Fantastic Half-Day trip to the popular Jabang and Koh Hin Ngam coral reefs, and to the quieter Lettuce coral reef of Koh Yang, and time for a relax on the sandy beach of Koh Rawi.
Pros
Cons
Snorkel Video
Snorkel Snaps
Snorkel Review
Highlights
Coral
3-5 Meters Average Depth
Good Visibility
Medium Difficulty
No Cafe’s on tour
Free, tours $20-$30 USD
Sea Urchins Present
Jellyfish unlikely
When:
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Tour Cost:
Star Rating:
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Following the Full-Day Inside and Outside Islands snorkel trip which was awesome, I booked onto the Half-Day Inside Islands Koh Lipe snorkel trip through the hostel I was staying at. It was an early start at 08:30am where I received a motorbike/sidecart transfer from my hostel to Pattaya Beach.
There were a number of people waiting just to the side of the Walking Street sign. You are called by ticket and assigned to your boat and given fins and a snorkel and mask. On each longtail boat there is generally 8x people whether it is for the half day trip or full day trip.
Jabang
“Candyfloss pink coral like you’ve never seen” – Luke
The first stop was Jabang, which is a coral reef in the middle of the ocean. As you arrive all you can see are some ropes and maybe one or two boats docked. Jabang is probably the most famous snorkel spot off of Koh Lipe because of its bright pink, purple, and red soft coral, which resembles a candyfloss form.
The conditions were very good with little wave and clear skies. Conditions can vary at Jabang, as I experienced a much stronger current on the fullday snorkel trip.
As we got in the water you could see the two large rock formations which almost reach the surface of the ocean, covered in pink coral. The technical name for this coral is Scleronephthya, but also known as Tree coral or Flower Tree coral.
The ocean had a deep blue colour to it, and there was much more to see on the rocks, including Clownfish, Lobsters, Sea Urchins, and many fish. There isn’t anything big to see here, it is more for the unusual coral.
Snorkel Spot
Coral Reef
There was very little to no trash, plastic, or coral bleaching seen during my snorkel which was a pleasant surprise. Jabang is a location on both the full day and half day snorkel trip and worth a stop.
Top Tip:
Hold onto the rope at Jabang, the current can be very strong, flippers are required, do not get in the water if the wave is too strong.
Koh Hing Nam
This snorkel spot features in both the Half-Day and Full Day Trip
A short 10-minute boat ride to Koh Hing Nam which was the next snorkeling spot, which is also included in both the full day and half day, one of my favourites. This is a small island, with a coral reef on the south side and a black pebbled stone beach on the east, it is unknown where these pebbles have come from.
We had time to relax on the sandy beach or snorkel off the beach for about an hour. I did go for a little snorkel around the roped off square off the beach, it was ok, there was some coral, Nosestripe Anenomefish and Common Clownfish. But I wouldn’t stress yourself about going,
I’d relax on the beach and get some cool pictures in the paradise. There’s enough snorkeling on the trip. Water is provided, but I’d bring a big bottle with you as back up, as in the day it can get very hot.
Snorkel Spot
Safety Tip:
The sea bed is shallow at 1-1.5 metres deep, so I would wear something to cover your feet, preferable flippers as there is a current.
Koh Yang
“Giant lettuce coral like I’ve never seen before“ – Luke
We stopped off at Koh Yang which isn’t the most popular snorkel spot and only offered on the half day snorkel trip. It is a small island off the West coast of Koh Adang and Koh Lipe that is uninhabited. On the southern coast it has a coral reef which is more unusual than most. It has giant lettuce coral that spreads across the sea bed all the way up to the beach. I’ve never seen Lettuce coral this large. I loved the layers of the coral and it was clearly old coral by the sheer size of it.
There were only two boats at Koh Yang, it is a small area but doesn’t get very busy. There was also Boulder coral, Brain coral, Anemone, Stoney Acroporidae, and more. Along the rope running parallel to the island there is a deep drop off. As I swam over to look at the deeper section of the reef, a school of thirty black Parrotfish swam through reef, feeding on algae on the surfaces of rock and coral. The visibility was great and it is always fun to swim with Parrotfish. There were also many striped Sergeant Major Damselfish swimming in the shade of the longtail boat.
Snorkel Spot
Coral Reef
Koh Rawi
The final stop of the half-day trip was Koh Rawi, where we stayed for 40 minutes to relax on the sandy beach. You could snorkel off the beach and there were small patches of coral off the beach. However, the beach was stunning and a perfect place to relax. I managed to drop my phone into the ocean as I was getting off the boat so didn’t get a chance to snorkel this site, but it didn’t look like you needed to snorkel it as the previous snorkels were more than adequate, so I’d have a relax and check out the beach.
