Night snorkeling at Ton Sai Beach in Thailand

Years ago when I first visited Ton Sai Beach in Thailand’s Krabi province, it was considered off the radar. Now, tourism has increased dramatically, and Ao Nang – once a quaint fishing village – is like a mini Ko San Road in Bangkok.

The tsunami that wiped away beach bungalows at nearby Railay Beach in 2004 has led to the development of sprawling high-end resorts, but fortunately, Ton Sai Beach has retained much of its budget backpacker charm.

Perhaps this is because the beach isn’t quite on par with some of Thailand’s more popular stretches of white sandy beach – though I prefer it in many ways (it’s not crowded, there aren’t many hawkers and you won’t likely see any Speedos here). It’s also cut off from the mainland, so there’s no motor traffic – you have to take a wooden longtail boat to get here (which requires you to wade into the water with your backpack, so keep that in mind).

It’s also one of the best spots for rock climbing on earth (more on that in a later post) and offers up incredible sea kayaking, scuba diving and snorkeling as you head out into the Andaman Sea – famous for its limestone karst formations that jut straight out of the turquoise water.

Growing up in Canada’s far north, I’m more familiar with cross-country skiis than snorkeling gear, and I have yet to master the art of diving underwater with my snorkel on, but this is one of the best places to learn how. Snorkeling trips are cheap (under $20) or you can rent snorkeling gear on any beach.

If you want to avoid the hordes of tourists that head out mid-day on snorkeling trips to nearby islands, try an evening snorkeling trip, offered by Scuba Talent Dive on Ton Sai Beach or at dive shops in Railay (the same trip will be more expensive if you book it from Railay).

You’ll head out to several snorkeling hot spots in the late afternoon (such as Poda Island or Chicken Island) after the crowds have already left, where you’ll see exotic fish among the coral, from tiger fish to sea urchins to even the (friendly) leopard shark. You’ll then watch the sun set over a dinner of seafood curry and a Singha (or two), before heading back to the beach in the pitch dark.

Along the way, your guide will cut the engine on the longtail boat (and the lights) and you’ll jump into the inky black water where you’ll suddenly be surrounded by hundreds of tiny blinking lights – otherwise known as phosphorous plankton. If you’ve ever seen the movie The Beach (which was filmed in Krabi), it’s similar to the scene where Leonardo di Caprio goes swimming with Virginie Ledoyen, though perhaps not quite so dramatic. And this is something you can experience sans snorkel – so long as you can tread water.

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