These days I find myself dreaming about Thailand. The land of smiles, amazing curries, and beautiful beaches. Looking back at our pictures from Koh Tao, I realized we haven’t written anything about this Thai island. So today we will share the top 3 best beaches on Koh Tao island.
We know that there are many great beaches on Koh Tao besides the top 3 that we focus on in this blog post, but we just wanted to give our personal opinion of the places that we enjoyed the most on the island.
Hopefully, this beach guide will help you decide where to put your feet in the sand on your next trip to beautiful Koh Tao.
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About Koh Tao in Thailand
Koh Tao is a small popular island situated in between the coastal cities Chumphon and Surat Thani in Thailand. It’s an hour boat ride north of the bigger islands, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, which are also very popular tourist spots in Thailand.
“Koh” means island and “Tao” means turtle. So Koh Tao is also known as Turtle Island.
Apparently there used to be many turtles around the island, but we honestly never saw one on any of our snorkel trips in Koh Tao. It’s more likely you will see turtles during a dive, so gear up!
When you arrive at Koh Tao, you’ll quickly discover that the island is full of beautiful beaches. What we loved about this island is that there are so many different beach spots: You’ll find hidden beaches, party beaches, secluded and calm beaches, and many more!
How to get to Koh Tao
Koh Tao is easy to reach. However, you have to both travel with bus and ferry to get there, so it will take a while. Expect to set aside between 9-12 hours to go from Bangkok to Koh Tao.
We used 12go.asia to book our bus and boat from Bangkok. It was actually super easy! We were picked up by the bus in Bangkok, driven to the pier, and then we were guided to the boat towards Koh Tao.
We booked the night bus, and we honestly don’t recommend that option. We had to wait for hours and hours in the middle of the night on the pier, and on top of that, I woke up with bed bugs bites the next day.
Instead, you should book a seat on the early bus, so you can get to Koh Tao in the afternoon on the same day. Plus, the ferry company on this departure is much better than the one we used in combination with the night bus.
Where to stay in Koh Tao
During our trip to Koh Tao, we stayed at the nicest place called Namhasin House, which we can highly recommend! The owners were sweetest, the rooms were neat and clean, and the restaurant below served good food. It’s located between Sairee Beach and Chalok Baan Tao Bay.
Another great place we stayed at was Assava Dive Resort, which is located in Chalok Baan Tao Bay. This is also a great hotel where you can get your own bungalow, wake up to the beautiful beach, and even take a PADI course.
There are of course also several places you can stay at in Sairee Beach, which is the main strip of Koh Tao. We prefer quiet nights, that’s why we opt for something a little off the main area.
Check out the map below for more accommodation options in Koh Tao.
Top 3 best beaches on Koh Tao
Since Koh Tao was the first island we visited on our round-the-world-trip, we didn’t do much but eat fantastic curries and chill on the different beaches on the island.
This meant we had the opportunity to explore many of the beaches around Koh Tao, and from that, this travel guide was born. So here is our opinion of what’s the 3 best beaches on Koh Tao.
1. Sai Daeng Beach
Sai Daeng Beach became our all-time favorite beach on Koh Tao because of its more secluded location and the amazing viewpoints you get on the way there.
In order to get to Sai Daeng Beach, you have to go all the way up over a hill and follow it down to the beach. The hill is pretty steep, so take it easy if you go on a motorbike.
Being the Worldwide Walkers, we decided to walk to Sai Daeng Beach twice in 4 days. Even though the hike was tough, it was so worth it when you stand on top of the hill and you get this amazing viewpoint over the ocean.
Also, once you get to the viewpoint, it only goes down from here and the hard part is over. For now. Until you have to return and cross the hill again.
Once you make it to Sai Daeng Beach, you see a few hotels you can stay at. But apart from that, the beach is still pretty empty. At the far end of the beach, by the rocks, there is a nice restaurant where you can get a decent Thai curry and a cold beer. We definitely recommend this spot!
You can also go snorkeling here but there isn’t that much to see. However, if you have a mask I would still recommend you to go for a small snorkel trip. There are many rocks at both ends of the beach, which means you can still manage to spot a few fishies.
