1. (Big) Ko Chang- one of the largest islands in Thailand. Close to Bangkok. A 4-5 hour bus ride, then a 45 minute ferry. Has something for everyone. Elephants, beaches, waterfalls. Nice air con places, and basic backpacker places too. The farther south you go, the quieter! 3/4 of the island is jungle! Best place to stay- Oasis in Lonely beach- mid range to basic.
*2. Ko Wai- small island, mainly visited by a day trip. 1 hour from Ko Chang by boat. 4 places to stay, very basic! No internet, limited electricity. Beautiful water and beaches. Best place to stay- Ko Wai Paradise( basic, shared bathroom)
3. Ko Mak- off of the Ko Chang islands. Okay beaches, a lot of mid range to expensive places. Quiet, not a lot to do but relax. Great to explore on a motorbike. Best place to stay- Seavana- pricey
*4. Koh Kood- off of Ko Chang as well. Nicer beaches, very clean island. Interesting variety of rivers to kayak. Waterfalls and hiking. Some very expensive places to stay! Very few basic places. Great to explore on motorbike. Nicest place to stay( that's reasonable! ) Bann Makok - The Getaway( on the river)- pricey
5. Little Ko Chang ( Noi) - off of Ranong, by Burma. Small, no roads, no cars, no motorbikes. Only can get around by walking, or by boat. Basic places to stay, cheap! Okay beaches. Not a lot to do. But did I mention super cheap! People stay here a while. Best place to stay - Sawadee- Basic, but built nice!
*6. Ko Phayam- near Ranong and Burma as well. Great island! No cars, just motorbikes. Pretty beaches, not too many visitors, still quiet! Great local feel to it. Very pretty, very clean. Great bar there called the Hippie Bar, made of driftwood. One of my favorite islands. Best place to stay- Mr. Gao- basic to mid range
7. Surin Islands- hard to get to, great diving and snorkeling close by. Pretty beaches and water. Only place to stay is the national park campgrounds. Tents or pricey lodge cabins. Quiet! Good for a couple of days. Best place to stay- tents on the beach. Basic
8. Phuket.- I've never stayed here, only visited and passed through. Too big of a place for me! Commercial, busy, and though it has some pretty beaches, it's hard to enjoy them with all the noise and craziness. A lot of nice, fancy resorts if you're needing some more comfort! Best place to stay.. Not sure!
*9. - Ko Phi Phi Don- very popular island. Surrounded by some of the prettiest water in Thailand. Beautiful, white sand beaches. The town of Tonsai off the pier is pretty dumpy, and under major ongoing construction. Don't stay in town. Go to the other beaches to stay. Variety of accommodations, more on the pricey side! Great snorkeling and diving right off shore. Good fish BQQ on the beaches at night. Lots of boat day trips and water sports. Best place to stay- Viking Resort off long Beach( west side) mid range to expensive ( unique treehouse villas! )
*10. Phi Phi Ley- " The Beach" what everyone wants to see! Where they filmed the movie. Beautiful, small island. White sand beach, surrounded by limestone cliffs and deep blue water. Only can be visited by a day trip! Go early, take a small long tail boat on your tour, so you can visit the small bays around it. Worth visiting! Despite the crowds. Can't stay here!
11.-Mosquito island - day trip from Phi Phi Don. Known for the thousands of Mosquitos that cover the beach at sunset, doesn't sound pleasant! I only went during the day. Can't stay here, even though I did see a make shift camp with a kettle, someone might be trying to stay there! Also known for its snorkeling off shore. Rocky beach.,no place to stay except for the hippy campers!
12. - Bamboo Island-off of Phi Phi as well. Day trip. Pretty beach , white sand on one side of the island, make sure you go to the right side! You'll know it by the speedboats parked there. Beautiful water, gorgeous view of the other islands in the background. Can't stay here, only visit! Go early to avoid crowds, and speedboats!
13. Krabi- more of a pass through town to get to the islands south like PhiPhi don. Has a interesting night food market but that's about it. Beaches arent spectacular, , town is pretty dirty and run down. Spend the night if you need to stock up on some supplies and if you missed the ferry. That's about it. Best place to stay- Cha Cha Lay - basic but cute!
