On the east coast of Southern Thailand are three idyllic islands. Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are known for their palm tree lined beaches, rocky coves, and mountainous interiors with tall waterfalls. They are the perfect group of islands for your beach vacation.
Koh Samui
We traveled to Koh Samui from Phuket. The journey was a lot longer and much more uncomfortable than we anticipated. It began at 8 am with a minibus pick up from our hotel. From there we switched minibuses 3 times over the next 4 hours as we traveled from the west to east coast of Thailand. Finally we arrived at what we thought was our boat dock, only to find a run-down cafeteria where we had to wait for one hour while fending off various touts. From there we had another one-hour drive in a rickety bus. It was a complete rust bucket, one of the worst we’ve ever had. The driver could hardly close the door because it was so bent out of shape. Inside, half of the bus seats were wet due to a leaking roof. As we walked down the aisle to find a seat, our feet almost went through huge holes in the floor. We finally found dry seats, but Richard’s seat was not bolted to the floor! Each time the bus turned a corner, his seat lifted off the floor and tipped to the side. We finally arrived safely at the real boat dock, but the bus doors wouldn’t open. One of the passengers had to push from the inside while the driver pulled from the outside! Thankfully, the ferry was in good condition and the boat ride went without incident.
It had been storming on Koh Samui for over a week before we arrived. As a result, many of the streets and sidewalks were flooded. There was talk that the road to our destination may not be open. We were worried what our next few days would bring, but were glad the next morning when we awoke to a beautiful sky.
There are many waterfalls in the island’s mountainous interior. One morning we hiked up to Namuang Waterfall. Because of all the rain the waterfall was actually three waterfalls. They powerfully cascaded down a staircase of boulders surrounded by dense jungle. It was a great setting and worth the hike.
Namuang Waterfall, Koh Samui 
Namuang Waterfall, Koh Samui 
Namuang Waterfall, Koh Samui
Koh Samui is famous for its amazing beaches. Lamai is a long sandy beach with rocky outcrops defining its two ends. The sea was turbulent bringing huge waves up on to the beach and crashing into the rocks. These rocky bookends make a spectacular and rugged coast which is great for pictures.
There are many beach towns to choose from on Koh Samui. We stayed near Lamai Beach and were happy that we did. There are plenty of good choices for hotels and restaurants and it’s not as busy as some of the other towns.
Lamai Beach, Koh Samuii 
Lamai Beach, Koh Samuii 
Lamai Beach, Koh Samuii
One of the neighbouring beaches, Chaweng, is an even longer beach, but much more narrow. There is only a slim strip of sand when the tides are out. But when the tides are in, waves come right up to the edge of the hotels and restaurants. Taking full advantage of this unique setting, bars set chairs and tables in the sand at the water’s edge. We had a beer at a beach side ‘pub’ where the waves were literally breaking at our feet.
Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui 
Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui 
Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui 
Having a beer on Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui
Koh Phangan
The next island, Koh Phangan, is an hour ferry ride north from Koh Samui (12 km). Every month this island hosts the full moon party, one of the biggest parties in Thailand. Any other time of the month, it is a laid-back, peaceful retreat. Thankfully, we chose to be here one week after the full moon. We stayed on the south end of the island in Haad Rin. During non-full moon party times, accomodation prices are very reasonable in Haad Rin. We found a pool-side room in a luxurious hotel for the same price we would pay for budget accomodations anywhere else.
Koh Phangan has over 30 sandy beaches scattered around its 14 km circumference. Our hotel was a 5-minute walk from 3 of those beaches, each more beautiful than the other. We spent our days lounging on one of the beaches, playing in the other and then finishing our day at our hotel pool. Life on Koh Phangan was pretty stress-free.
Sunrise beach is the largest beach in the area and much like the ones on Koh Samui, it is book-ended by huge rocky outcrops. We loved walking along the length of the long beach watching the large waves crash up to shore. A few restaurants and hotels line the beach, but they don’t make it feel crowded or busy.
Sunrise Beach, Koh Phangan 
High Tide on Sunrise Beach, Koh Phangan 
Sunrise Beach, Koh Phangan 
Hightide surge on Sunrise Beach, Koh Phangan 
Sunrise Beach at night, Koh Phangan 
Sunrise Beach at night, Koh Phangan
The other two beaches, Sunset and Leela are on the west side and have much calmer water. Sunset beach is not very large but as you would expect, it’s a great spot to see beautiful sunsets.
Sunset Beach, Koh Phangan 
Sunset Beach, Koh Phangan 
Sunset Beach, Koh Phangan 
Sunset Beach, Koh Phangan
Leela Beach is small and secluded. There’s not a lot of sand between the mangroves, but it is very picturesque and relaxing.
Leela Beach, Koh Phangan 
Leela Beach, Koh Phangan 
Leela Beach, Koh Phangan 
Leela Beach, Koh Phangan
Koh Tao
The smallest of the three islands, Koh Tao, is a rocky-shored majestic beauty. Arriving by ferry allows you to see the spectacular rocky coastline of this island. It’s quite different from the sandy islands of Samui and Phangan. It’s a 90 minute ferry between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao and feels more like a cruise than a ferry with this scenery.
