Koh Tao Beaches

It's amazing how many beautiful spots there are to visit on Koh Tao. The island is littered with small secluded bays and beaches, numerous small headlands and of corse beautiful white sand. If you rent a kayak or hire a traditional Thai longtail boat to take you around the island you'l never have trouble finding a private bay.

Choosing where to stay...

Seclusion is all well and good but if you want to go out and try a different restaurant, do a bit of shopping and perhaps have a night out then you need to choose the right beach to stay on. In other words: decide what you want out of your holiday on Koh Tao before you choose where to stay.

Sairee beach - Longest & busiest beach. Sunset side. Excellent everything.

Mae Haad Beach - Central. Excellent & varied lodging + beach + restaurants. West.

Chalok Baan Kao - Calm beach + plenty of accommodation. South

Koh Nang Yuan - Breathtaking scenery + great diving+ lodging.

Aow Leuk - Great for snorkelling and seclusion - basic accommodation. East.

Had Sai Daeng - Secluded, good snorkelling, basic accommodation. South

Hin Wong Bay - Stunning scenery + remote.

Jansom Bay - Good snorkelling + private. Next to Mae Had.

Laem Thian - Good snorkelling + basic lodging.

Mango Bay - Great snorkelling. North.

Rocky Bay - Close to Shark Island. Good snorkelling. South.

Sai Thong Beach - Lovely quiet beach.

Tanote Bay - Good snorkelling/diving

Sairee Beach

Sairee Beach is Koh Tao's longest stretch of white soft sand! It offers some of the islands best and most accessible snorkelling adventures with the reef starting just 100 meters off shore. Being protected most of the year from wind and weather tops of the perfection - and that's just what you can do in the day time. In the night time the fun really starts...

There are accommodations to suit every taste and budget. Obviously the closer to the beach you want to be the more expensive it gets. Prices start at around 500 THB per night for basic accommodation. Most of the small bungalow style resorts will not let you book online and availability can be sparse on Sairee in peak season (well most of the year) so we'd recommend prebooking especially for the more popular resorts shown below.

Mae Haad Beach

Mae Haad Beach is one of the island's most popular beaches and understandbly so. It offers its visitors a white sand beach, a good varied choice of accommodation, restaurants and a central location not far from shopping and night life. This is also where the boats from Suratthani, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Chumporn come in.

Chalok Ban Khao

Chalok Baan Kao is located on the southernmost tip of Koh Tao. It faces Angthong Marine Park, which was made famous by the book & movie "The Beach" It's one of the most popular beaches on Koh Tao, and understably so. Due to it's location, the bay of Chalok Baan Kao is sheltered from wind and waves throughout most of the year. It's very shallow, the beach sloping down very gently towards deeper water. Perfect for families with children. In dry season can suffer from low tides however (April).

Koh Nang Yuan

Koh Nang Yuan Island is a place of profound beauty and serenity - a place where nature's wonders truly shows itself. A place where we can lie back and take the world in at our own pace. Life on Koh Nang Yuan is all about relaxing and being with the ones you love. Koh Nang Yuan Dive Resort is the island's only resort and offers a wide variety of accommodation though you don't have to be a diver to stay here.
The philosophy is to blend in with nature rather than to stand out. The Resort offers accommodation on each of the 3 different islands to suit different budgets.

The Northern Island

The biggest of Nang Yuan's 3 islands offers a splendid view of Koh Tao's northenmost tip. All cottages here are well hidden and private progressing up the hill - offering a fair sense of seclusion. The accommodation here is not well suited for families with smaller children or travellers with difficulty walking. All cottages here are fan cooled. Sometimes it is necessary to wade over at high tide!

The Middle Island

The Middle island is an excellent choice for families with younger children or travellers with trouble getting around. It is mostly sea level and it is also where the restaurant and reception is located. It does not offer the same spectacular views that the other two islands offer but you are right by the beach and all cottages enjoy sea view and airconditioning.

The Southern Island

The Southern Island offers the resort's most luxurious accommodation and the most spectacular views. On top of the island you will also find the famous view point, where most post card pictures of Koh Nang Yuan have been taken. Of course having a magnificent sea view does require some walking - but it is well worth the effort

Ao Leuk

Located on Koh Tao's eastern side, Aow Leuk is an excellent spot for snorkelling. The bay is only accessible by boat or by a small path from Rocky Bay. If you are a bit adventurous and make the effort you will not be disappointed. Aow Leuk is a truly beautiful place to spend a lazy afternoon. The beach itself is at most 200m long and clean white. There is one resort in Aow Leuk with offers very basic accommodation and one restaurant. Unfortunately it is not possible to arrange accommodation with this resort online and most of it's bungalows are rented on a monthly basis by long term residents of the
island.

Had Sai Daeng

Really part of Rocky Bay, Haad Sai Daeng is a beautiful little cove on the southern tip of Koh Tao. Haad Sai Daeng is the perfect place to relax in solitude with a book on the beach or perhaps a swim out to Shark Island. Nice place to hang out if your buddy is diving on Shark Island.

Hin Wong Bay

Hin Wong Bay is one of the more remote bays on Koh Tao and most easily reached by 4 wheel drive, dirt bike or by longtail boat. Once you get there, however, you realize it was worth the effort. Clear warm water, seclusion and dramatic scenery provides for an outstanding experience.

Jansom Bay

Neighbouring Mae Haad Beach you will find Jansom Bay. It is very beautiful and quiet. It's a great place to spend an afternoon sun bathing and snorkelling. Currently there is only one bungalow in Jansom Bay. A true luxury one at that: Charm Churee Villa's Honeymoon Villa. It's quite spectacular and a great spot for
honeymooners. The added bonus is that if you find yourself getting bored/low in funds there's plenty to do over in Mae Had the main centre on Koh Tao.

Laem Thian

Laem Thian is a very small bay, or cape rather, on Koh Tao's eastern side. It's very secluded and a hard spot to get to. The bay, however, offers great snorkelling and scuba diving. There are a few basic resorts in Laem Thian.

Mango Bay is perhaps one of the best snorkelling spots on Koh Tao. The shallow bay offers a great diversity with regards to fish and corals. Maximum depth is around 10 meters, if you stay shallow you will see amazing colors and big schools of large and small coral fish. There is also a good chance of seeing a turtle. The only way to get to Mango Bay is by sea. We recommend you rent a sea kayak from Coral Grand Resort and simply paddle until you get there.

Sai Thong Beach

Sai Thong Beach is a delightful spot to spend a few days simply reading and enjoying the company of friends or a loved one. You will be surrounded by a dramatic hillside and facing a stunning little beach. As the beach is privately owned, or at least access to it is, there is one resort - Saithong Resort. Please contact us for up to date rates and availability.

Tanote Bay

To get to Tanote Bay can be an hair-raising experience as the roads are in pretty bad condition. The road to Tanote Bay takes you over 'Mount Koh Tao' and offers a breathtaking view of the island's eastern hillsides. This journey is only recommended for the most experienced drivers however on dirt bikes or by 4 wheel drive jeep. Tanote Bay is best reached by longtail boat for the rest of us.The bay offers nice bathing and snorkelling and variety of bungalows and restaurants. On a clear day you can see Koh Samui and Koh Phangan from Tanote Bay. There are a growing number of resorts offering accommodation, they include: Poseidon Bungalows, Tanote Bay Resort and Black Tip Dive Resort.