Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao is a first-time diver’s paradise, and just a wonderful place to hang out for a while. Lori and I enjoyed our time here so much, we didn’t want to leave!
Of course, there’s a few things you’ll want to know to calibrate your expectations and get you off on the right foot.
If you’re planning your own visit to Koh Tao and not quite sure where to begin or what to expect, this first-hand guide’s for you.
We share our recommendations on best places to stay, how to get there, what to see and do, where to eat, and more helpful tips, as well as our honest opinion about the place.
Planning a Visit to Sairee Beach?
Here are our hand-picked recommendations for Where to Stay:
✪ Top Pick Monkey Flower Villas
✪ Mid-Range BeachFront Wind Beach Resort
AND ** Our Top Picks ** for Koh Tao Trips & Courses:
✪ Open Water Course Become a certified diver in 3 days
✪ Snorkeling Full-day Koh Tao snorkeling adventure
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Why We Visited
Koh Tao is known for a lot of things—beautiful beaches, backpacker haven, budget AND luxury accommodation nestled in a stunning jungle setting.
But nothing may define Koh Tao more than scuba diving and its laid back vibe. And Sairee Beach is the epicenter of both!
With 70 dive operators certifying thousands of new divers every year, and 15 amazing dive sites located around the small island, it’s no surprise to us that Koh Tao is considered one of the best places to dive (and learn how to dive) in Thailand (and the world!).
And that’s exactly what brought us to Sairee Beach in Koh Tao. If it hadn’t been for Lori getting her open water scuba certification, we may have bypassed the island entirely—which, in hindsight, would have been an absolute shame.
Diving may define Koh Tao (and Sairee Beach), but that doesn’t mean it’s not one hell of a fun and beautiful place to lay low without a care for the rest of the crazy world offshore.
Getting to Sairee Beach
Part I: Getting to Koh Tao (Mae Haad)
Most travelers bound for Koh Tao—no matter how flexible or open-ended their itineraries—seem to get here the same way: by “fast boat.”
And why shouldn’t they? 1.5 – 2 hours on a comfortable Seatran Discovery ferry or the Lomprayah “fast-cat” motorized catamaran and you’re in paradise.
Better yet, grab a joint ticket from nearly any hostel or travel agency on and around Khaosan Road in Bangkok. A joint ticket will shuttle you door-to-door, right up to your Koh Tao bungalow and you don’t even have to mess with any of the pesky logistics.
✪ Hot Tip Now, it’s even possible to book a joint ticket online in advance.
For us though, speeding off to paradise didn’t appeal as much as taking the slow route.
At least, not after learning that there was an overnight “slow boat” option on a freighter from mainland Thailand (Chumpon) to Koh Tao (aka night ferry). Call us crazy, but we couldn’t resist.
In all honesty, the night ferry isn’t for everyone, but we really enjoyed it.
If that sounds like something down your alley, you can read more about our experience in our Chumpon Night Ferry to Koh Tao trip report.
Part II: Getting from Mae Haad to Sairee Beach
Just after sunrise the following morning, we emerged from our modest floating digs only to discover we’ve arrived in paradise (aka Koh Tao).
And, yep, we did indeed hoof it the 2.6km (1.5 miles) from Mae Haad pier to Big Blue dive Resort on Sairee Beach with our heavy packs, because, a songthaew would have cost the equivalent of a couple of beers, and we weren’t prepared to dip into our beer budget for that.
Plus, it was just a gorgeous morning on an even more gorgeous island.
Alternatively, songthaews (shared pickup taxis with two benches on the back) are eager and waiting at Mae Haad pier to take you just about anywhere you want to go on the island.
This is especially true if you take one of the regular service ferries to Koh Tao such as Lompraya or SeaTran.
If you opt for the night ferry like we did, you may have to wait for one of the other ferries to arrive before songthaews appear.
Or, you can hoof it like we did.
The third option for getting to Sairee Beach is hiring a longtail boat to take you from Mae Haad pier.
However, there are two major downside to this option: You’ll likely need to seek out a boat to take you, and you better count on getting a bit wet upon arrival as there’s no pier on Sairee Beach.
