Koh Tao Island in Surat Thani
Things have moved on since the days Koh Tao was a prison colony. Although at present it is not over developed and relatively quiet and peaceful, tourism has spurred a lot of development on the island, and the number of visitors going there is growing annually.
Located 45 kilometres north of Koh Phangnan, the waters around Koh Tao are blessed with excellent sea coral and good visibility. As a result there are plenty of diving schools operating on the island and it is one of Thailand’s key diving and snorkeling destinations. Some of the best diving/snorkeling sites include White Rock, Shark Island, and the Southwest Pinnacles. If water sport isn’t your thing, the island is blessed with long, undulating beaches to relax on; key beaches are Sairee Beach, Mae Haad, Chalok Ban Kao and Hin Wong Bay. For those not interested in sun and surf, the island’s interior is immensely thick jungle with the odd track the adventurous can explore.
Koh Tao offers a good range of accommodation; there are your 150 Baht a night huts for backpackers, as well as luxury accommodation with all the bells and whistles, and everything in between. Most accommodation available is found around the island’s key beach areas. Nightlife in on Koh Tao is excellent and less ‘steamy’ than some islands and tourist destinations. Things are more relaxed and less crowded, but there are plenty of places you can dance the night away to the sounds of topnotch DJ's. Like Koh Phangnan, Koh Tao has its beach parties.
Koh Tao is cool for shopping – there is a good range of shops selling everything from diving gear to souvenirs and jewelry, alongside plenty of ‘mom and pop’ stores and the occasional Seven Eleven where you can stock up on staples. The island is also great for restaurants. There has been a surge in the number of places where you can get great food on the island, and everything is available: Italian, Japanese, German, British… list goes on. Both restaurants and bars offer a fantastic range of local and imported drinks.
Koh Tao offers a complete package – one of the most enticing! Well worth a visit if time and situation permit.
Patong Beach,Phuket
Patong Beach is simply where Phuket’s action is! It’s by far the most frequented destination on Phuket and has just about everything a tourist could desire – it is therefore Phuket’s most developed beach! Located 15 kilometres to the west of Phuket town, this 3-kilometer-long white sand beach is jam packed with hotels, restaurants, bars (go-go and other types), discos and shops sitting alongside dive shops, travel agents and the outlets that cater for the windsurfing, snorkeling, sailing and parasailing that goes on around the beach. Despite the often frenetic activity, the water remains reasonably clean and suitable for swimming – there are actually separate ‘lanes’ for swimmers and those involved in water sports… This is a good thing – I would hate to see the consequences if they weren’t separated! Patong is particularly famous for its nightlife, which some say might rival that of Pattaya. Given that, Patong may not be as family friendly as the other beaches in the area. It is though a good place to start your exploration of the surrounding areas and a variety of tours are available that include Kayaking in Phang Nga, half-day snorkeling trips to islands off Phuket, sightseeing tours around the rest of island, and fishing trips into the open sea. Patong is also a good place to arrange your ‘liveaboard’ diving trips (October to May).
How to get there: Songtaew regularly leave Phuket Town for Patong Beach (20 Baht) as do buses from Thawiwong Road (15 Baht).
Jomtien Beach,Chonburi
Featuring a long straight coastline and long white sand beach, Jomtien Beach is located around 2 kilometers from its less salubrious neighbour – Pattaya Beach. Whereas Pattaya Beach is more geared for the party animal, Jomtien Beach has carved a niche as a more ‘family-friendly’ environment. Like its neighbour, Jomtien Beach is popular for water sports such as jet skiing, but with water that is considerably less murky, it is also a much more attractive location for swimming. Given its natural wind conditions and calm sea, Jomtien Beach is also a destination of choice for wind surfers, and a number of instructors work from the area. Jomtien features every conceivable type of accommodation available to those who want to stay in the area. Like Pattaya Beach, Jomtien hosts an expatriate community but doesn’t have the edge Pattaya Beach does. It does though have just as many great restaurants offering cuisine from every corner of the globe. It also has as many hawkers, plying anything from peanuts and fruit to pictures of the king and massages. They can prove annoying when you are trying to relax, but again, on Jomtien even this is not as hardcore as Pattaya Beach.
How to get there: Just like everywhere else in Pattaya, Jomtien is easily accessible through the multitude of Songtaews that continually move around the ring roads that encircle the coastal areas. A trip is 20 Baht wherever your start or finish.
