Amongst the many popular and developed tourist destinations in Thailand, there is still much to be found for those seeking less crowded, quieter, off the beaten track locations. Now, Koh Tao isn’t a hidden secret, it is still firmly on the tourist trail, however it has yet to invest in levels of development that holiday makers to more popular Thai islands such as Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Phuket are used to. Originally gaining fame as the second most popular place to learn to scuba dive in the world, (Cairns Australia is first) you now get a handful of divers and holiday makers enjoying this picturesque, laid back and tiny island.
The Island
The main road in Koh Tao is pretty rugged as well as disorderly, with transport around the island covered mainly by open back trucks and the two-wheeled variety including scooters and dirt bikes. Access to the island is purely by ferry, with the jetty at Mae Haad bay, which along with the nearby Sairee Village is the main area of development on the island. If you don’t want to hire your own scooter or bike, the best alternative is the many water taxis that float moored along the beaches. Thanks to the tourists who come here for the diving, there is a smattering of well served accommodation that offers luxury air con rooms and huts, decent restaurants, pools and in many cases an attached diving school.
It may be thanks to this diving scene, its small as an island, or its location slightly out-of-the-way of other areas in Thailand, but the tacky party scene and low quality development that blights certain other places in Thailand hasn’t spread here. This all means that, when it comes to your evening’s entertainment, you’re spoilt for choice with plenty of tasteful restaurants and bars lined along the main beach, offering the perfect opportunity to pick your venue as you stroll along the water’s edge.
Dinner
Sairee beach is the biggest and being next to Mae Head bay offers the largest range of amenities for your evening. A night out is best started early, as you will find plenty of opportunity to float between venues. Coming down here before sunset will afford you the opportunity to watch the water taxis return to their shore moorings and some pretty amazing sun sets, so fans of cocktails or pre dinner drinks take note. A lot of bars have an elevated decking set on the beach’s edge and these spots are great to order your food from. Being an island the menus feature an impressive sea food range, and the rice and noodle dishes that Thailand is famous for are particularly tasty in this region. Sitting on the sun warmed decks on cushions around low levelled tables is hard to beat anywhere in the world!
Drinks
Following dinner, moving from the deck down onto the restaurant’s beach area is the easiest transition from restaurant to bar you’ll ever make. Here, the common set up is cushions which rise at the back to make them easy to lounge in, and you get a tiny table to perch your drinks on top of. The waiters serve the tables and offer menus with a great range of cocktails, Thai beer including Chang Lager, and the typical non-alcoholic options like coconut milk shakes. The main thoroughfare along the restaurant bar scene is the beach, which makes it perfect for bar hopping and the fact there’s no bouncers or dress code improves this no end.
Fire Dancing
As the night kicks in, so do the fire dancers. Any trip to Thailand is incomplete without seeing how talented the locals are at this, and it takes bar entertainment to another level. The main variations are either using a burning stick or burning blocks at the end of metal chains. The variety of moves is astounding as is the lack of mistakes. If you want to avoid getting too close, then don’t sit in the beach area as the dancers move amongst the crowd and even swirl the flaming objects around your head! This is all coordinated to lively music, so it’s little surprise that as the fire dancers finally fade away, anyone with any energy left can hit the sandy dance floors as several beach side bars carry the tunes into the night.
Author Bio: Matt has travelled much of South East Asia, with Thailand being a distinct favourite. His next planned adventures will be down under, and he has already booked his Flights to Australia.
