Koh Sak in Pattaya Bangkok Tour
Koh Sak is a tiny horseshoe-shaped island about 10km west of Pattaya, just 600m from Coral Island (Koh Larn). Unlike its much larger neighbour, this idyllic little crescent of land has no permanent settlements, but remains an extremely popular destination for tourists visiting the area because of its gorgeous white sandy beaches. The beach which lines the inside of the U-shaped bay is the larger at 250m long, as well as being the more popular and home to a small restaurant where you can buy drinks and cheap Thai food.
A concrete footpath runs the short distance through the wooded interior of the island to the much smaller (only 80m) beach on the other side. Walking along this route, you will find some of the really fascinating history of Koh Sak. It used to be an extremely exclusive resort island, with many famous visitors leaving their foot- and handprints in the concrete lining the path. This includes the Duke of Edinburgh, the Shah Reza Palahvi of Iran, former Presidents of the United States and His Majesty the King of Thailand. Even Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left their footprints on Koh Sak, just a few months after having left them on the moon.
The island and the waters around it are particularly popular with divers and snorkelers. The sheltered bay makes a great training ground for beginners, with plenty of hard corals and interesting sea life including a few hawksbill turtles and several bamboo sharks. A little off the east coast, you will find the wreck of the HTMS Kut, which was scuttled by the Royal Thai Navy in September 2006 and now rests at a depth of about 30m. Access to Koh Sak is exclusively by speedboat transfer, which is available from Bali Hai Pier and costs about 1,000 baht for the boat, with a maximum capacity of 10-15 people. It is important to note that there is no fixed dock on the island, so you might have to wade for a short distance to get to dry land.
