Where to stay on Koh Tao

It may look like a small island, but finding the best place to stay on Koh Tao is an important decision. Public transport is quite limited, restricting your movements to different areas if you don’t rent a scooter.

And, even with a scooter, there are a lot of steep roads that make driving up and down the mountains not something you want to be doing lots of times each day (especially at night).

The good news is that you’ve got lots of choice with Koh Tao accommodation, and you shouldn’t have any trouble trying to find the right place for you (assuming you’re booking ahead for busier seasons, that is).

So, the big question is: where should you stay on Koh Tao. Each part of the island offers something slightly different, and there are pros and cons to each. I would recommend choosing your Koh Tao accommodation based on what kind of trip you’re hoping to have.

These are the main areas that I’m going to talk about in this story:

To get a sense of what you’ll find in each of them and the prices for the days you’re thinking of visiting, you can start by using this interactive map of accommodation in Koh Tao.

But to help you find the best place to stay in Koh Tao, I’ll run through the main options and my suggestions at each of them.

Mae Haad Pier

Almost everyone arrives on Koh Tao by ferry and so the first place you’ll see is Mae Haad, the town that has the island’s main pier. It has a good selection of shops, restaurants, a few bars, and some budget accommodation.

It may be tempting to be lazy and just stay where you arrive – but I don’t think this is the best option on the island. Mae Haad doesn’t have as much vibrancy as other areas and can feel a bit like a ghost town in the evenings.

The advantages to staying in Mae Haad is that it is convenient and a lot of the dive shops are based here. So, if you’re going to spend most days meeting at the dive shop and heading out on the boat, you may like the ease of already being here. If you’re not going to use a scooter, it’s also a convenient central spot to get public transport.

As well as the town, there’s the small Mae Haad Beach, and it has some nicer hotels on the water, so you can still have the tropical island experience combined with the convenience.

BACKPACKER

With a super fun atmosphere and a convenient location next to the pier, Isla Tortuga Hostel even has a (small) pool!

• White Jail at Koh Tao Hostel: Although this is in an area that used to be a…