Sabaidee Travel

I have travelled to Thailand every year since 2011. In that time I’ve had the opportunity to see most of the country’s islands.

Despite this, there was one island I hadn’t yet explored: Koh Tao.

Koh Tao is a small island located in the Gulf of Thailand. It is famous for its diving, and thousands of tourists travel to Koh Tao each year to get their PADI at a relatively low price.

Most of Thailand’s islands are well-known and Koh Tao is no exception. These islands have lost much of their former glory because of over-tourism. So when I went to Koh Tao, I was wondering if the island had also become overhyped and overcrowded. That’s because Koh Tao is regularly listed as one of Thailand’s best islands.

The Journey

Getting to Koh Tao is not easy. The best and fastest way to reach Koh Tao is by travelling with Lomprayah High-Speed Ferries. The journey involves a 5 to 8hr bus ride depending on whether you come from Bangkok or Hua Hin. The bus drops you off at the port in Chumphon, and from there, the ferry gets you to Koh Tao in 90 minutes depending on the weather. If you’re in Southern Thailand looking to make your way to Koh Tao, the journey will involve a long ferry ride from Surat Thani. The ferry stops at Koh Samui and Koh Phangan before making its way to Koh Tao. From Chumphon, the ferry leaves twice daily, at 7:30 and 13:00 (2-hour trip). From Surat Thani, the ferry leaves at 9:00 and 14:30 (4-5 hour trip). So if you want to see Koh Tao, expect long travel hours.

Exploring Koh Tao

I took the night bus from Hua Hin to Chumphon before getting the morning ferry to Koh Tao. I had only slept a few hours before arriving at my hostel so I was keen to get some sleep. But with a 14:00 check-in time I had limited options: relax at the hostel pool or start exploring the island. With only two days to spare, I opted for the latter, renting a scooter from a place not far from the hostel (300 baht/day including insurance and helmet).

Aow Leuk Beach

The first beach I went to was Aow Leuk beach, located on the south-eastern side of Koh Tao. It costs 100 baht to stay on this private beach but you do get free water or soda with the entrance fee. The beach is clean, has powdery white sand, and it also has decent snorkelling opportunities. You can rent a kayak or a stand-up paddleboard here too for roughly 250-300 baht an hour.

Aow Leuk Beach Resort, which is on the left side of the beach, has a restaurant which serves decent food at reasonable prices. I didn’t know it at the time but this is definitely one of the island’s best beaches.

Shark Bay

Another great beach is Haad Thien located in Shark Bay. To access to the beach you need to walk through a high-end resort but it’s one of the best spots on the island. I didn’t stay here long enough to see any young Blacktip Reef Sharks or take any good pictures but it is one of the island’s best places to spend the day.

Mango Bay

One of Koh Tao’s best attractions is Mango Bay. It’s a little beach hidden away on the northern part of the island. The easiest way to get here is by boat and many travellers come to Mango Bay on a day tour around the island. But for the more adventurous travellers, renting a scooter is also a great option.

Getting to Mango Bay by land isn’t easy. The dirt roads are difficult to navigate, and in some places you will feel like you’re in a real-life version of Mariokart. On top of that, the dirt road doesn’t bring you straight to the beach. The road brings you to the entrance of a secluded resort where you will need to walk down a very steep set of stairs all the way to the water’s edge.

But that’s not all! Once you get to the water’s edge, where the resort’s restaurant is located, you will see the beach to your right. Between you and the beach: big boulders that you need to navigate before you reach the beach.

Mango Bay doesn’t have the powdery white sand other Koh Tao beaches have. Nor does it have the best snorkelling spots. However, it is one of the more secluded bays on the island. This means it’s well worth the effort to get here, as hardly any tourists bother coming to Mango Bay. It’s a great place to spend the day and relax with friends. There are a few sunbeds available and there is a small restaurant which offers decent food for those who choose to spend the day here.

The view from the restaurant is gorgeous, and it’s what made the trek to Mango Bay that little extra special.

Koh Tao Nightlife

Koh Tao has some really great bars. They are conveniently placed right next to one another along Sairee Beach. One of them is Fishbowl Beach Bar. It has great live music and beer pong tables are set up every night. This makes Fishbowl one of the best places to start the night. I went here two nights in a row and it seems that Fishbowl is an island favourite. When it closes at 1:30am, most people head straight next door where two other bars keep the party going.

Where I Stayed

For the few days I had on Koh Tao, I stayed at the excellent The Dearly Koh Tao Hostel. It’s a relatively new hostel which is still building new private rooms and a rooftop bar. The six-bedroom dorms are very spacious and the beds remarkably comfortable. The rooms all have a balcony and the bathrooms were spotless when I stayed there.

The hostel’s 3m-deep pool is a hostel centrepiece. Located at the back of the property, it offers a great opportunity to unwind and escape the heat. The only (slight) downside to the hostel is that it is not close to the beach so if you want to fully enjoy your stay here you will need to rent a scooter.

Final Thoughts

Koh Tao took me by surprise. It has plenty to offer and I had a very pleasant few days here. I would have loved to stay a bit longer. Despite its popularity, Koh Tao doesn’t feel overcrowded like other islands. It’s a great place to make friends and new memories. Koh Tao has also been able to retain a different identity. I hope Koh Tao can stay like this in the future because it’s an island I would definitely come back to.