Featured Things to See + Do
Diving Koh Tao
As I previously mentioned, our main objective for coming to Koh Tao was to get Lori her scuba certification (I was already certified).
There are dozens of excellent dive centers on Sairee Beach specializing in certifying students, so picking one can feel like an impossible task.
Not sure if Scuba is for you?
If you’re still on the fence about diving, before ponying up hundreds of dollars to get certified we recommend signing up for a one-day try scuba diving experience.
Thankfully, we got a solid recommendation from Lori’s brother who got certified on Koh Tao three years prior with Big Blue Diving Resort.
In addition to being one of the top dive schools on the island (and in Thailand as well), Big Blue offered free accommodation with an Open Water SCUBA certification course, which essentially sealed the deal for us.
Admittedly, from the beach side of things, Big Blue isn’t much to look at. But that kind of misses the point. We weren’t about to choose our dive school solely based on beach appeal.
When we arrived, we weren’t all that excited about the free lodging options (a handful of bungalows nearly on top of one another adjacent to their popular beach bar). Fortunately, we were able to upgrade for just a few dollars more per night to this:
We stayed in the hotel block at the rear of the property, which had tile floors and a private balcony with something of a sea view through the trees if you craned your neck and squinted your eyes a bit.
Really, though, who needs a sea view when you have this a barefoot two-minute walk away:
On the final day of Lori’s dive course, I finally got to suit up and go out on a dive with her and her group.
It had been killing me knowing that she was out diving all day and I wasn’t, but anymore diving than what we had planned would have also killed our budget.
So, I resigned myself to the sidelines (and snorkeling the rocky headlands) until Lori was cleared for open water. In the end it was worth the wait and now she’s fully certified.
I planned on doing a second dive with Lori but a storm rolled in, killing the visibility. It’s nearly October and the Gulf of Thailand is headed into monsoon season, so no surprises there.
Instead, we set the money aside for doing a dive on the Andaman side in a week, hoping that conditions will be better there since the rains in that region of Thailand should be tapering off about now.
Swimming at Sairee Beach
Sairee Beach is breathtakingly picturesque, no doubt, but not the most swimmable beach, at least not while we were there in late September.
The slope of the beach is quite shallow, so there’s a significant differential between high tide and low tide.
At low tide, the visibility was very good, but we had to walk a bit to the water, and even then it wasn’t deep enough to jump in.
At high tide, it was more conducive to swimming, in this respect, but the water was opaque and full of detritus from the local fishing industry and trash from the village, all brought in by the tide.
On top of this, there were a number of longtail boats constantly coming and going — again, fun to watch, but not so fun to wrestle with in the water.
It was challenging to strike a balance between all these factors, but I found that early morning offered the best chance of a satisfying dip in clean and clear water.
This of course is all dependent upon the tide, so check your tide tables and plan to swim as close to low tide as possible.
Hiking, Biking & Tours
Diving might be king on Koh Tao, but that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty of other fun activities to do on the island.
From snorkeling to island boat excursions, hiking to motorbiking, Koh Tao offers more fun in the sun than you might think for its size.
We particularly enjoyed taking a boat to Koh Nang Yuan and hiking to the top of the viewpoint, making our way on foot to Ao Hin Wong on the eastern shore (though this is most commonly done by scooter or bicycle), exploring Chalok Baan Kao and snorkeling Shark Bay on the southern tip of Koh Tao.
Inquire at your guesthouse or visit one of the many tour operators on the island for all the latest details.
Working on Koh Tao
Lori’s scuba course took the better part of three days to complete, which gave me a perfect excuse to bum around our little slice of tropical paradise.
It didn’t take long before the wheels were turning and I was actively seeking options for moving to Koh Tao.
And why not?
We didn’t have any obligations anywhere else and Koh Tao is about as close as paradise as you can get on a budget with all the amenities.
I scoured local classifieds and online forums, but to no avail. It seems protectionist labor laws in Thailand make it harder than I imagined for foreigners like us to find work.
Occasionally (and unsurprisingly), there is work for dive instructors, but it can be a competitive market to penetrate, with long working hours, visa headaches, and a monthly paycheck that barely covers your local living expenses, with little to nothing left over for travel or savings.
But we can dream.
