Originally I was going to bypass Koh Tao altogether on my Thailand trip until I decided I’d rather be island hopping than staying in Koh Samui for 4 days. Unfortunately, there was a typhoon going through the Philippines during our stay, causing us to live in downpour rain for most of our time. When the skies did lighten up, we could see why Koh Tao ranks as a favorite island destination for travelers.
Here’s Basking in the Paradise of Koh Tao: A Travel Diary:
Getting to Koh Tao
After spending a couple of nights in Koh Samui, we hopped on an 8 AM ferry to Koh Tao from the Mae Nam Pier. I booked a roundtrip ticket through Ferry Samui with Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran for around $37 a piece. This price was the most I paid for a transfer while in Thailand but the ferry boat was also the nicest. When leaving Koh Samui, a stop is made in Koh Pha Ngan first before continuing on to Koh Tao, taking about 1.5 hours.
Accommodation in Koh Tao
I knew that this was going to be the most incredible place we’d stay on our trip to Thailand and I wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t recommend this place enough! We lodged at The Plantation, privately-owned villas in the jungle of the island, about a 5 minute walk from Sairee Beach. The host, Thip, was incredibly accommodating, even paying for our taxi transport to The Plantation and giving loads of recommendations of things to do, places to eat and which companies to use for rentals, a great thing to have while traveling in a foreign country.
The room itself was incredible. The stylish and chic decor gave the villa an updated and modern look. It included a full kitchen, a large bed and a beautiful bathroom with a marble walk-in shower.
But what really made this place a stand-out were the views. The villa’s glass doors that lead out into the patio open the length of the room, overlooking a coconut farm of palm trees and the blue waters of the Chumphon Archipelago in the distance.
Lunch & the Beach
After doing a little exploring around The Plantation, we stroll about 5 minutes down to Sairee to snag some lunch. A few restaurants line Sairee Beach but we just grabbed some sandwiches to go from the 7-Eleven and made our way to the beach.
Sairee Beach is long, sandy and very clean, although the divers who do trash pickups on a nightly basis may have something to do with that. Multiple restaurants and bars dot the coast line with taxi boat options to Ko Nang Yuan as well.
Before coming to Koh Tao, I heard the water on the island was the clearest in all of Thailand but I didn’t find that to be the case here at Sairee Beach. The views didn’t disappoint though, especially while chilling on one of those typical Thailand rope swings.
Dinner, Drinks & Sunset
After spending a few hours at the beach, we head back to The Plantation to wash off the sand and freshen up. Looking for a chill spot for some pre-dinner drinks, we retreat back to Sairee Beach, stopping at the Wind Resort for some cocktails.
With the chillest environment I found so far in Thailand, the Wind Resort is the perfect place for an evening in Koh Tao. Resting in a bean bag chair with my toes in the sand watching the sunset roll in, it’s just what I’m looking for on an island vacation.
Even though the plan is to go elsewhere for dinner, after a few strong cocktails, we sink deeper into those bean bag chairs. I guess we’re staying here for dinner! Gnawing down on a bomb veggie burger and making friends with the waiter, it’s one of our favorite nights of the vacation so far.
Hair Braiding
If you have long hair like me then you know how incredibly annoying it is to manage your mane while traveling. Whether it’s the chlorine from the pools turning it green or the salty sea drying it out, it’s much easier to just throw it back. After a week in Thailand so far, I was at my wits end with my hair. Paying the tab at the bar, I pop in to a random nail salon for a hair braiding.
10 minutes later, the sweetest Thai woman gave me a hairstyle that I should’ve had for our whole trip. And the best part? It only cost 3 Baht or 90 cents!!
After those few drinks and my new hairdo we retreat back to the Plantation for a rest before gearing up for day 2 in Koh Tao.
Breakfast with a Koh Tao View
The morning of day two looks promising as the skies seem a bit clearer than the day before. Thinking we may finally be blessed with a full day of sunshine, we sit outside on the patio looking out at the views and soaking in the heat.
