Koh Tao is a small and beautiful island located in the Gulf of Thailand well known to scuba diving enthusiasts, it has excellent beaches and much of the island is totally wild.
The best places to stay on Koh Tao
Koh Tao is a small island that can be easily explored in a short time.Its internal communications are not the best but you can also go to the most difficult areas with long tail (Thai boat).
The island is no more than 10 kilometers from end to end, and 3 kilometers wide .The areas where there is more accommodation and tourist services are Sairee Beach and Mae Haad on the west coast and Chalok Baan Kao on the south coast.
The rest of the island has very little tourist offerings. The north and east coasts are completely uninhabited with the exception of a few points.
1.Mae Haad
Mae Haad is the gateway to Koh Tao.This is where the ferry arrives and the is the administrative capital of Koh Tao and where the most important services are located, such as the banks and post office.
Mae Haad is a small town where there are a lot of shops, restaurants (some of the best on the island), and bars.
Its beach is not one of the best on the island but it is pleasant.It is an area with a lot of accommodation on offer, and many travellers who visit Koh Tao with the main intention of diving choose Mae Haad for to stay on Koh Tao .
– Hotels in Mae Haad
2.Sairee Beach
Sairee Beach is the most touristy area It is by far the longest beach and concentrates the most accommodation, restaurants and bars on Koh Tao. The beach is fantastic , with crystal clear water for you to enjoy a good swim, and nearby there are some coral areas perfect for snorkeling.
The nightlife of Koh Tao is mostly concentrated in Sairee.The northern part is much quieter and more relaxed
There is a with many dive centres and dive schools , as well as accommodation for all requirements and budgets. If you are looking for a complete site that provides a good beach, diving facilities, and partying at night, Sairee is the best choice for to stay on Koh Tao .Chalok Baan Kao
Chalok is the most popular beach in the south of Koh Tao, it is much quieter than Sairee and Mae Haad It keeps a good balance between infrastructure and tourist services and tranquility.
Your beach is in a very nice area and has the advantage of being very near , some can go walking, of some of the best beaches on the island .There are a good number of diving centres, restaurants and some nightlife although much quieter than Sairee.
It is the area chosen for to sleep on Koh Tao mainly by divers and people looking for a quieter area than Sairee but also has enough services.It is a good base camp from which to move to visit the best beaches on the island.
– Hotels in Chalok Baan Kao
4.Thian Og Bay
Thian Og Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island beach with white sand and turquoise water is one of the best for swimming and spending a day at the beach.It also has some of the best snorkeling spots on Koh Tao
There are few accommodation options and most are medium and high class resorts .It is a great option for to stay on Koh Tao if you can afford one of their excellent resorts.
The area is really spectacular and is very close to Chalok Bay in case you want to go out for dinner and a drink in the evening.
– Hotels in Thian Og Bay
5.Tanote Bay
Located on the east coast , is the only area of that part of the island where there is some tourist infrastructure.The rest of the east coast is either totally wild or there are only a few scattered and quite isolated resorts or cabins.
Access is not as good as it should be but that helps to keep this area away from many tourists to the joy of those who venture there.
Its beach is highly recommended both to spend a day at the beach in total relaxation, swimming, and enjoy some coral formations near the coast snorkeling. There is not much offer of accommodation and in general it is aimed at medium-low budgets.
It is a perfect area for to stay on Koh Tao for those looking for extreme tranquility .
– Hotels on Tanote Bay
Accommodation on Koh Tao
Koh Tao is an island with very little tourist development.Until recently it was a destination that basically hosted backpackers and divers who came to enjoy its exceptional seabed.until then much of the accommodation of the island was aimed at low budget tourism.
This has changed in recent years.Koh Tao has become popular and is visited by other types of tourists such as families, couples, and people looking for an island where they can get lost in coves and wild beaches where there is no mass tourism.
To serve this more varied tourism, Koh Tao has also diversified into the type of accommodation which it provides. On Koh Tao there is a good variety in cheap and mid-range s accommodation, and the offer of luxury resorts is quite limited to a few resorts.
A very characteristic of the island is that many resorts belong to diving centres and schools.These resorts usually offer very good offers, and sometimes even give free accommodation, to the customers who dive with them.
The price of accommodation on Koh Tao is usually between 350 and 700 baht for the cheaper and more basic rooms and bungalows, between s 700 and 2000 baht baht for the options with some comfort, and from 2000 baht baht for the quality accommodation.
You can find hotel offers on Koh Tao on this page:
– Hotel offers on Koh Tao
If you are interested in this article about where to stay on Koh Tao you will be interested in these too: Where to stay in Samui, where to stay in Phangan, where to stay in Bangkok
What is the best area to stay in Koh Tao?
