Snorkeling the remote islands of Koh Haa

Koh Lanta Locations South East Asia Thailand

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Summary

By Luke

Summary

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

By Luke

A lot of coral and marine diversity, not very touristy, but this snorkel spot is suited to a more advanced snorkeler, as there is a current and the snorkel area isn’t marked out. A fantasic trip when paired with a snorkel at the neighbouring Koh Rok.

Pros

  • Healthy, packed Coral Reef
  • Low Tourists numbers
  • Fantastic when combined with Koh Rok

Cons

  • Nothing too big, apart from eels
  • Long Boat ride to get to Koh Haa
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Snorkel Video

Snorkeling Koh Haa, Koh Lanta National Park

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Snorkel Snaps

Moorish Idol
Moorish Idol swimming between the coral
Koh Haa Coral Reef
Coral Reef
Pink Star Fish
Pink Star Fish
Lettuce Coral Close Up, Koh Haa, Thailand
Lettuce Coral Close Up
Redlip Parrotfish
Redlip Parrotfish
Purple Coral
Purple Coral
Blue Sea Star, Koh Haa, Thailand
Blue Sea Star, Koh Haa
Purple Coral Close Up
Purple Coral Close Up
Lettuce Coral
Fields of Lettuce Coral
School Of Fish
School of Fish basking in the shade
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Snorkel Review

Highlights

Coral Reef Icon

Coral

Thermometer Icon

2-4 Meters Average Depth

Australian Mado Icon

Good Visibility

Snorkeling Partner Icon

Easy to Medium Difficulty

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No Cafe’s

Econonic Financial Icon

Tours $40-$60 USD

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Sea Urchins Present

Jellyfish Icon

Jellyfish unlikely

When:

Who:

Tour Cost:

Star Rating:

Cost:

March, 2023

Luke

$70-$90 (฿1,700 Baht + ฿400 Baht National Park Fee)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

When visiting Koh Lanta, one of the most popular tours you’ll come across is Koh Rok & Koh Haa. I would say this is one of the more premium tours and a costly than the 5 island trip, although you do get your money’s worth and can have a memorable experience. There are two main islands that you’ll visit in the Koh Lanta National Park, Koh Rok and Koh Haa.

They are uninhabited islands that are about a 1.5 hour speedboat journey off the East coast of Koh Lanta. I booked a tour running from Saladan Pier the North of Koh Lanta, the tour was for a full day (09:00 am-16:00 pm) and included three snorkel spots in total, at Koh Rok and Koh Haa lunch, and beach time included. This tour cost approximately ฿2,100 Baht including the ฿400 national park fee of $70, which I booked through Klook. There were 20 people on the speedboat.

Koh Haa

Paradise remote island a short boat ride from Koh Rok

Snorkeling Koh Haa
Koh Haa Bay Snorkel Spot

Following lunch, we got back on the boat and set off to Koh Rok, which was about a 45-minute boat journey from Koh Rok. You can see whales, dolphins, and even whale sharks on the trip across to the islands, so keep an eye out! When you see the Koh Haa islands, it looks like you’re entering Jurassic Park, they’re in the middle of the ocean. We docked in the main bay of one of the islands for snorkeling. There were another couple of boats in the water.

The bay wasn’t massive so you can find yourself bumping into others, you can swim up to the beach and have a look around. Be careful of the coral which stretches almost all the way to the beach. This was some of the healthiest coral reefs I’ve seen in my snorkels around Thailand with a lot of fish and larger fish as you swim around the roped snorkel section. I saw larger Titan triggerfish, Giant Moray Eel, and large schools of fish grazing in the shaded waters. It was then an hour or so boat ride back to Koh Lanta.