Tour Guide Options
There are mainly the longtail snorkel trips which run from Pattaya beach on Koh Lipe, offering either a half-day (4 hours) or full-day snorkel trip (6 hours). You can book and purchase the tours through your hotel, hostel, online with’ Getyourguide’, ‘Klook’, or directly with tourist agencies on the island. I’m pretty sure they’re all selling the same longboat tours. I booked through my hostel which I thought offered a good rate ฿500 Thai Baht ($14 US Dollars) for the half day.
Best Snorkel Spot
The two best snorkel spots of the Half-Day trip in my opinion were Jabang and Koh Hing Son. Jabang for its unique, pink soft coral, and Koh Hin Ngam for it diverse coral reef with so much marine life in a space the size of a football pitch (soccer).
Best Time Of Year
If you are visiting Koh Lipe, andThailand, the dry season will give you the best weather for snorkeling which is October-May.
Popular Marine Life
Parrotfish
Moorish Idol
Golden Gregory
Sergeant Major Damselfish
Giant Clam
Anemonefish
Rare Marine Life
Clownfish
Christmas Tree Worm
Coral Reef
Boulder Coral
Branch Coral
Acroporidae Stoney Coral
Lettuce Coral
Slipper Coral
Massive Boulder coral
Fan Coral
Blue Ridged Coral
Brain Coral
What I Saw
(Seen on March, 2023)
| Devil Scorpionfish | Spiney Cushion Star |
| Ocellaris Clownfish | Red Saddleback Anemonefish |
| Nosestripe Anemonefish | Swarthy Parrotfish |
| Crescent Wrasse | Moorish Idol |
| Domino Damselfish | Marbled Sea Cucumber |
| Blue-Green Chromis | Three Spot Damsel |
| Golden Gregory Damselfish | Reticulated Damselfish |
| Sergeant Major Damselfish | Christmas Tree Worm |
| Lobster | Giant Clam |
| Double Spined Sea Urchin | Black Sea Urchin |
| Delicate Whip Coral | Slipper Coral |
| Branch Coral | Mushroom Coral |
| Vase Coral | Knotted Gorgion Sea Fan |
| Red Fan Coral | Massive Boulder Coral |
| Stoney Acroporidae Coral | Black Sun Coral |
| Pink Soft Coral | Featherstar Coral |
| Flower Coral | Orange Funnel Coral |
| Boulder Coral | Lettuce Coral |
| Ocellaris Clownfish | Hardyheads |
| Moorish Idol | Crescent Wrasse |
| Ornate Wrasse | Yellowbar Sandperch |
| Sergeant Major Damselfish | Chinese Demoiselle |
| Golden Gregory Damselfish | Blue-Green Chromis |
| Christmas Tree Worm | Giant Clam |
| Black Sea Urchin | Boulder Coral |
| Blue Coral | Stoney Acroporidae Coral |
| Boulder Star Coral | Brain Coral |
| Staghorn Branch Coral | Lettuce Coral |
| Ocellaris Clownfish | Nosestripe Anemonefish |
| Peacock Grouper | Crescent Wrasse |
| Schwenk’s Sweeper | Blackspotted Pufferfish |
| Scissor-Tail Fusilier | Swarthy Parrotfish |
| Variegated Lizardfish | Blue-Green Chromis |
| Sergeant Major Damselfish | Domino Damselfish |
| Golden Gregory Damselfish | Blue-Green Chromis |
| Black Sea Urchin | Randall’s Rabbitfish |
| Black Sea Cucumber | Marbled Sea Cucumber |
| Boulder Coral | Lettuce Coral |
| Bubble Coral | Stoney Acroporidae Coral |
| Boulder Star Coral | Staghorn Branch Coral |
| Slipper Coral | Blue Ridged Coral |
Frequently Asked Questions
The easiest way is to take the 3 hour speedboat from Koh Lanta which is North of Koh Lipe and a popular tourist destination. Alternatively you can get to Koh Lipe via Langkawi, Malaysia which is also a 3 hour boat journey. Or finally an hour boat ride from Thailand mainland Satun.
I booked a local snorkel trip through the hostel I was staying at, which was called Sang Chan Hostel. The snorkel trip cost $14 (฿500 Baht), including 4x stops and 3x snorkels.
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.
Koh Lipe Snorkel Reviews
