There are a number of islands in the Patayya Bay. These limestone islands are surrounded by corals and the main island among these is called Coral Island.
There are a number of adventure activities in and around this island. These include para sailing, water scooters, banana boat rides, speed boat rides and under sea walk.
Undersea walk involves wearing a heavy glass helmet into which air is pumped and diving into the water. The water does not seep in due to the air pressure. You do not have any other gear. I did this here after a gap of six years. I did notice that the types of fishes that swam were far less than what I encountered during my first walk. While the corals, the sea sponges and sea urchins were there, the clams were missing. Only the empty shells were strategically placed for pleasant viewing. I understand that the clams are considered a aphrodisiac. Very sad - A result of man's greed and global warming.
In Coral Island, the largest of these group of islands, there are a number of food stalls selling mainly Thai food. Guava or Raw mango with chilly and salt is available for a quick bite and to go with that chilled beer you can pick up from one of the many hawkers. Tender coconut water and juices are available to quench the dry throat.
Thai food is available aplenty. I had a khao phad gai - Thai chicken fried rice topped with a sunny side up and a tom yum fish soup. Tom yum soup is a spicy clear soup with a distinct lemon and lemongrass flavour. The prawn variety is more popular and is one of my favourite soups. The fish variant was just as tasty. Food and drinks out here is quite expensive compared to the mainland. A beer that costs THB 30 in the mainland costs between THB 50 - THB 60 here. The food I had cost THB 150 - would have cost around THB 100 in the mainland.
Reco - No trip to Patayya is complete without a trip to Coral Island.
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