If you’re looking for the archetypes of Thai island life – sweeping sandy beaches, coconut groves – you won’t find them on this sliver of green in the big blue Ao Krung Thep (Bight of Bangkok). On Ko Si Chang you’ll have to settle for a fishing village at
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Ko Samui Thailand Travel
In 1971 two tourists arrived on Thailand’s third-largest island via a coconut boat from Bangkok and stumbled upon paradise – white-sand beaches with palms blowing in the wind and clear green seas sparkling in the sunlight, against a picture-perfect backgr
Ko Phi Phi is quickly returning to its pre-tsunami status as Thailand’s Shangri-la: a hedonistic paradise where tanned couples frolic in glassy green seas and snap pictures of colourful long-tails puttering between craggy slate cliffs.
Ko Pha-Ngan is famous for its ability to party, attracting a crowd of nature lovers and shoestring wanderers – the kind of folks happy to sleep in a simple reed woven bungalow or in a hammock strung between two palms. Ko Samui’s rebellious little sister a
To live out the Robinson Crusoe deserted-island fantasy, head to Ko Ngai (Ko Hai). It’s a fetching island with a dramatic interior and squeaky-clean sandy beach along its eastern coast. There is no indigenous population on the island, but there are a few
Ko Muk has several appealing beaches along with good-value accommodation. The interior is filled with soaring rubber plantations.
Encircled by sandy beaches and filled with mountainous woodland, Ko Lipe is home to a 700-strong community of chao leh villagers and a growing legion of private developers. Falling outside the protection of the national park (but grouped here for simplici
Trang’s largest island is just 15 minutes by long-tail from Hat Yao. Less visited than neighbouring isles, Ko Libong is known for its flora and fauna as much as for its beaches. The island is home to a small Muslim fishing community and has a few resorts
Established in 1990, this marine national park (adult/child 200/100B) protects 15 islands in the Ko Lanta group, including the southern tip of Ko Lanta Yai. However, the park is increasingly threatened by the runaway development on the western coast of Ko
A long-time sweetheart with the intrepid backpacking crowd, Ko Lanta is steadily changing, with upmarket resorts replacing the cheap bungalows. The carefree, hippiesque backpacker vibe still prevails, for now, although the laid-back atmosphere has been ki