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Koh Tao is an island in Mae Haad Bay, belongs to Surat Thani province and is located south of Bangkok. Its neighbouring islands are Koh Samui and Koh Phanghan. Koh Tao is our absolute favourite among all destinations in Thailand. It is not without reason that the island, which is just 21 square kilometres in size, attracts around 1.5 million travellers every year.
Koh Tao is a party hotspot for backpackers, a paradise for divers and the meaning of pure island life to vacationers. One more thing, the island has beautiful sunsets!
Despite its size, Koh Tao has many beaches where you can relax, party, eat, swim, snorkel or do other water activities. So you will enjoy the peace of the beach and sea. Fortunately, they aren't on the radar of most tourists. So grab your scooter, explore the island on your own and find a suitable beach for you.
Sairee Beach
Sairee Beach is the longest and the main beach of Koh Tao. It is located on the island's west side and is home to most restaurants, bars, beach clubs and dive schools. You could say that life on Koh Tao happens on this beach. If you want to socialize or have dinner on the beach in the evening, Sairee Beach is an excellent choice. However, be prepared for many tourists and not too clean sand. You will always see many boats near Sairee Beach, so the water is not of the best quality.
Ao Tanote Beach
Time for cliff jumping! Tanote Beach is a spot where you can do cool tricks from around 5 meters high. In the middle of the bay, there is a huge rock. With the help of a rope, you can climb it. Please watch out for the surrounding stones in the water. They can sometimes be very slippery and covered with very sharp shells. The jumping spot is on the cliff's right side; don't forget to dive into the area beforehand. Away from the cliff jumping, Tanote Beach still has a good reef for snorkelling and two beach bars where you can relax. It is not the most beautiful beach, though, as a lot of trash gets washed up by the sea.
Haad Tien Beach / Shark Bay
Haad Tien Beach is located in Shark Bay. The beach is beautiful, but with an entrance fee of 200 baht, it is also costly. We were there only once and can still recommend it. The locals take good care of it. But the highlight on-site is Shark Bay, probably the best place for snorkelling on Koh Tao. In Shark Bay, we found blacktip reef sharks and turtles every time. Both stay in the strips of sand on the reef, and don't worry. Those sharks are harmless. An even better spot is only Shark Island, an island that lies off the bay.
Aow Leuk Beach
We were a bit disappointed by Ao Leuk Beach. After the 50 baht entrance fee, we found a not-so-nice and littered beach. However, snorkelling there was worth it, and if you want to have your peace, the beach is a good choice.
Mango Bay
Mango Bay is a place that most people only visit by boat, so there is never much going on there. However, it is a popular spot for dive schools. We went by scooter and stopped there on the way to Grape Viewpoint. The road is anything but easy to navigate, and you have to walk down many stairs to Mango Bay Boutique Resort. There we dropped our stuff and went snorkelling, which was worth it. There are a lot of big rocks in the bay. Through them, the fish have a lot of space to hide. According to the Internet, the place cost 100 baht entrance fee, but the ticket booth was deserted when we were there. It may well be that this changes in the high season.
Mae Haad Beach
We have heard that Mae Haad Beach is also a lovely spot. We are not fans of staying on beaches with harbours and many boats. The water and sand can't be clean. But if you want to try it, you should go to the north end.
Jansom Bay
Attention, here comes an accurate insider tip! The small Jansom Bay is home to a private beach that belongs to Charm Churee Villa Boutique Resort, which is why it costs a 200 baht entrance fee. However, the bay and beach are beautiful, and the entrance fee is worth it if you want to spend a day away from the crowds.
Sai Nuan Beach
Another small and not well-visited beach is Sai Nuan Beach. Here you can also enjoy the tranquillity away from the crowds and have an enjoyable beach day. The Banana Rock Bar nearby is a suitable place for one or more cocktails would be the sunset.
June Juea Beach
Let's move on to Natalie's and my gem. June Juea Beach is our favourite beach on Koh Tao. It's free, has a super reef for snorkelling, and the rock formations to the right and left make a beautiful picture. If you go far to the right, you'll even come to an abandoned resort with bungalows built right on the rocks and connected by cement walkways above the water - a perfect spot for a beautiful sunset.
Freedom Beach
Freedom Beach is considered by many to be Koh Tao's most beautiful beach. After you've climbed John Suwan Viewpoint, it's worthwhile to head to Freedom Beach to cool off. A bar serves cold drinks and plays loud music. The beach is usually very well attended and costs a 100 baht entrance fee. If you don't feel like the crowds, you can also go to the Taa Toh Lagoon next door, access to which is also included in the entrance fee for the Viewpoint and Freedom Beach.
Hin Wong Bay
One of the best places to snorkel is Hin Wong Bay. Its water is crystal clear due to the rocks and coarse-grained sand. A beach bar serves delicious food and cool drinks. Unfortunately, the bar sometimes hosts larger parties so the beach may be littered. For 20 baht, you can park your scooter, and if you buy a drink, the entrance is free. However, you have to pay a 50 baht entrance fee if you are not thirsty.
Conclusion
The small island of Koh Tao offers fine sandy beaches and many spots for snorkelling and diving. If we had to name our favourite beach, it would be June Juea Beach. We were thrilled by the solitude and nature we experienced on site. However, our favourite place on the island remains Shark Bay. Days full of experiences are what we are looking for, and some adventures are waiting for you in this bay. If you want to see as many beaches as possible in one day, we recommend renting a scooter and visiting the lesser-known spots.
After a long day at the beach, it's time for refreshments. We have put together our best restaurants on Koh Tao.
Is Koh Tao safe or dangerous?
There are terrible stories about the island of Koh Tao. Some media even calls it Death Island because of them. Meanwhile, after 24 mysterious deaths, only two were marked as murder by the Thai government, and the world is pondering what happened to the remaining 22. We do not want to comment in more detail because we are not sufficiently informed, but there are many reports of cover-ups and flawed autopsy reports.
We like to point out to you that these things did happen. However, in order not to make you unsure whether you should include Koh Tao in your itinerary, we would like to point out that Koh Tao's murder rate with 1.5 million tourists per year is low. So statistically, it is considered safe. You can move freely.