Koh Lidi Lek

Ko Lidi Lek is the smaller of a pair of islands — Ko Lidi Yai (“big”) and Ko Lidi Lek (“small”) — inside Mu Ko Phetra National Park, a roughly 30-island marine park in Satun province’s stretch of the Andaman Sea, not Koh Tarutao National Park further south as some listings suggest. It sits about 30 minutes by longtail boat from Pak Bara Pier, uninhabited and undeveloped, with a fringing coral reef close enough to shore that snorkeling doesn’t require swimming far out.

The reef sits just metres from the beach in places, shallow enough for beginners and calm on an average day, with the island’s rocky outcrops giving more experienced snorkelers somewhere deeper to explore. Low limestone cliffs and small coves ring the shoreline — the same coastal character as its larger neighbour Ko Lidi Yai, a short paddle away across the channel between them. There’s no accommodation, shop, or fresh water on the island, so a visit means bringing everything: snorkeling gear, water, reef-safe sunscreen, and food.

Watch out: Facilities here are genuinely minimal — no shade shelter, no toilets, no rental gear. Bring more water than you think you’ll need, and check conditions with the park office before crossing during the tail end of the rainy season, when swell picks up along this stretch of coast.

Because Mu Ko Phetra draws far fewer visitors than Tarutao or Koh Lipe to the south, there’s no scheduled ferry here — boats are chartered from Pak Bara Pier, usually as part of a day combining several of the park’s islands rather than a single-island trip. That also means the park’s entrance fee isn’t always collected in person on the outer islands, though a ranger boat can and does check permits, so it’s worth budgeting for regardless.

Insider Tip: Pair a visit with Ko Lidi Yai rather than treating Ko Lidi Lek as a stand-alone stop — most chartered boats cover both islands and the channel between them in a single half-day, since they sit close enough together to combine easily.

For the wider park and its other islands, including Ko Lidi Yai, see the Satun destination guide — Mu Ko Phetra’s islands are consistently quieter than Tarutao’s better-known beaches further south.