travelthai: How to choose between Thailand’s classic islands

With hundreds of dreamy tropical islands scattered along Thailand’s extensive coastline, choosing your ideal island escape can be overwhelming. Each one of those specks in the ocean is a tantalising composition of turquoise water, lush inland jungle and divine beaches - so how's a traveller to choose?

First-timers often start with Ko Samui, Ko Pha-Ngan and Ko Tao, a chain of three popular islands along the gulf coast. Although well and truly on the beaten track, the Samui archipelago is the definitive introduction to Thai island life. Easily accessible, well developed yet dramatically beautiful, these islands provide for party-goers, beach bums and active adventurers in equal measure. If you are wondering which island will suit you best, this guide will help you pinpoint your paradise.

Ko Pha Ngan's turquoise waters and swaying palms - a far cry from island's raucous Full Moon parties. Image by kwanchai_k photograph / Flickr / Getty Images.

Ko Samui

Known for: five-star resorts and top-class spas

Also good for: colourful neighbourhoods and independent adventure

The largest of the trio, Ko Samui is also the most established island in terms of tourism, meaning the whims and wants of most visitors are catered for. If you’re looking to blow your baht on indulgent spa sessions and luxury accommodation, there’s no better place to do it. Lavish resorts like Anantara take pampering to a whole new level, meaning you may struggle to leave the blissful confines of the infinity pool’s parameter.

It’s not all opulence: although accommodation options lean towards the pricier end of the spectrum, charming beach bungalows and the odd hostel are available, and even mid-range hotels are open to bartering on price. Toe-yanking traditional Thai massages can also be found for around 300 baht, so smaller budgets can still stretch to a little self-indulgence.

Once you’ve had your fill of coconut scrubs and frangipani oil facials, it’s time to explore. Most of the action in Ko Samui takes place in Chaweng. Known for its raucous nightlife, the commercial main street – a tangle of low-hanging electricity lines, fast-food joints, bars and tour operators – backs on to a surprisingly unspoilt stretch of bleached sand fringed with coconut palms, where fairy lights twinkle around restaurant tables after sundown. Bo Phut’s Fisherman’s Village on the north coast of the island offers a quieter cultural experience, with boutique sleeps and Chinese shops-turned-restaurants only a short songthaew (shared taxi) ride from Wat Phra Yai (Big Buddha Temple).

Ang Thong Marine National Park, Thailand by Ryan Harvey. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Day trips to the archipelago of Ang Thong Marine National Park – said to have inspired Alex Garland’s novel The Beach – are best embarked upon from Samui, allowing you maximum time for snorkelling and gawping at the untouched lakes and limestone cliffs of its 42 islets. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, renting a scooter allows you to see Samui at your own pace – just ensure you wear a helmet and take it easy on the unkempt roads.

Ko Pha-Ngan

Known for: buckets of alcohol and hedonistic Full Moon parties

Also good for: temple-hopping and waterfalls

There’s no denying it; Ko Pha-Ngan is one neon-splashed raver away from becoming a little too intense. With a social calendar to exhaust even the rowdiest young revellers, Hat Rin’s Full Moon Party (www.fullmoonparty-thailand.com) and its cohorts (notably Half Moon and Black Moon) remain a rite of passage for backpackers on the SE Asia circuit. Believed to have been established in the 1980s, nowadays thousands of party-goers descend upon Hat Rin Nok (Sunrise Beach) every month to tear up the town.

A flaming Full Moon Party sign welcomes revellers. Image by eric molina. CC BY 2.0.

With ramshackle beachfront bars pumping out anything from mellow reggae beats to hardcore trance, the lengthy shore is your moonlit dance floor. Hazards such as drugs and fire breathing (yes, locals hand out petroleum to drunken merrymakers so they can show off to their new-found friends) should be avoided, and valuables have been known to vanish from dorm rooms, so ensure they are locked away securely. Stay safe and you’ll have buckets of fun – just don’t drink too many.

The wealth of natural beauty elsewhere on the island is often missed by beach bums who set up camp in Hat Rin. Secluded coves and verdant jungle trails feel a million miles from the Full Moon chaos, although hiking up Khao Ra, which gets you high the legal way, is arguably just as euphoric an experience. With charming waterfalls and numerous temples scattered across the island, those who enjoy the quieter things in life will love Ko Pha-Ngan as much as the party animals.

Underwater wonders of Ko Tao. Image by David Rubin. CC BY 2.0.

Ko Tao

Known for: world-class diving instruction

Also good for: yoga and hiking

If you’re more interested in what’s under the Gulf’s translucent waters than the islands themselves, base yourself in Thailand’s diving mecca, Ko Tao. Shallow, warm waters and abundant marine life make it ideal for first-timers, and with over 40 dive centres competing for business, quality instruction can be found at a very reasonable price. Try Dive @ Charm Churee (www.charmchureevilla.com/diving) for smaller groups and the best boat on the island.

More experienced divers might be tempted to ditch the cumbersome oxygen tank and try freediving. You can push yourself – and your lung capacity – to the limit and reach depths of up to 20 metres using specialised relaxation and breathing techniques. Freediving experts at Apnea Total (www.apnea-total.com) are particularly adept at coaxing nervous first-timers into the deep.

Sairee beach on Ko Tao. Image by Eli Duke. CC BY-SA 2.0.

For those who prefer to remain on dry land for their recreational pursuits, Ko Tao still delivers. At only 21 sq km, the verdant, hilly terrain offers challenging hikes, scenic look-outs and tempting golden beaches. Set back among the palms lining Sairee beach on the west coast, Shambhala yoga centre (www.shambhalayogakohtao.com) runs two-hour classes (300 baht) in a gorgeous, prayer-flag-strewn wooden studio. Oppressive heat and prickling mossie bites are soon forgotten as you practise focusing purely on your breath – a skill which conveniently prepares you well for diving. Maybe you should don those flippers after all...

Make it happen

Regular ferry services between the islands, including high-speed catamaran Lomprayah (www.lomprayah.com), depart from Donsak Pier near Surat Thani (350B-600B). Alternatively Bangkok Airways and international airlines fly daily to Samui International Airport.

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วันพุธที่ 9 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2557

How to choose between Thailand’s classic islands