The best islands to visit in Thailand
Best islands in Thailand for: off-the-beaten-track adventures and empty sands
Despite their proximity to lively Phuket (just a 30-minute speedboat ride away), the twin islands of Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi couldn’t be more different. Instead of glitzy beach clubs, there are sleepy fishing villages lining the shores, and locals fondly refer to the 7-11 as the only shopping mall on the island. There isn’t a lot to see or do, but that’s their charm.
Best island in Thailand for: Families and first-timers, honeymooners and yoga bunnies
Koh Samui is the original Thai island. Where once it drew backpackers and ravers for its sensational beaches with cheap huts and full-moon parties; now it has grown up and smartened up, its not-so-rustic beach bungalows honed down to the very last detail - Koh Samui now has some of the best luxury beach resorts anywhere in the world, several excellent beach hotels, and some first-class spas.
Best island in Thailand for: Scuba diving
The coast of Koh Tao, or 'Turtle Island', is lined with little sandy coves, pretty lantern-lit restaurants - and dive shops. Most travellers are here to dive. The island is one of the world's top places to learn, and the competition among dive shops has also made it one of the cheapest. If you're new to the sport, sign up to get your PADI or SSI Open Water certification. This usually takes four days, and includes four ocean dives. If you're short on time (or motivation to commit to a full course) most schools also offer one day Discovery Dives, where you can go down to 12 metres without certification. And if you're already certified, you can take advanced courses in diving at night diving, wreck diving, shark diving or Nitrox diving, or just jump on any of the tens of boats heading out every day. Phoenix Divers has been around since 2002 and is one of the top shops on Koh Tao. Instructors teach in a variety of languages and children's courses are also available.
Best island in Thailand for: Hedonists and hippies
If your idea of the perfect holiday involves three-day beach parties, Koh Pha Ngan is the Thai island for you. Famous for its full moon parties at Haad Rin's Sunrise Beach, this island is for hardcore partygoers and dreadlocked travellers. During peak season, the island can see 20,000 visitors dancing, drinking and cavorting on the white sands under the full moon. If you can't make it at the right time of month, don't worry - there are half-moon and black-moon parties in intervening weeks, and there's action every night of the week at the
Best island in Thailand for: Living large
Glitzy Phuket offers every Western convenience you can think of, and probably several you can't. Celebrity-chef restaurants? Check. Six-star resorts with private butlers? Check. World-class plastic surgery? No problem. If you're the highest of high-maintenance, Phuket is the island for you.
Phuket is the biggest, busiest island in Thailand, and although it has been infiltrated by package holidays and cheap sleaze in a few places (avoid Bangla Road in Patong), it also has cosmopolitan diversions in the form of designer boutiques and world-class restaurants - one of the best of which is Acqua.
Best island in Thailand for: when you can't make up your mind.
Of all Thailand's islands, Koh Lanta is one of the best all-rounders. Less than an hour's boat ride from Krabi, Koh Lanta is actually made up of several little islands, the most-visited of which is Koh Lanta Yai. It has nature reserves and beaches where you won't see another soul; it's got accommodation that runs the gamut from spare to super-swanky, which attract more 30-, 40- and 50-something travellers than backpackers. Bringing the children? The waters are calm and the island safe.
Best island in Thailand for: Hopeless romantics and honeymooners
When you picture a Thai island, you're probably thinking of somewhere like Koh Lipe. Often said to have the most beautiful beaches in Thailand, Koh Lipe is one of the 51 islands that make up Tarutao Marine Park, down south near the border of Malaysia. It's got the dreamy combination of remoteness (far fewer tourists than Phuket or Samui), picture-perfect beaches and luxury hotels.
Best island in Thailand for: exploring Thailand's eastern islands
More shy and retiring than big sisters Phuket and Samui, Koh Chang is Thailand in miniature. It's not exactly untouched, but much of its interior is national park, great for jungle trekking, and you can easily get from here to the smaller, secluded islands of the archipelago. It's also getting popular with those who want to hop over to Siem Reap after a week in Thailand. Avoid the main west-coast beaches: head to the blink-and-you'll-miss-it Had Sai Noi Beach for its bohemian beach-bar scene, and visit Salakkok Bay for a rare glimpse of a traditional fishing village (fast disappearing elsewhere) and to kayak through the mangroves. Locals really rate the family-run Kati restaurant in Klong Prao village, where everything is made to order using homemade curry pastes (there's an adjoining cookery school if you want to swot up on the recipes).
Best island in Thailand for: Solo and single travellers
If you're going on holiday on your own or with single friends then Koh Phi Phi might just be the island for you. In recent years it has been almost entirely rebuilt after the tsunami devastated it, with smarter places to stay than ever. With a reputation for good times and lots of activities on offer (diving, snorkelling, cliff-jumping, boat trips to Koh Phi Phi Ley (pictured), among other islets, where The Beach was filmed), Koh Phi Phi draws a young, stylish, energetic crowd with a degree of sophistication, ready to relax or to party (though not the hardcore ravers of Pha Ngan), particularly on New Year's Eve.
Best island in Thailand for: island-hopping
Imagine Koh Phi Phi Ley before The Beach - only smaller, harder to get to, more beautiful. Now imagine a dreamy chain of nine of these little wonders. Nine! The Similan Islands are numbered north to south, one to nine, and form a national park in the Andaman Sea. You can swim over untouched coral reefs in the turquoise waters off them all, but only step foot on the white-sand beaches of Koh Miang (known as 'number four'), which has simple bamboo bungalows, and the largest island Koh Similan(number eight). Just north of the national park, Koh Tachai has the softest, sparkliest sand and is the most popular. Close to the Burmese border, Richelieu Rock is one of the world's best dive sites and whale shark territory (February-April is the best time to spot them). Wherever you go, you'll need a boat. Khao Lak, an hour's drive north of Phuket, is the jump-off point for day trips and live-aboards sailing around the islands. The town itself is simply a cluster of restaurants QCumber is a must for healthy breakfasts and Thai curries) and guesthouses set back from the beach. (The Similan Islands are closed to tourists May-October.)
Best island in Thailand for: Bangkok's nearest beach for flying visits
If you're only in Thailand for a few days, schlepping all the way out from Bangkok to distant islands might not be possible. Instead, grab a day or two on Koh Si Chang (not to be confused with Koh Chang), a two-hour boat ride from the city, making it one of Bangkok's closest beach destinations. It is popular with Bangkok residents who head here for weekend breaks, and even day trips.
I hope this helps when planning your visit to Thailand.
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