Japanese Gardens is a stunning snorkel location with crystal clear waters, located in Koh Nang Yuan, north of Koh Tao. The corals were patched throughout the sea bed with stunning Anemone and coral structures, were signs of wear.
Pros
Cons
Snorkel Review
Highlights
Coral present
1-2 Meters Average Depth
Very Good visibility
Easy to medium difficulty
Public Toilets
No showers
Cafe on island
Private boat or Snorkel/Boat Trip Required
Sea Urchins Present
Jellyfish unlikely
When:
Who:
Tour Cost:
Star Rating:
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The Japanese Gardens is located on the South East of the island of Koh Tao, which is to the South East of Thailand. Nestled on the eastern side of Koh Nang Yuan, a small island just off the northwest coast of Koh Tao, the Japanese Gardens is one of the island’s most picturesque snorkeling spots. This serene bay gets its name from the beautifully arranged coral formations that resemble a carefully manicured Japanese garden, with patches of soft and hard coral fanning out like underwater bonsai trees.
Snorkel Spot
Protected from strong currents and waves by the surrounding landscape, the calm, shallow waters make it ideal for snorkelers of all levels, including families and first-timers. You’ll typically find crystal-clear visibility, especially in the morning, revealing a vibrant underwater world just a few meters from the shore.
The marine life here is abundant and colorful—snorkelers often encounter parrotfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, damselfish, and the occasional moray eel or stingray gliding through the coral. The gentle slope of the reef means you can enjoy diverse ecosystems whether you’re swimming at the surface or diving a bit deeper with fins.
The Japanese Gardens can be accessed either by longtail boat tours from Koh Tao or by hiking across from the main beach on Koh Nang Yuan. As it’s a protected marine area, a small entrance fee may be required for visitors to Koh Nang Yuan.
Tours:
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Japanese Gardens Map
Japanese Gardens is a renowned snorkeling and diving destination located on the eastern side of Koh Nang Yuan, a small island just off the coast of Koh Tao, Thailand. This picturesque bay is celebrated for its vibrant coral formations and abundant marine life, making it a favorite spot for both beginners and experienced snorkelers.
There were some really healthy table corals, boulder corals, and brain corals along the snorkel. Some of the healthiest corals and grand large coral reefs. There were also signs of dead coral and coral breaking.
Coral Reef
There were many Christmas Tree worms along the boulder coral adding colourful spots to the coral reef. These creatures burrow into the coral and display a colourful tree-shaped feathers. These bright feathers stretch out and catch passing plankton. If you get too close to the worms they retract their feathers and close up back into the coral. These colourful Christmas Tree Worms were often seen in large numbers on the snorkel.
Marine Life
There were many fish and marine species on the snorkel including Damselfish, Rabbitfish, Parrotfish, and Butterflyfish were a common sight. There were a few schools of Rabbitfish swimming amongst the coral. There were many Christmas Tree Worms, and Feather Duster Worms buried within the Boulder cora.
Safety Tip:
There are Sea Urchins mainly within the Corals in shallow water, so do not stand up and wear something to protect your feet such as water shoes or flippers. Be careful not to get too close to the coral and rocks.
Top Tip:
We were on a snorkel trip that included a stop at the Koh Nang Yuan island. There was an an allowed time on the island of 1.5 hours, so we did the walk to the viewpoint, and then took the rest of our time to swim round to the Japanese Gardens, and snorkeled for 20-minutes.
Summary
Overall this snorkel spot was very good for a 30-minute snorkel. I think the visibility generally is very clear. The snorkel spot is a 15 minute swim from Koh Nuan Yang beach, but better than snorkling off of the main beach on the island. We combined the hike to the viewpoint and then the snorkel to cool off. The patches of coral were stunning and the crystal clear waters were some of the best in Koh Tao
Tour Guide Options
There are few snorkel trips that stop off at this snorkel spot. I did see divers and there were boats docked further out from the gardens. A boat is required to get to Koh Nang Yuan. From the main beach, it is a short 10-minute swim round to the Gardens, there was a current when swimming back.
Best Snorkel Spot
The best snorkel spot was 200 meters from the main Koh Nang Yuan beach. The best snorkel spot was to the left hand side of the bay in the center where there were large coral strucutres and Anemone.
Popular Marine Life
Anemonefish
Parrotfish
Christmas Tree Worm
Sergeant Major Damselfish
Giant Clam
Black Sea Urchin
Featherduster Worm
Angelfish
Rare Marine Life
Giant Moray Eel
Blacktip Reef Shark
Coral Reef
Boulder Coral
Branch Coral
Acroporidae Stoney Coral
Lettuce Coral
Brain Coral
Boulder Star Coral
Table Coral
What We Saw
(Seen on April, 2025)
| Seargent Major Damselfish | Nosestripe Anemonefish |
| Virgate Rabbitfish | Weibel’s Butterlyfish |
| Orange Spike Sea Cucumber | Christmas Tree Worm |
| Feather Duster Worm | Crescent Wrasse |
| Crescent Wrasse | Giant Clam |
| Black Sea Urchin | Stoney Acroporidae Coral |
| Boulder Coral | Branch Coral |
| Brain Coral | Lettuce Coral |
| Massive Boulder Coral | Table Coral |
| Mushroom Coral | Boulder Star Coral |
Frequently Asked Questions
The beach is accessible by boat trip, snorkel trip, or private boat.
We went on a snorkel trip which left from Sairee Beach and stopped off at the main snorkel spots around Koh Tao, with Koh Nang Yuan as the last stop.
We went on a snorkel trip which we booked through GetYourGuide.
Luke
FOUNDER
Luke is a passionate snorkeler who started Snorkelverse to live his dream of combining his passions for snorkeling, marine life, protecting marine ecosystems, and helping others.
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