Muko Ha

Muko Ha — better known to divers and snorkellers as Koh Haa — is a cluster of five limestone islands protected within Mu Ko Lanta National Park, roughly 16km west of Koh Lanta. A shallow, current-free lagoon sits between the two largest islands, ringed by cliffs that drop straight into some of the clearest water on this stretch of the Andaman coast — it’s one of the reasons Koh Haa shows up on most “best snorkelling near Krabi” lists rather than staying a local secret.

There’s no walk-in access and no regular ferry — only licensed tour boats are permitted to visit, departing daily from Koh Lanta’s Saladan pier (around 1-1.5 hours by speedboat), as well as from Ao Nang, Krabi Town, and occasionally Phi Phi as part of multi-island itineraries. National park fees apply: budget roughly 400 THB for foreign adults (200 THB for children), usually bundled into the tour price rather than collected separately, since there’s no ticket booth on the islands themselves and nobody lives there.

The lagoon’s calm, protected water makes it genuinely easy for weak swimmers and first-time snorkellers, while the surrounding walls and swim-throughs give certified divers plenty to work with — sightings of leopard sharks resting on the sandy bottom are common, alongside parrotfish, angelfish, and the odd turtle. A couple of the islands have longer beach stretches for a break between water sessions, but there’s no shade infrastructure — bring your own.

Insider Tip: Book the first boat of the day if the operator offers a choice. Day-trip flotillas from Phi Phi and Ao Nang tend to arrive mid-morning, and the lagoon gets noticeably busier — and the visibility gets stirred up — once several boats are anchored at once.

Watch out: The national park closes some of the smaller, more exposed islands in this group during the rainy season (mid-May to mid-October) when swell makes anchoring unsafe. Check with your tour operator before booking outside the November-April window if you have a specific site in mind.

Since there’s no accommodation on any of the five islands, this is a day-trip destination only — pack reef-safe sunscreen, a rash guard, and drinking water. Most operators include lunch and snorkel gear in the price. Mu Ko Lanta National Park is worth reading up on before you go, since Koh Haa’s fees and seasonal closures are set by the same park authority, and Koh Talabeng makes a reasonable add-on stop for operators running combined itineraries.