14. Railey BeachWest - great if your a rock climber! Beautiful limestone cliffs surround this area. Only accessible by boat, easy to get to though, plenty of boats daily. Only 15 minutes from krabi. Basic places, nice beaches. Very hippy! If you like to "smoke" you will like it here. Lots of parties, and not too quiet! Best place to stay- Mountain View Resort- basic
15.-Ko Jum - small island near Krabi. Quiet, not a lot to do. Very local feel. Great seafood! Decent beaches.if you want to go to a non touristy island, this is a great choice!! You need to have a motorbike to get around here, or like walking! Limited transportation. Best place to stay.. Banyan Bay Villas-mid range-pricey
16.-Ko Lanta- big island, actually attached to the mainland, so you can get here by car, or ferry. Beaches are mixed, not all are that great. Lots of cheap places to stay, that attracts a lot of backpackers. Feels a bit like staying in a small city. Very spread out, not really a island feel to it. Best place to stay.. Lazy Day Bungalows -mid range
*17. Ko Muk- known for its emerald cave and secret beach( worth going to unless you're afraid of the dark and small spaces! ) Pretty beaches, mixed accommodation, something for everyone. Not a lot to do except relax! Best place to stay- Koh Mook Sivalai Beach Resort- pricey, stunning location, worth it!
18. Ko Ngai- pretty island, gorgeous white sand beaches. Not a lot to do, except relax! Limited places to stay or eat. Great for a couple of days. Best place to stay...CoCo Cottage Koh Ngai- mid range to pricey
19. Ko Libong- large rustic island with only a couple of places to stay. Not touristy, mainly locals live here. Tan sand beaches covered in shells, I've never seen so many! Very quiet. Best place to stay- Le Dugong Resort- basic
*20. Ko Bulon Lae- beautiful small island. Pretty white sand beach, gorgeous! Home to quite a few monitor lizards, harmless and neat to watch. Nice island to walk around, a few restaurants and bars, but still quiet! Loved this one. Best place to stay- Bulon Marina Resort- basic, but charming and rustic! Great food !
21. Ko Lao Liang- pretty island, hard to get to! Only one place to stay, with okay tents on the beach, " all exclusive" meals as a package. Great potential, but not run very well. Stunning beach and location, but know what your getting yourself into! Only place to stay- Lao Liang Island- mid range
*22. Ko Lipe- beautiful island! Amazing white sand beaches and water. No cars, or motorbike, only walking and boats to get around. Getting popular, it's the new " Ko Phi Phi" some parties, and can be noisy depending on where you stay. Great place to hop to other islands. Loved this one. Best place to stay- Lipe Beach Resort- ( sunrise beach) basic-mid range
23. Ko Tarutao- great adventure island! Lots of jungle and pretty beaches, they filmed a Survivor here! Very quiet . Great place to hike and bike! Only one place to stay, National Park Accommodations. ( cabins) -basic- midrange
24. Ko samui- great island for those looking for nice beaches, spas and a bit of luxury. Easy to get to since there is a airport here! It's a bit built up, but lots of places to find peace and quiet. Best place to stay- The Kala Samui- mid range to expensive
25. Ko Phangan - the party island. Known for its full moon parties, and if there isn't a full moon, they will find a reason to have a party anyways. Beaches are hit and miss, the nice ones are on the north side. Great yoga places on the more quiet, west side . This island is hard to get around in places. Best place to stay -Dolphin Bungalows- basic,or Panviman Resort- pricey
26. Ko Tao- known for its diving. Okay beaches, very pretty jungle feel. A bit hard to get around as well unless you have a motorbike. Best place to stay- View Point Resort- mid range
*27. Koh Nang Yuan- gorgeous little island off of Koh Tao. Mainly visited as a day trip. Amazing white sand beaches, very Eco! No plastic allowed. Worth fighting the crowds to spend some time here. Loved it. One place to stay- Nangyuan Island Resort- pricey ( some basic though!)
28**Ko Kradan. - one of my last visited on my list, and now I wonder how I saved it for so long. Gorgeous island, the most beautiful water of all the islands. Super quiet. Only a handful of places to stay and eat. More pricey than the other islands because it’s so remote. Only beach activities here, kayaking, swimming,relaxing.some of the whitest sand of all the islands. It’s only an hour boat ride from Koh Lipe. And a 3-4 hour boat ride from Phuket. A challenge to get there, but that’s why it’s so special. Day trippers come here by boat, but the rest of the time you have it all to yourself. Places to stay.. budget- paradise lost. Splurge( pricey) seven seas resort .
29. Railey East- a boat ride from Krabi, or a walk over the hill from railey west ( be careful doing this walk at night, it’s dark, and there are lots of snakes! Eeeek! ( I did it so I know!) stunning location coming in by boat. Looks like a movie scene. Nice beaches, but crowded. Lots of shops and restaurants. Most Places to stay are pricey. But there are a few that are cheaper if you don’t mind trekking a bit to the other side of town. ( you can get a porter to carry your bags for a small fee, worth it!) but traveling with a backpack is the way to go in Thailand, always! Places to stay.. pricey- sunrise tropical resort, budget - mid range- Railey garden view resort( up a steep hill, stunning views, monkeys!!! )
My Prices... For me, you don't have to spend over $100 US dollars to get an amazing place to stay in Thailand. So my price range is...
