Rising majestically in the Andaman Sea, the park covers an area of 1,490 square kilometres and has 51 smaller islands in its neighbourhood.

Bordering Malaysian waters, Ko Tarutao is scenic, endowed with mountains and rich natural beauty, albeit a notorious history. The best place to start exploring its place in history is the park’s headquarters which also provides lodges for visiting tourists.

It all began in 1936 when the Corrections Department of the Thai Ministry made Tarutao a penal colony for political prisoners condemned to spend their terms learning vocational skills isolated from the outside world. Food for the prisoners had to be shipped from the mainland and conditions were harsh.

During World War II, food shipments were severely disrupted and prisoners often went without food and other basic essentials. They as well as their keepers took to pillaging boats straying into the waters around Tarutao. In 1946, one year after the war’s end, the prisoners-turned-pirates were handed over to Thai and British forces.

Two years later the detention centre was closed down and the island went virtually unnoticed until 1972 when the government declared it a marine national park.

Remains of the prison can be seen at Ao Talo Udang Bay on the southern part of the island and Talo Wow to its east. Visitors arriving at Phantay Malacca pier need to hire a boat from the park office to get to Talo Wow.

A boat ride around Tarutao takes four hours. The island, situated at the confluence of the s.westerly and n.easterly monsoons - boasts of cloud-trapping mountains covered with thick rainforest.

Visitors can take a boat ride along the Phantay Malacca Canal that snakes through mangroves to the Crocodile Cave that was once infested with the reptile, although none can be seen today. The cave has inspiring limestone formations.

To watch the setting sun, walk from the park lodge via a long, steep flight of ladders to the viewpoint situated atop Toh Boo cliff. You can spot monkeys along the way.

After exploring Tarutao, you can hop around islands lying to its west. Regular boat service is available to Ko Lipeh, the only island that is not part of the marine park. Inhabited by sea gypsies, the island, 40 kilometres from Tarutao, has a score of resorts along its white sandy beach facing beautiful coves and turquoise sea.

Visitors should get off at Ao Pattaya Bay in the south of the island because it has several resorts they can choose from. The north and northeast of the island is more peaceful. A dozen bungalows dot its Sunrise Beach.

Visitors usually stop at Ao Pattaya for a few days and then walk to the other side of the island past a village of sea gypsies, a school, bars and restaurants. You can walk or take a boat there.

Ko Adang, where the park protection unit is located has a fine sandy beach devoid of any modern development. It provides simple accommodation if you want to spend the night there.

One of the more popular sites is Rong Nam Ja Bung because the water there is shallow and full of colourful soft corals.

Ko Hin Ngam is a small island noted for its colourful schools of fish and snorkeling. Its beach is paved with smooth naturally-washed gravels that glitter in the sun and make a rustling sound when swept by the waves. These gravels are not found on nearby islands. Why? It remains an intrigue.

A lot of yarns have been spun around the mystery. One of them involves a curse that says anybody taking the pebbles home, for whatever reason, will meet bad luck. One of the best snorkeling spots is off Ko Rawee, not far from Ko Adang. Park officials have put up a boundary rope warning snorkelers not to venture beyond it. If the time is right - that is the tide is not too high - you can admire the diversity of marine life here: hard corals of numerous shapes dotted with sea anemone and a profusion of brightly coloured fish that we usually see in aquariums.

At the park office’s visitor centre there is a map showing the topography of Tarutao and nearby islands. Travelers can enjoy a very long strip of sandy beach but the sea itself may not be as compelling as the island’s history. However, it is peaceful and laden with abundant natural greenery. The park also has a restaurant.

Most visitors travel to Ko Lipeh and Ko Adang to relax. Once there, they go out on day-long tours snorkelling and scuba diving in the neighbourhood.