Ko Ngai is an island situated in Trang Province, southern Thailand, and is famous for its beautiful beaches and good swimming. The main beach, with its long sandy strip of white sand backed by limestone peaks in the distance, can get busy and is highly developed.
Most of the islands in Trang are untouched by tourism and remain quiet and unspoiled. However, Ko Ngai is full of hotels and resorts, with sun loungers squeezed onto every spare inch of the beach and hordes of tourists sunbathing and swimming in the sea. When the island is busy it bears resemblance to Patong Beach in Phuket.
For some visitors, Ko Ngai’s vast growth is a welcome relief to the basic huts and shacks found in many beach resorts in Thailand and to others it is a worse case of over expansion than Ko Samet and Phi Phi. The reefs off of the beaches are in great condition and are thriving with sea life, with the area offering more coral and reefs to explore on boat trips further offshore. Most of the rooms on the island have hot showers and 24-hour electricity, making it a popular place to visit for families.
The island is still beautiful, even if development has escalated, and the interior of Ko Ngai is dense jungle filled with birds and animals. There are many hornbills on the island that impress holiday makers with their singing and flying over the beaches throughout the day.
Getting There & Away
Trang is home to the nearest airport and train station to Ko Ngai and welcomes daily trains and several flights a day from all over the country. From the station or airport, there are numerous taxis and minivans waiting to take passengers to the coast and from there it is a 30-minute long tail boat ride to Ko Ngai. Bangkok is the main international air gateway and about a 1-hour, 20 -minute flight from Trang.
Things to Do
Ko Ngai Attractions
- Emerald Cove (Koh Muk)
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Take a short boat trip to the emerald cove, which is a cave filled with underwater tunnels, a small eden-like garden and seas with abundant sea life.