Coastline of Koh Tao 
Coastline of Koh Tao
Koh Tao is well known for its scuba diving and snorkeling sites, so we were excited for our visit. The dives sites at Japanese Gardens were an awesome introduction to what you can see in these waters. Huge boulder sized red and blue coral fill a large area making a colourful garden. It is magical to swim between the large, bright coral, through narrow passages and caves created when three or four are stacked up on each other.
Coral and Christmas Tree Worms, Koh Tao 
Swimming through a coral tunnel, Koh Tao
With multi-coloured fish, nudibranch, christmas tree worms and the bright coral, this area is a kaleidoscope of colours.
Nudibranch, Koh Tao 
Coral and Christmas Tree Worms, Koh Tao 
Emperor Angel Fish, Koh Tao 
Giant Clam, Koh Tao
We had a surprise the next day when we went to a dive site called, Chumphon. A whale shark had been seen in the area that morning. They aren’t very common at that time of year (January), so we didn’t expect much. Two minutes into our dive however, we looked to our left as a huge whale shark swam by. It was at least 7 meter (23 ft) long and came within 10 m of us. It was surprising how peaceful it was to be so close to such a large creature. Our presence didn’t seem to affect the whale shark as it just continued on its way. We saw the same whale shark 4 times over the next 40 minutes. Apparently, they are also curious about us and will often swim by the same area multiple times when divers are present.
This area is also a great dive site for other reasons, mostly because of the abundance of fish. At one point I looked beside me, and Richard was swimming in the middle of a school of a thousand or more small fish. I wish I had a camera to capture this moment. Unfortunately for this dive, we forgot the camera on the boat. The last dive of the day had as many interesting fish as we had seen earlier, but no whale sharks.
Coral Reef Fish, Koh Tao 
Green Turtle, Koh Tao 
Vicious looking Giant Clam, Koh Tao 
Grouper Fish, Koh Tao
We didn’t spend much time on Koh Tao’s beaches. Sairee Beach is probably the most popular. It’s a long skinny beach with palms trees growing in odd angles along its side.
Sairee Beach, Koh Tao 
Sairee Beach, Koh Tao
In addition to diving, Koh Tao is a great place for kayaking. A few businesses on Sairee Beach rent them for a few hours or for the day. We paddled along the shore looking for a spot to snorkel. Eventually we stopped on the rocky shore unsure of what we’d find. We were surprised when we snorkeled over another large coral garden filled with colourful fish, including a stingray.
This island has so many hidden gems like this around its coast. With sites like these and water temperatures between 28 and 30°C, it’s a perfect place to spend the day in the water.
Coastline of Koh Tao 
Coastline of Koh Tao
Getting to the Islands
It’s quite easy to get to any of these islands. Koh Samui has an international airport. There is also one nearby in Surat Thani on the mainland. Two ferry companies, Lomprayah and Seatran, travel regularly beween the Surat Thani or Chumphon on the mainland and each island as well as between the islands.
When to visit The Gulf Of Thailand
The best weather is between December and March. From April until August there is a high chance of rain. Monsoon season is usually beween September to November so visiting during that time is not recomended.
Coming next – The Khmer Empire in Thailand
For more picutres from this and our other posts go to Gallery at Monkeystale.ca
To read more stories from our travels around the world visit Destinations.
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Monkey's Tale 
I love the see food of thailand!
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One of the best parts!!
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As always – great, great images!!! 🙂
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Thank you!!
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The beaches look beautiful – even if getting there was an awful journey!
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They are beautiful, and probably empty now. I’d even do that bus ride again to sit on one of them 🙂 Maggie
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I.love and enjoy the beach. Wonderful photos. Loved the view of Sunset beach, looks so much like what I imagine of Thailand’s mystery and beauty.
Sounds like this was an arduous trip. Thank you for the great share, as always.🏖🙏
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Thanks Suzette, Sunset Beach really lived up to its name 🙂 Maggie
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OMG, beautiful islands, but why does it take a death defying rickety bus ride to get started on the journey? Maybe it is a test to see if you are serious. Love the fierce looking giant clam. The zig zag pattern reminds me of Fred Flintstone clothes. Thanks for taking us along. Allan
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Thanks Allan, I know, just once I’d like to have an easy journey! That clam was one the fiercest ones I’d ever seen, maybe it was Fred Flinstone’s tailor! Maggie
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What a journey! 😮 I can see it was all worth it in the end 😍
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Yes, it was awful at the time, but the reward was was worth it. Thanks for reading! Maggie
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Wow… wonderful images!! Great sharing!!
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Thanks Jyothi! Maggie
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I had a sigh of relief when I’ve read further in your post that the ferry was in good condition … because the bus was definitely not ideal 😉.
Lovely photo’s of the waterfalls and all those beaches … and yes, sunset on Sunset Beach was indeed a beauty! And my husband liked your underwater pictures (he’s the scuba diver), especially the Angel fish.