Our host left us with a list of restaurants that would deliver and, since we were without transport, we decide to order breakfast from the Greasy Spoon. Going with the American Breakfast, the meal is complete with toast, eggs, bacon and a hash brown. The fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee is just what I need to get my day started, costing us 360 Baht ($11).
I would’ve paid $100 for breakfast as long as I could sit here while eating it, staring out at that blue abyss.
Taxi Boat Attempt to Koh Nang Yuan
The discussion at breakfast leads us to plan a trip via taxi boat over to Koh Nang Yuan. This was probably the most recommended activity I got for visiting Koh Tao so I knew it would be on our itinerary at some point.
Koh Nang Yuan is a small, uninhabited diving island about a 5-10 minute boat ride from Koh Tao. There’s only one hotel on the island, a dive resort, so most people who visit just come for the day.
After walking down to Sairee Beach to talk with the local about getting a ride, he informs us that the remnants of the typhoon will be hitting Koh Tao in a couple of hours. Because of this, they have already canceled all boat trips for the day (insert devastation here). Even though this was one of my main reasons for coming to Koh Tao, we suck it up and begin the search for a different activity.
Renting a Scooter
On the way back to the room to brainstorm, we remember our host referring a scooter rental place next to the accommodation. On the ground floor of the Sairee Seaview Hotel, we find a local offering up their scooters. Handing over our passports as collateral, we grab some helmets and take off on two wheels to explore Koh Tao.
Exploring Koh Tao
Unsure about where to go, I tell Andy to just drive until the main road ends. Whizzing past Sairee Beach and alongside little villages, we come to a gravel road ending at a parking lot with other scooters. Thinking this may be a worthy spot to explore, we follow the path down to the beach and find the most majestic slice of paradise.
Freedom Beach
It’s here on the south side of Koh Tao where I begin to see why everyone raves about the island. As we make our way down the hill, a small stretch of sandy beach and the clearest teal waters invitingly harbor the shoreline.
Freedom Beach Festival
This small stretch of beach is the site for the Freedom Beach Festival that takes place once a month. Hosting hundreds of young partiers dancing away to house music and hip hop, it’s apparently one of the coolest parts of Koh Tao.
As we’re about to leave the beach, we discover a narrow concrete walkway elevated above the water, disappearing over boulders in the distance. Even though we can see the storm rolling in, we take this route thinking it may get us back to our scooter.
Walking on top of the walkway is a little sketch as the waves splash away , making the surface a tad slippery. It also seems like the path is falling off the stakes underneath but we make it safely around the bend, opening up to a stunning view of Freedom Beach part 2.
Freedom Beach Bar
The Freedom Beach Bar and the surrounding area is just the environment I’ve been searching for during our trip to Thailand.
Walking up to a bar with sandy feet and ordering a Mai Tai in your bikini, there aren’t many better ways to spend an island vacation. The Freedom Beach Bar exudes that tropical vibe with the blaring Calypso music, rope swings, hammocks and volleyball nets.
For more than an hour I swing along, letting my feet brush the sand and watching the storm roll in. Even though it’s still early in the day, it takes no time for the typhoon to hit the island. Since we;re on the scooter, we figure we should get going before getting caught in the down pour. Only making it about a mile down the road, the wind and rain begins, just about knocking us off our two wheels. To this day I’ve never experienced a tropical storm so strong!
‘Za for Dinner
After the rain passes, we wander around the village for a few minutes before coming up to Sairee Sairee Pizzeria Grill. Conveniently running a buy one get one pizza deal, we don’t even need to see anything else on the menu.
Leaving Koh Tao
As mentioned before, I booked a roundtrip ticket from Koh Samui to Koh Tao so our return was scheduled for 9 AM to head back to Koh Samui. This was only the beginning of our looooong trek to get back home to California. We took the ferry from Koh Tao to the Bangrak pier in Koh Samui then walked 2 miles to the airport. After waiting there for a few hours, we snagged a flight back to Bangkok, had a 3 hour layover there, flew to Taiwan where we stayed for a few hours and then finally made it home to San Francisco, the whole trek taking about 55 hours.
Read More: How I Booked My Trip to Thailand: Everything You Need to Know
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