Koh Larn

Coral Island of Pattaya possesses many different species of corals in the sea waters. These corals are present close enough to the beach at a mere depth of 3 meters to 25 meters, and you may clearly observe them while performing the underwater sea walking. To describe in brief, the Koh Larn is home to coral species such as Sponges, Sea whips, Barrel sponges, Table corals, Sea fans and Sea anemones to name a few of them.

The fauna of Koh Larn is equally amazing as its flora. Sand rays, Pufferfish, Turtles, Moray Eels, Boxfish, Angelfish, Schooling fish etc. are some of the many species of fishes you may observe while floating in the waters of Koh Larn. If you are having your lucky day, you may even spot some of the endangered and rare –to –find species such as Nudibranch, Crustaceans (Exotic Shrimps), Snake Eel, Pegasus or the Octopus.

1. Samae Beach: This is one of the longest and most visited beach of Koh Larn. You may spend as much time as you want on this beach by renting a beach chair for around THB 200 to THB 400, or simply lie down on the soft white sand. All throughout the length of the beach, there are a lot of local shops and restaurants, from where you may order your favourite seafood dishes or drinks and enjoy them amidst the cool breeze flowing on the beach.

2. Tien Beach: The Tien Beach stretches across a length of 400 metres and comprises of some of the upscale restaurants of Koh Larn. Present on the opposite end of the mountains from Na Ban pier, you can reach the beach either by speed boats or a charter if you are planning to go by waters. Otherwise, you may hire a taxi to reach the beach. And don’t forget to halt at the viewing point falling on the way and capture some candid pictures of the scenic view of the waters.

3. Tayaiy Beach: Being the smallest beach of Koh Larn, the Tayaiy Beach is the least crowded beach of the island. With only one restaurant serving delicious Thai food, you can relax here peacefully, with only the sound of sea waves breaking the silence now and then during your stay on the beach.

4. Nual Beach: Present on the southern end of Koh Larn, the Nual Beach is the perfect place for you to visit if you love to spend time all by yourselves. The best part about visiting the Nual Beach is that you get to witness a sleek yet beautiful view of the Pattaya’s coastline, making it the top rated places to visit during your trip to Coral Island.

5. Tawaen Beach: The Tawaen Beach is the most developed and most popular beach of Koh Larn and also houses a large number of restaurants offering several international cuisines. 

6. Koh Larn Buddha Temple: Situated on the top of the mountain on Koh Larn, you will surely experience a sense of meditativeness while you are present at the Buddha temple of the island. To reach the temple, you will have to climb a long flight of cobbled stairs. But once you reach the top, the view of the sea combined with the beaches and lush green vegetation of the island will be truly hypnotizing to watch.

1. Parasailing: Get a chance to witness the magnificent beauty of corals and Koh Larn by buckling yourselves to the parachute and sailing in the sky, tied behind a speed boat. If you are pregnant or suffering from spine problems, it is advised not to perform the parasailing activity. 
Price: THB 600 per person.

2. Banana Boating: Test your balancing skills by hopping on to the banana boats along with your friends and family while the drivers tie the boat to their jet ski and tussle around in the waters. Watch out for the moment when the driver takes a sharp turn in the water and the banana boat goes tripping over the waters!
Price: THB 300 per person.

3. Jet Skiing: If boating is not your type, and you wish to conquer the waves all by yourselves, jet skiing is meant for you. Be it playing around in the waters with your friends or family or going around the island in waters, you can do anything you want while jet skiing. However, you should be careful enough while handling the Jet Ski, and should carefully read the contract terms and conditions prior to hitting the waters.
Price: THB 1,200 per person (Half–Hour).

4. Underwater Sea Walking: Jump into your swimsuit, wear your oxygen mask and dive into the beautiful marine world of the sea waters. Witness the awe–inspiring beauty of the corals and the marine animals from an arm’s distance. Be it snorkelling, scuba diving or sea walking, you can be sure to feel infused into the marine world during your underwater experience in Koh Larn.
Price: THB 1,200 per person.

Koh Larn is situated at a distance of around 7 Km west of the Bali Hai pier of Pattaya. To reach the island, you may opt for:

1. Speed Boat: You may hire a speed boat from anywhere along the Bali Hai pier to reach Koh Larn. It usually takes around 15 to 20 minutes to reach the island from the Pattaya coast. You may also arrange for yourselves a minibus service for minimal charges in case you wished to be picked up from your stay in Pattaya. Depending upon the number of travellers, the charges for the speed boat may vary. In case you wish to book the speed boat all to yourselves, the charges may go even higher.
Operating hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Charges: Full Load condition: THB 300 per person; THB 1,500 to THB 2,000 per person otherwise. Personal group bookings: THB 3,500 to THB 4,500 for the group.

2. Koh Larn Ferry: This is the most economical option for travelling to the island. It usually takes around 40 to 45 minutes for travelling from Pattaya to Koh Larn and will halt at Na Ban pier and Tawaen Beach pier during the trip. So you can hop off the boat as per your choice.
Operating hours: From Pattaya: 7:00 AM to 7:30 PM. From Koh Larn: 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
The charges for the ferry are THB 30 per person and is fixed irrespective of the number of people on board.

Once you have reached Koh Larn, you may opt for either of the following options to travel across the small island:

1. Motorbike Taxis: If you are travelling solo, you may consider the option of travelling around the island on a motorbike taxi. Once you reach Koh Larn at Na Ban pier, you may easily spot them standing outside the pier with their bikes. Here it must be noted that the charges of these bike taxis are fixed depending upon the distance you wish to travel with them, so you may not be able to bargain with them. You may even visit all the beaches one after the other by going for a full island tour with them for THB 400 per person.

2. Baht Buses: While roaming around on the island, you may spot the Baht buses carrying passengers. You may board one of the buses if you wish to travel economically, and can travel to any beach of your choice using the Baht Buses. You may also bargain with the drivers for the price charged by them, but in most cases, the charges are usually affordable to pay.

3. Rental Motorbikes: If you are quite the adventurous type, renting a motorbike for the day is the best option for you to travel across the Coral Island. However, it is advised to perform a proper inspection of the bikes prior to renting them since they are all outdated bike models. These bikes are available for rentals from the following locations across the island at the below mentioned rental charges: 

Na Ban Pier charges:
Half day rentals (Pick up the bike in the morning and return by evening): THB 300;
Full day rentals (Pick up the bike and return the next day): TB 400.

Tawaen Beach charges:
Half day rentals (Pick up the bike in the morning and return by evening): THB 300;
Full day rentals (Pick up the bike and return the next day): THB 400.

Since there are a large number of tourists renting bikes and riding across the island, you need to be careful not to get into an accident while riding around the place. If motorbiking is not your hobby, you will have to tour around the place on foot, which also seems to be the most economical option for getting around Koh Larn.