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A natural marine park and hidden saltwater lagoon rising from the Gulf of Thailand. Ang Thong National Marine Park scatters forty-two limestone islets across turquoise water off the coast of Surat Thani, their jungle-cloaked karst towers plunging into reef-fringed coves and powder-white sandbars. At the heart of the islet Ko Mae Ko lies the park’s crown jewel: a hidden emerald lagoon, or Talay Nai, cradled entirely within sheer cliff walls and fed by unseen channels beneath the rock, its waters a blinding, almost unnatural turquoise.

Reaching the lagoon demands a steep climb along a rope-assisted limestone trail, rewarded by a panoramic viewpoint over the saltwater lake and the surrounding archipelago beyond. Long revered in Thai folklore as the birthplace of the legend behind the animated film Tarzan’s Emerald City inspiration and the setting for The Beach, the park carries deep cultural resonance alongside its ecological rarity. Kayaking through hidden sea caves, snorkeling coral gardens, and hiking to Ko Wua Talap’s summit complete an archipelago experience unlike anywhere else in the Gulf.