Pricey- $75-$100 ( and up! )
Mid Range- $50-$75
Basic- around $25! Or under!
Thailand has captured my heart bringing me back many times to discover new, beautiful places. I may have not been the first to place my feet in its sand, but I always found a secret spot that was special to me hidden somewhere that felt undiscovered. I hope that I've captured some of your spirit with my stories over the years. Thank you for being part of my journeys. Let's get out there and see more of the world again soon!
~Elizabeth
**** Great side trips to take in Thailand besides the beautiful Islands!!
• Bangkok ~ is such a great, crazy city. One Night in Bangkok isn’t enough to let the city capture you. The first night it seems so Chaotic , then you find a favorite street cart with pad Thai for $1, visit the stunning reclining Buda at Wat Pho Temple, take a sunset ride down the river, finish it off by grabbing a beer and having a $6 foot massage at one of the many spas set up on the street . Then you relax after your busy day and watch watch the city come alive.. then you get the magic of Bangkok. Perfect for 2-3 days to explore visit amazing temples, experience some of the best street food in the world, shop, and get the best $7 Thai massage of your life. My favorite area to stay there is the heart of the city, in a area called Banglamphu. It’s near famous Khao San Road( not too close.. that place is crazy! But a must see at least once) picture an Asian Mardi-Gras! ) this area is also close to the famous river that flows thru Bangkok. The streets are full of street carts, Bohemian clothing and jewelry, foot massages, and lots of outdoor cafes perfect for grabbing a beer and people watching .
My favorite place to stay is Lamphu House, a cute guesthouse tucked away from the busy streets, where the best room, an air conditioned balcony room cost a whopping $25 a night.
For a more luxurious splurge, another favorite is River Surya Bangkok,
where a balcony river view room including a lovely breakfast runs around $125 a night, a splurge in my budget, but worth it for this beautiful boutique hotel . But Lamphu House is my go-to every trip.
Budget- Lamphu House
Splurge- Riva Surya
• Pai~ If you have the time to travel up north, another favorite is the Boho/Hippie town of Pai.
This place is full of charm, peace and love, lots of cafes to hang out and sip chai tea, and enjoy the nightlife a bit, or just float down on a inter-tube on the river. It requires a twist and turn 2 1/2 hour bus ride to get there from Chiang Mai ( sit up front for less of a queasy journey. ) this cute town is north of Chiang Mai and in the golden triangle which is a great culture place to add another few days and explore. Favorite place to stay in Pai...
Pai Village Boutique resort
• River Kwai ~( Kanchanaburi) a couple of hours east of Bangkok , and a very scenic slow train ride if you have the time ( otherwise you can take a bus, and a taxi.. ) is the Town of River Kwai. ( from the famous movie) Where you can stay in a floating room on the river and sit on your deck and watch the local fisherman float by. Very quiet and serene. Great for visiting a family owned Elephant Sanctuary, and doing some exploring. Favorite place to stay..
~ Boutique Raft Resort( get a river raft room for sure!!)
•Koh Sok National Park- Incredible National Park in the center of Thailand basically right in the center of Thailand , in between Koh Samui and Phuket. Incredibly beautiful park with treehouses to stay in( lots of monkeys!) and tons of hiking and floating down the river. Great for kids and adults! Must do is visit the beautiful lake on a day trip, and of you don’t mind roughing it for one night staying on a floating river cabin in the middle of the lake! One of my favorites things I ever did in Thailand . Best place to stay is , Our Jungle House- book in advance and stay in a treehouse! If not the cabins are cool too! Beautiful property!
You can book the overnight river raft trip with them!
This is just a few of my favorites! I can give you more ideas and tips if you’re journey is longer! I’ve also been to Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Bali! , , Happy Planning!
I know a lot of you ask, which is the best? What's your favorite one? Well, I have a few, so I thought this would be a great time to share them with you, and give you a brief summary of what I think about them. Most are islands, but a few are beaches that are still on Thailand's mainland. Hopefully I have inspired you to see some of them! These are listed in order of where they are in Thailand, not by which I like the best, but I did put a star by my favorites!
1. (Big) Ko Chang- one of the largest islands in Thailand. Close to Bangkok. A 4-5 hour bus ride, then a 45 minute ferry. Has something for everyone. Elephants, beaches, waterfalls. Nice air con places, and basic backpacker places too. The farther south you go, the quieter! 3/4 of the island is jungle! Best place to stay- Oasis in Lonely beach- mid range to basic.
2025-02-07