Island Hoping & Day Trips in Thailand

The first island we visited was Koh Samui. Koh Samu is a great starting point if you want to explore different islands arounds. We took a direct fight from Singapore, but you can also go there by boat from the main land.

For our first stay we wanted to have a hotel that is well located neer the center of Chaweng. We decided for the OZO Chaweng Samui and I cannot remcommnd it enough! It's only a short walk from the city center and delicious restaurants. Even though it' super close to the center, the hotel is located in a calm neighborhood, equipped with a beautiful beach.

For Koh Samui we mainly planned two highlights: climbing the Na Mueang waterfalls and visiting the Samui Elephant Sanctuary

Na Mueang Waterfalls:
We actually rented a car to get to the Na Mueang waterfalls, but if you are capable of driving a scooter, I would recommend a scooter over a car, as it's way cheaper and you are more flexible.
Once you reach Na Mueang Waterfalls you can decide wether to climb your way up to Na Mueang 1 or Na Mueang 2. In our case we wanted to climb Na Mueang 2, as there are several naturals pools and a great view over the dschungle. The climb took us about one hour and was quite demanding. I would recommend to bring one bottle of water per person and solid shoes. Don't forget to wear your bikini underneath your close :-) If you reach the top there are several natural pools waiting for you and the water is a great refreshment!

Samui Elephant Sanctuary:
If you love elephants you hopefully decide to not support activities like elephant riding where those giants are acutally forced to behave in a specific way, often times with violence. I would recommend to you rather get to know those beautiful creatures on eye level at the Samui Elephant Sanctuary. The sanctuary near Chaweng is set on forested land and offers a retirement home for elephants who have worked countless hours in the tourism industry. You can book a tour for 3.000THB where you will be picked up at your hotel, learn a lot about each elephant at the sanctuary, feed them, walk with them and observe these gentle giants, as they enjoy the peaceful life that they deserve. 

If you are looking for a great place to grab something to eat, I can totally recommend you Beryl Bar! It is a super remote restaurant, but the owner is very kind and the food extremely tasty. We sat directly at the beach and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

On the island Koh Phangan we decided for a stay at "The Coast" and could not have chosen a more beautiful place to stay. The hotel was equipped with an amazing infinity pool, granting spectacular views over the ocean.

One mayor highlight - reachable by foot - was the Princess Paradise Beach. This is literally the beach of your dreams. When we visited there were not ourists at all, it seems to be quite a hidden gem. 

Another highlight were the Than Sadet Waterfalls. You can explore several waterfalls in the Than Sadet Park and spend a whole day bathing and enjoying the sun. Please always think about carrying enough drinking water and wearing good shoes!

Regarding food you have countless opportunities on Koh Phangan! Our favorite place to grab a snack was definitely Phantip Night Food Market. It's a typical food market offering different kinds of Thai food, meat, sushi and desserts. Everything we tried was extremely delicious and we did not have any problems with a slack stomach.

If you are rather looking for a real restaurant to have dinner, I would recommend to pay a visit at "No Name" restaurant. We went there the first night and were amazed by the delicious and cheap food! 

Getting around the island is super easy, as there are a lot of pick-up taxis which circle the island all day and night. They will just pick you up at the road if you wave at them and you can always negotiate the price of your ride.

If you are into diving, you should definitely consider a stop at Koh Tao! It's actually the cheapest place in the world to do you scuba diving license. As we are not particular into diving, we decided to go for a snorkeling trip around the island, which was a very nice experience.

We stayed at Haad Tien Beach Resort, which was a really beautiful hotel with private beach. Nevertheless this hotel was a bit remote, so you always had to get a taxi to get around the island. If you are looking for a tropical retreat, this is probably a good place to stay, but if you are looking for a more central place to stay, I would recommend Savage Hostel. It is located directly in the small city center and you can reach restaurants, clubs and bars by foot. The do not only offer shared rooms, but also double rooms which are equipped like a normal hotel room with own bathroom.

If you are looking for a great place to have lunch, I would recommend Coconut Monkey - they serve the best Buddah Bowl you will ever try :-)
On top of that you can sit outside next to the beach and enjoy a beautiful sunset.

All in all Koh Tao is a cute island, but if you are not a passionate diver, you will also be fine with only visiting Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.