Donald Duck Bay: The Complete Guide to the World's #10 Beach in the Similan Islands

Donald Duck Bay doesn't just have a reputation among Thailand regulars anymore.

In 2026, the World's 50 Best Beaches rankings placed it at #10 globally.

This is an official recognition for a stretch of sand that dive operators and repeat visitors have been quietly raving about for years.

Locally known as Ao Kuerk, this bay sits on Similan Island Number 8, deep inside a national park that closes for half the year to let the whole ecosystem recover.

Here's everything you need to know.

Where the Name Originates From

This bay gets its name from a granite boulder perched on the northern headland.

Its silhouette bears an uncanny resemblance to the cartoon duck's head when viewed from the right angle offshore. It sits alongside another well-known rock formation, Sail Rock, which anchors much of the bay's dramatic coastal scenery.

Together, these formations have become the visual signature most photographs of Donald Duck Bay are built around.

What Made It a World-Ranked Beach

The judging behind the 2026 ranking pointed to a specific combination of features rather than any single standout trait.

The sand here earned particular praise for its texture, fine and powder-soft in a way reviewers consistently single out.

The water clarity is the other half of the story.

The water is shimmery turquoise and clear enough that coral reefs and schools of tropical fish are visible straight from the boat before anyone even steps into the water. Combined with the striking rock formations framing the bay, the overall package is rare rather than just another pretty coastline.

Getting There: Every Route Broken Down

Reaching Donald Duck Bay means reaching the Similan Islands first.

There's no direct ferry stop involved. Every visit runs through a day-trip tour or a liveaboard, departing from one of two mainland hubs.

From Khao Lak

• The shortest route to the Similans, and the standard departure point for most day trips
• Boats typically leave from Thap Lamu Pier
• Some hotels along the Khao Lak coastline, particularly those positioned directly on the water, offer direct pier access that skips the usual transfer to Thap Lamu entirely
• Travel time out to the islands runs a little over an hour by speedboat

From Phuket

• A longer route, with an extended transfer time before reaching the islands
• Full-day speedboat tours are the standard option, often bundling Donald Duck Bay with stops at other snorkeling spots within the park
• Given the extra distance, Phuket departures tend to mean a longer overall day compared to leaving from Khao Lak

By liveaboard

• Multi-day diving trips typically include Donald Duck Bay as one stop among several Similan dive sites
• This route suits serious divers more than day-trippers, since liveaboards prioritize dive time over beach time
• Getting there this way generally means booking through a dedicated dive operator rather than a standard day-tour company

The Similan Islands Season: What You Need to Know

The first-time visitors may be surprised by this. The Similan Islands National Park operates on a strict seasonal schedule, and Donald Duck Bay is completely inaccessible outside that window.

The closure isn't a bureaucratic formality.

Rough monsoon seas make the crossing unsafe during those months. This break gives the reef and surrounding ecosystem time to recover from the steady flow of visitors during peak season.

Anyone planning a trip needs to build their travel dates around this window, since there's no workaround once the park closes.

What Fills a Day at Donald Duck Bay

Sail Rock Viewpoint
A short hike, roughly ten minutes, leads up to a lookout point overlooking the entire bay. This is the shot most visitors leave with, the turquoise water stretching out below framed by granite boulders on either side.

Swimming and lounging
The sand itself is the main event for anyone not diving or snorkeling, soft enough underfoot that it's become something of a talking point on its own among past visitors.

Snorkeling
Coral formations sit close enough to shore that snorkeling requires minimal effort, and sightings of turtles are common enough that repeat visitors mention them almost as a given rather than a lucky bonus.

Diving
This is where Donald Duck Bay earns a different kind of reputation entirely, separate from its beach ranking. Depths here run a manageable 5 to 20 meters, with visibility in the same range on a good day and generally weak currents. It is suitable for a wide range of diver experience levels.

Night diving
Because Island Number 8 has camping facilities, food and organic material inevitably finds its way into the surrounding water over time. That's turned Donald Duck Bay into an excellent night dive spot, drawing in molluscs, gastropods, and crustaceans after dark.

Divers who've done it describe the experience vividly: hundreds of small red eyes reflecting back in the darkness, rock lobster moving across the seafloor, and large gastropods emerging that stay hidden during daylight hours. Toward the northern end of the bay, a cluster of large boulders is a reliable spot to find turtles resting for the night.

Practical Notes Worth Knowing

• No overnight stays are permitted on the Similan Islands themselves, so every visit to Donald Duck Bay is a day trip by design, whether arriving independently or through a tour.
• Officially, the bay is listed as accessible 24 hours a day, though in practice, regular national park hours and day-trip schedules govern when visitors can actually be there.
• Booking ahead matters more here than at most beaches, particularly toward the end of the season in April and early May, when tour operators report trips filling up well in advance.
• Reef-safe sunscreen is worth packing given how much of the appeal here rests on the health of the surrounding coral.
• Weather can still shift conditions even within the open season, so checking forecasts before a scheduled trip is worth the extra few minutes.

Beyond the Bay: What Else the Trip Offers

Most day trips and liveaboards don't stop at just one site, and Donald Duck Bay is typically paired with other snorkeling and diving spots.

These are scattered across the Similan chain. Places like Coral Garden, Turtle Rock, and Elephant Rock all sit within the same general itinerary depending on the operator.

For travelers based in Khao Lak specifically, the town itself remains worth exploring.

Even outside the Similan season, waterfalls and bamboo rafting keep the area active through the closure months when the islands themselves aren't accessible.

Final Word

Donald Duck Bay earns its global ranking through a fairly rare combination.

It is a beach genuinely striking enough to stand out among fifty of the world's best.

It is inside a marine park serious enough about conservation to shut the whole place down for five months a year. All wrapped around a dive site with enough depth and character to satisfy divers looking for something beyond a pretty backdrop.

Getting there takes planning, a seasonal window that can't be worked around, and a boat trip that starts either in Khao Lak or Phuket.

For most who've made that trip, the sand alone tends to explain why judges around the world ranked this particular bay above thousands of other beaches on the planet.