Snorkel Spot

Snorkeling Koh Haa
Snorkeling Koh Haa
Snorkeling Koh Haa 1
Right hand side of Koh Haa Bay
Island opposite Koh Haa Snorkel Spot
Island opposite Koh Ha Snorkel Spot

Top Tip:

Coral Reef

Koh Haa Coral Reef
Snorkeling over the Boulder Coral Reef
Purple Coral Close Up
Purple Coral Close Up
Lettuce Coral Close Up
Lettuce Coral Close Up

Safety Tip:

Moorish Idol
Moorish Idol swimming between the coral

The sea bed was jam-packed with coral which covered the sea bed for a good 50 meters from the beach in the cove. There were many different marine species I spotted during my 45-minute snorkel, including both the Blue Sea Star and Common Comet Star, which I spotted sitting awkwardly within the coral reef.

There were also Parrotfish, Giant Clams, Moorish Idol’s, Damselfish, and Sweeper fish that I spotted throughout the cove. When I was swimming towards the outer reef I did spot a Titan Triggerfish, Rabbitfish feeding on the algae off of the ropes, and a Giant Moray Eel in a small rock formation. However, in my opinion, this snorkel spot is more focussed on the incredibly healthy, diverse coral reef.

Pink Star Fish
Common Comet Star
Blue Sea Star, Koh Haa, Koh Lanta National Park
Blue Sea Star
Blue Sea Star, Koh Haa, Koh Lanta National Park
Blue Sea Star
Reef Fish Koh Haa
Java Rabbitfish feeding on Algae
Giant Clam
Giant Clam

Tour Guide Options

To get to Koh Rok and Koh Haa from the neighboring Koh Lanta island, you’ll need to get a speed boat tour to the islands, as they are about 2 hours to get to the islands. It is not possible to reach the island by Longtail Boat or another mode of transport, but in my opinion, this reduces the tourist levels and makes for a more authentic experience.

I booked a tour running from Saladan Pier at the North of Koh Lanta, the tour was for a full day (09:00 am-16:00 pm) and included two snorkel spots at Koh Rok and Koh Ha, and lunch and beach time included. This tour cost approximately $70, which I booked through Klook.

Best Snorkel Spot

The best snorkel spot at Koh Haa was in the center of the bay, about 20 metres from the beach. Another great spot was snorkeling along the right hand side (as shown in the image below). There was a plethora of healthy coral, just be careful not to go too close to the rock face, and the coral can get shallow and close to your waist. I also spotted a large Massive Boulder coral formation which is always cool to see.

Snorkeling Koh Haa
Koh Rok view while snorkeling

Best Time Of Year

If you are visiting Thailand, the dry season will give you the best weather for snorkeling which is from October-May.

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What We Saw

(Seen on March, 2023)

Giant Moray EelTitan Triggerfish
Singular BannerfishSchwenk’s Rabbitfish
Golden Gregory DamselfishChristmas Tree Worm
Greenthroat ParrotfishSergeant Major Damselfish
Java RabbitfishCommon Comet Star
Chinese DemoiselleBluespot Damsel
Blue Sea StarMoorish Idol
Redlip ParrotfishGiant Clam
Boulder CoralLettuce Coral
Honeycomb CoralMassive Boulder Coral
Marine Life Icon

Popular Marine Life

Parrotfish Icon

Parrotfish

Moorish Idol Icon

Moorish Idol

Christmas Tree Worm Icon

Christmas Tree Worm

Sergeant Major Damselfish Icon

Sergeant Major Damselfish

Giant Clam Icon

Giant Clam

Sea Star Icon

Blue Sea Star


Rare Marine Life Icon

Rare Marine Life

Giant Moray Eel Icon

Giant Moray Eel

Titan Triggerfish Icon

Titan Triggerfish

Nosestripe Anemonefish Icon

Nosestripe Anemonefish


Rare Marine Life Icon

Coral Reef

Boulder Coral Icon

Boulder Coral

Lettuce Coral Icon

Lettuce Coral

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Where is Koh Haa, Thailand?

Koh Haa is located off the South West coast of the popular tourist island of Koh Lanta. From Saladan Pier Koh Lanta, it takes about 1.5 hours to get to Koh Rok Noi and Koh Rok Yai, and then a further 45 minutes to Koh Haa.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Luke Snorkeling Nusa Lembongan

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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