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Polaroid of the week: Lazy beach days in Koh Tao, Thailand

Polaroid of the week: Lazy beach days in Koh Tao, Thailand

Last Updated on March 17, 2021

polaroid of the week thailand koh taoI’ve arrived in Thailand and it’s so good to be back here! I only interrupted my island hopping mission briefly for a quick visit to Bangkok before I moved on to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand.

I finally visited Koh Tao, an island that has been high on my ‘Thai islands I need to go to‘ list for years. I have to admit that during my last Asia stint, I was a bit lukewarm on Thai islands; I just didn’t happen to visit one that I truly loved, and other countries in South East Asia just happened to be more beautiful islands (at least in my opinion), plus I was spoiled having spent so much time in the Caribbean prior to my first trip to Asia.

However, I had high hopes for Koh Tao, the smallest one of the three famous islands in the Gulf of Thailand (the other two being Koh Phangan and Koh Samui), and it did not disappoint. Admittedly, I wasn’t wowed by any of the beaches but I could’ve guessed that, coming from the Philippines where I visited some of the best beaches I’ve ever been to (I mean.. Look at these photos!) and any beach in the world would’ve had a hard time to impress me after the jaw-droppingly gorgeous beaches of Boracay, El Nido or Siquijor.

That said, I still loved my time on Koh Tao and the island’s beaches certainly don’t suck, as you can see in the photo above or in this one here.

Koh Nuan Yang, pictured, is the most famous landmark of Koh Tao, and appears on most of the postcards of the island, even though it is actually not on Koh Tao itself, but a short boat ride from its shores. You can get there by taxi boat, which are probably the most common form of transportation in Koh Tao, bringing tourists to and from the small beaches and bays on the island that are easiest to get to by boat, and to Koh Nuan Yang, visited by almost everyone who goes to Koh Tao at least once because of its excellent snorkeling conditions.

Koh Tao was the perfect place to kick back for a few days, and I typed away in one of the many beach bars right on the beach until I would go for a dip in the ocean whenever I needed a break, and later finish my work day with a beer in hand while watching the sunset.

Kevin

Tuesday 31st of January 2017

Hello Did you ever write a post on

'How not to get ripped off by Bangkok cab drivers" "How to find out if a hotel is really as decent as it looks in the pictures" "How to find out what’s the right fare for tuktuks, cabs and other transportation that is not clearly stated on official fare signs"

Thanks, kevin

Andrew Darwitan

Friday 29th of May 2015

I enjoy your polaroid series. Gorgeous!

Dany

Saturday 30th of May 2015

Thanks, Andrew :)

Katie @ The World on my Necklace

Monday 9th of March 2015

Glad you enjoyed it. I am trying to decide what Thai islands to visit for a month in the country in November. I am thinking Koh Tao, Koh Lipe and maybe Koh Lanta at this stage (as well as the obligitory visit to Ko Phi Phi) - any other islands you would highly recommend?

Dany

Monday 9th of March 2015

I will be checking out Koh Chang which I heard good things about - will let you know how it is, Katie :) Koh Lipe is supposed to be amazing, I am dying to finally go - great to see it on your list :) I also enjoyed Koh Phangan, btw, the island has a lot of great beaches.. just wouldn't go during a Full Moon Party when it's crazy (at least in the south) and you'll have to rent a scooter - the roads are very hilly though.

Leah

Friday 6th of March 2015

I know Koh Tao is gorgeous as I have seen photo after photo from friends who have lived there, but of course the one time I visited it was stormy and overcast the whole time. I guess I'll just have to go back one day!

Dany

Saturday 7th of March 2015

Leah - I actually saw some photos on Trover while I was there which had been taken in bad weather, and all I could think was 'Wow! What a difference blue skies and sun make!!' I am not sure how I would've felt about Koh Tao had the weather been bad. Rain can totally ruin a place - I remember when I got to Arenal in Costa Rica it was pouring, everything was grey. I was miserable. A couple of days later, the sun came out, the volcano was visible, everything was so pretty and I loved it!

Lesbian Travel: Koh Tao, Thailand | Purple Roofs Gay Travel Blog

Wednesday 4th of March 2015

[…] By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls | Thailand Gay Travel Resources […]