If you, however, are an experienced dive master with low monthly overhead and a sense of adventure, then living and working in Koh Tao might just be a reality for you!
✪ Hot Tip If you’re serious about finding work on Koh Tao, this Facebook group is a good place to start.
Of course, these days if you’re a freelancer or you’re able to work remotely, the world is your oyster—provided you can find a visa arrangement that will work for your circumstances.
Eating + Drinking in Sairee Beach
For a community of its size, Sairee Beach has more than its fair share of delicious Thai food, and we were quite pleased to indulge in the local offerings.
After more than three months of backpacking, we were also happy to feed our inner farang at places like New Heaven Cafe, which had some amazing sandwiches, teas and coffees.
Other places we enjoyed and recommend in Sairee Beach are Krua Thai and Zanzi Bar for lunch or dinner.
For the best happy hour cocktails, just take a stroll along the beach around sunset and choose the location that speaks to you (and your budget). Fizz Beach Club and Lotus Pool Bar are two solid picks to get you started.
Based on the recommendations of fellow travelers, if we were returning to Sairee Beach right now, we’d be sure to also check out 995 Roasted Duck and The Factory Cafe are reported to be cheap options with superb food and great atmosphere in Sairee Beach.
Where to Stay in Sairee Beach
Koh Tao has a wealth of lodging options, and Sairee Beach probably has the best selection. Here are our recommendations for where to stay.
✪ Our Top Pick If an upmarket stay with a hint of luxury is what you’re after, Monkey Flower Villas delivers. Just up the hill from the northern end of Sairee Beach, Monkey Flower is everything you’ve dreamed of in a tropical island destination.
✪ Our Top *Mid-Range* Picks If you’re looking for a few more amenities like air conditioning and pool without sacrificing prime beach front real estate, it’s hard to go wrong with Wind Beach Resort. Also an excellent mid-range value (without pool) is Palm Leaf Resort. Southeast Asian inspired bungalows really set this property apart.
✪ Our Top *Budget* Pick If you want budget bungalows on the beach and steps away from the action, Mama O’Chai Bungalows delivers. Bungalows are pretty basic, but being able to step out onto the beach and into the water within seconds might well make up for it.
When to Visit Koh Tao
From a weather standpoint, the Thai Gulf Islands can be a bit trickier and less intuitive than the Andaman side to plan for.
Most of Thailand follows the standard South Asia monsoon pattern of Dry Season = November to April, and Wet Season = May to October.
** But NOT Koh Tao! **
In Koh Tao and neighboring islands, monsoon season lands in October and November. Try to avoid visiting during this time if you can, even if you’re in search of a deal. It’s simply not worth it.
On our first visit to Thailand, we knew we would be visiting in the late summer, early autumn months. We thought this would be a prime time to dive and enjoy the sun!—which is the case for most of the country.
Fortunately for us, we were given some very good local advice: Start on the Gulf side (e.g. Koh Tao) in late summer, then migrate over to the Andaman Sea side (e.g. Railay Beach), just before the weather starts to turn.
In a nutshell, if you aim for visiting between March and September, you’ll generally have the best chances of ideal diving and snorkeling conditions, with excellent visibility, calm seas, and mostly dry weather.
December to February can also offer ideal beach and underwater conditions, but you’ll want to plan for more people and higher prices.
Final Thoughts
What did we *really* think of Sairee Beach and Koh Tao? After visiting many other beach destinations across Thailand, we can honestly say that there are better beaches to be had elsewhere.
**BUT**…if you’re making the effort to travel to this little island, chances are you’re not coming just for the beaches.
Koh Tao is certainly one of the most beautiful islands you’ll find in Thailand, packed with more food and lodging options than an island this size deserves. It’s a superb place to meet other travelers, and there are few better places in Southeast Asia to learn how to dive.
For all these reasons and more, we highly recommend spending some time in this fun and unique place!
More Reading for Your Thailand Trip
Thailand Beaches
- Railay Beach (Krabi): How to Visit + What to Expect
- Chalok Baan Kao Bay: Koh Tao’s Chilled-Out South End
- Chaloklum Beach Koh Phangan: Guide for Travelers
- Night Ferry from Chumphon to Koh Tao: Detailed Guide
Around Thailand