We can’t really explain why we think Sai Daeng is the best beach on Koh Tao. It’s not like it’s this picture-perfect exotic-looking beach in Thailand. But it’s definitely the place where we found most serenity on Koh Tao. It’s secluded and beautiful and our pictures honestly don’t do it justice.
2. Sairee Beach
Sairee beach is without a doubt the most famous beach on Koh Tao.
It’s the longest beach strip on the island, and it’s where everything happens. At Sairee Beach you can drink buckets of bad alcohol, get a tattoo you might regret the following morning, eat a cheap Pad Thai, watch a crazy fire show and start getting your PADI license. You name it. You get it.
Sairee Beach will never be our favorite beach, there is honestly too much going on here. However, it does have its charms.
The best thing about Sairee Beach is without a doubt the sunset.
So throw yourself in one of those have-never-been-washed bean bag chairs on the beach, order a cold beer, and watch the beautiful sunset. It’s just so amazing!
Once the darkness falls upon Sairee Beach, make sure to catch one of those crazy fire shows. A fire show is exactly what it sounds like – some crazy guy playing with fire, often in combination with some music. It’s pretty cool, although a bit nerve-racking.
If you’re looking to have a good time, Sairee Beach is definitely the most lively of all the beaches on Koh Tao. However, I’m mostly there for the sunset.
3. Freedom Beach
Freedom Beach used to be my favorite beach on Koh Tao back when I visited the first time in 2016. Back then, the beach was very secluded and quite untouched. Today, you have to pay 100 Baht to just enter the beach.
Wait what?!
For some unknown reason someone decided to charge a 100 Baht fee to visit this beach. We don’t understand why you have to pay to go to the beach. Plus, it’s also way more popular and crowded today than it was back in 2016.
For those reasons it could not be the best beach in Koh Tao, however, it’s still most definitely in the top 3.
We just can’t help but to still love Freedom Beach.
Freedom Beach has the tropical turquoise water and white sand that we’re all looking for. It’s covered in small trees, so once you’re done splashing around in the hot ocean with the sun over your head, you can go lay in the shadow of the trees.
But the best thing about Freedom Beach is that it’s a great little snorkeling place. You can see many corals and fish. Just follow the rocks on the left. Don’t expect to see any turtles though, we think you would have to look a long time for them.
If you’re getting thirsty or hungry there is also a little restaurant on the rocks. It’s a great place to take some pictures of the beach while getting a cold drink. Stay hydrated folks!
Non-beachy things to do in Koh Tao
If you get tired of the beach, then not to worry! There are still so many things to do in Koh Tao besides exploring all its great beaches.
Here is a list of things to do in Koh Tao:
- Go to Nang Yuan island: It’s just off the coast of Koh Tao and has a famous viewpoint.
- Rent a scooter: Explore the island 2 wheels! One of our favorite things to do in Southeast Asia.
- Try diving: Koh Tao is the most popular place in Thailand to get your PADI license.
- Go on a Snorkel Tour: You can book a tour around the island and see some beautiful fish and corals.
- Do a Cooking Class: Dive into the delicious food culture in Thailand.
- Go hiking: It’s a small island and you can easily go hiking, just remember to stay hydrated.
- Party Party: Just head over to Sairee Beach and you’ll find some fun.
We hope you enjoyed this blog post about what we think are the top 3 best beaches in Koh Tao. We’d love to hear your opinion, which one is your favorite beach in Koh Tao and why?
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
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It’s been about 7 years since I went to Koh Tao but your photos have just taken me right back there! I absolutely loved this island, and I visited at least two of those beaches (I can’t remember Freedom Beach). I think the sunset from Sairee Beach is still one of the best that I’ve seen! 🙂
Now you’ve got me dreaming about beaches in Thailand! Two of my sisters-in-law are originally from there so would love to go with them for a local’s tour – especially finding some of these secluded and beautiful beaches. Pinning for future reference!
I, too, have been reminiscing about my time exploring Thailand! I only spent a few days on Koh Tao but loved it. I don’t remember the names of the beaches I visited but just that they were beautiful! Those sunsets are to die for!!
I haven’t heard of this place but it looks amazing! If I was a beach person I would love to check it out.