Great post guys!
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Thank you! We had quite a few bad rides in South Asia,but this one still ranks pretty high for being the worst. The diving off Koh Tao is great, he’d love it! Maggie
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What a lovely variety of scenery! I especially like the underwater photos.
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Thanks Diana, the diving off Koh Tao was so colourful, I’m glad some of the pictures turned out. Maggie
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Wow, amazing pictures! What an incredible experience!
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Thank you! It’s a gorgeous part of Thailand.
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The photography is amazing, especially the underwater shots. Great work.
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Thank you!! Diving was so colourful I’m glad some of the pictures turned out. Maggie
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Looks like there is so much to see on land and in the water. I’ve always wanted to go diving in Thailand. The pictures of all the various clams and corals look beautiful!
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This was one of the most colourful dives I’ve done, and there are so many fish! If you do dive in Thailand, make sure you go to Koh Tao. Maggie
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Sounds like a relaxing and somewhat laid-back trip (other than the initial experience of getting there!). Loved the underwater pictures. Would have been nice to get get a picture of the whale shark, but I know that these kind of things happen. Been there, done that!
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Ya it would have been really nice to have pictures of it, but it happens. I actually think we probably had a more peaceful experience without a camera. Maggie
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White sand, rustic-chic beach shacks, a hammock gently swaying between two palm trees as a turquoise sea lap at the shore… aren’t just islands that are located on the east coast of Southern Thailand some of the most beautiful in the world? Thanks for the virtual tour, Maggie and have a nice day 🙂 Aiva xxx
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They definitely are Aiva. And even though they’re usually over run with tourists, they’re still pretty laid back. At least if you avoid the party times. Maggie
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More amazing adventures for you guys. What a tale about getting to the islands! Beautiful pictures, especially that sunset.
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Thanks, I miss these islands. I’d do that awful ride again just to be there again 🙂 Maggie
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What an incredible tour of the islands and the reefs too! That’s amazing you saw a whale shark! They are one of my favourite sharks
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They’re now one of my favourite sharks too! It was amazing how peacful it was to be so close to it. I was a bit mesmerized.
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They sound very Canadian 🇨🇦
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Lucky you to visit all three islands. I have only visited Koh Phangan and had an amazing time on what was then a very remote, undeveloped place. I had no idea that Koh Tao was so good for diving. The blue coral is gorgeous and what a thrill to see the whale shark.
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Diving off Koh Tao was amazing. Such colourful coral, and of course seeing the blue whale was incredible. You must be leaving soon for your hike. It’s very smoky here so I hope it’s okay in the Kootenays.
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My sis in Canmore called me today and said she couldn’t see the mountains. We start our hike next Tuesday. It’s not looking good and I hate the thought of hiking in smoke and heat. We’ll keep checking daily. These fires so early in the summer are really concerning. Maybe you’ll have to visit the coast. Fingers crossed…so far, so good.
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We can’t see the mountains from our front window, and ihey’re just the other side of the Columbia River. It’s very bad and very early this year. We’re planning on going to the east coast in a couple of weeks, as long as they’ll still let us in. Good luck on the hike but as it is now you won’t have any views.
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East coast sounds like a great plan. Enjoy!
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There are many jewels spread around the world, and their remote location is what kept them like this. You deserve extra brownie points for taking those bus rides 🙂 But what memories, isn’t it?
One of a kind, and thank you for taking us along. I miss summer 🙂 – ‘Tis winter here in South Africa right now.
How was that beer? 😉
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Thank you Patricia, yes the bus ride is now a funny memory, but obviously not at the time. I’d do it again to get back to those islands though! The beer was awesome! Maggie
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I read somewhere that the fresh water used to brew the beer eventually influences its taste. I do know that in Romania, for example (and in comparison with South Africa) local beer is full of flavor because of this. As local springs are famous 🙂
Have a lovely weekend, Maggie 🙂
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Fantastic places and images.
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Thank you Rupali! MAggie
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Your images are gorgeous!!!
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Thank you Luisa!!!
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I was laughing out loud at your trip to the first island! They do look like idyllic spots. Loved the underwater photos.
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Glad our suffering made you laugh! The islands were worth it and the diving was amazing. Thanks for reading Ruth! Maggie
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It’s always funnier in retrospect. 🙂
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Beautiful islands Maggie. I am sure it would have been refreshing and relaxing there.
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Thank you, I guess you can’t go to Thailand without spending some time relaxing on the beach!
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It’s a different atmosphere from the articles about the ruins. The much needed rest to digest the other days of travel and exploration.
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Photos are always great, as is the information. However, I must say, I enjoy your cave and underwater photos when you share them. I know the site to check out when or if I travel, to refer to it for places to admire.
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Thanks Dawn, unfortunately we won’t have any caves for a while but maybe diving this fall/winter. Maggie
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Be safe & enjoy
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Brings memories of our time in Thailand. Although we didn’t swim underwater. However great captures of those fish.
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So excited to visit and capture amazing photography like yours!
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Thank you, it’s a beautiful place 🙂
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