do you get to Koh Taen? Koh Taen and Koh Matsum can be explored independently. Simply head to Thong Krut in the south of Koh Samui. Almost all the restaurants along the beach there offer boat trips to these islands. The price is around 1500 THB per boat, regardless of the number of passengers. For this price, you get a 2- to 3-hour trip with a snorkeling stop off Koh Taen (mask and snorkel are provided by the captain) and a short stay on Koh Matsum's main beach (there's a bar where you can rent sun loungers for 100 THB and also hire kayaks). Longtail boats typically cover the minimum distance – which is nice (that's what I did), but Koh Taen and Koh Matsum have much more to offer. Try negotiating with the boatmen to see more.