In the Gulf of Thailand, there is a real paradise: Koh Tao Island , which means in Thai Tortuga Island, is the fashionable island of Thailand and tourists from all over the world come to this remote place to enjoy its beaches and the great biodiversity of its seabed, ideal for the diving lovers .If you prefer to do other activities, Koh Tao offers you endless opportunities: watch a sunset lying on the soft white sand, enjoy a Thai massage, ride around the island on a motorbike and have an exclusive dinner in front of the sea.
The best areas to stay in Koh Tao are the beaches of Sairee Beach and Chalok Baan Kao Beach .In Sairee Beach you can find a lot of leisure and entertainment activities, as well as a lively nightlife, restaurants and discos, the perfect area for those who want to have fun to the fullest, and also in this area, there is a wide selection of hotels located a few meters from the sea, while Chalok Baan Kao Beach is the younger sister of Sairee Beach .It offers you a relaxed atmosphere without so many night parties, but with a list of activities to enjoy the beach and diving, the star activity of Koh Tao.
If you are interested in knowing where to stay on Koh Tao , you may also be interested in knowing where to stay on Koh Phangan and where to stay on Koh Samui.
The best beaches to stay on Koh Tao
Sairee Beach
Sun, sand, fun and nightlifeThis is Sairee Beach, the best beach to stay on Koh Tao, the biggest and most popular beach on the island, famous for its 24 hour party atmosphere, just 2km north of Mae Haad.This area and its surroundings offer you a lot of accommodation options, dive centers, a hippie market, restaurants and leisure activities such as relaxing on the soft white sand to sunbathe, take a boat ride around the island or if you feel like doing some sport, join a game of beach volleyball.The warm, calm, aquamarine waters are ideal for swimming.
Sairee Beach is fast and inexpensive to tour, especially if you rent a motorcycle from one of the many companies that offer this service in town. By motorcycle, you can explore the island of Koh Tao through its rustic roads and jungle.At the end of the day, don’t miss the beautiful sunsets that you can enjoy from this beach. The smell of fresh grilled fish and seafood, which is the local dish of Sairee Beach’s cuisine, as well as the international gastronomic proposals, will awaken your interest and get you into one of the restaurants that border the beach.If after enjoying all the day’s activities, you’re still in the mood to party, Sairee Beach South is the perfect place to find the island’s largest concentration of bars and clubs to dance until dawn.
In contrast, as you head north of Sairee Beach, the party mood cools down and the area’s most exclusive resorts and relaxed bars make way for the most exclusive.It is ideal for those looking to stay in a quieter, high quality place away from the crowds of tourists and backpackers and within walking distance of the nightlife, should you wish to immerse yourself in this vibrant movement from time to time.
At Sairee Beach you can also climb to the heights and experience great adrenaline rush, doing rock climbing, abseiling and block climbing or bouldering or take a long hike on the jungle trails to discover the lesser known areas of Koh Tao, but easily accessible from the city.Staying at Sairee Beach and its surroundings means immediate access to the many tour companies that organise activities and excursions around the island.
Sairee Beach has the largest amount and variety of accommodation on Koh Tao.Resorts and villas abound for those who want a luxury stay, but there are also mid-priced hotels, hostels and guest houses for the more budget-minded.
Hotels on Sairee Beach
Chalok Baan Kao
In the south-east of the island is Chalok Baan Kao Beach, just on the opposite side of Sairee Beach following the main road, about 7 km.Chalok Baan Kao Beach is another of the best places to stay on Koh Tao, it is highly recommended for families because it is a quieter and more serene area than Sairee Beach, the shallow waters make it an ideal beach to go with children and enjoy a good swim, a holiday at Chalok Baan Kao will ensure a quiet stay and in connection with all that the island of Koh Tao has to offer.
Although this is a quieter area than Sairee Beach, it also offers multiple services and options for your enjoyment, including the typical dive shops, mini markets, travel agencies, ATMs, restaurants and bars.You can also get your PADI or SSI certification at one of the official training schools. While diving in the unusual marine world, you will see brightly colored fish, rays and corals, as well as black tip reef sharks hiding among the wonderful coral and rock formations.
On the south coast of the island and separated from Chalok Baan Kao by a rock formation, you can discover the paradise beaches of Ao Taa Toh and Freedom Beach, with crystal clear waters and coral reefs that create the perfect conditions for diving and swimming. Freedom Beach is one of the most beautiful coves on the island with stunning sunsets and only a 10 minute walk from Chalok Baan Kao.On these beaches, there are small restaurants selling drinks and snacks; also from there, you can access Taa Toh Lagoon, an exclusive resort just a few minutes walk away.
The accommodation offer at Chalok is more limited than in Sairee and more economical.The resorts and villas are simpler and more affordable, and there are also hostels and guest houses for the tighter pockets.
