The islands of Thailand profoundly stand to attract the offbeat travellers looking for extraordinary experiences. With the extravagant gorgeous islands in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea on the West coast, the country boasts some of the most beautiful islands in the world. The dreamlike beaches with the azure of crystal turquoise water spread through miles and dense tropical trees in the backdrop makes it a perfect holiday destination.
Escape the monotony of your life in the secluded island where you can party till dawn, eat till you drop and soak in the rays of sun till you achieve that stunning Brazilian tan. Thailand has earned the status of ‘Land of Smiles’ with its picturesque escapades and for being the most tourist-friendly place of all times.
Mark these striking beautiful islands of Thailand that you must add to your bucket list. They are a paradise for digital nomads, travel bloggers, wanderlust souls and more importantly the ultimate bachelor party destination for millennials today.
Koh Samui
Koh Samui or as the travellers would like to call it, “the coconut island” is the third largest island of Thailand which is quite popular among tourists for its stunning beaches, multiple restaurants, cafés and bar, huge shopping streets, midnight markets and picturesque temples. The most unique thing about this island is that there’s always some activity happening here and there are also some secluded places where tourists simply visit to attain peace. The vintage beach bungalows and the sensational parties by the ocean are some of the reasons for Koh Samui being the millennials ultimate choice of travel. Apart from the extravagant life of Koh Samui, it has a special place for all the Yoga geeks with quaint places set high in the rainforest and various wellness retreat and spa resorts. The exquisite Thai architecture with gigantic banana trees and widespread flush of bougainvillea emits a very therapeutic vibe and spending time here turns out to be a life-changing for most people.
Koh Samui is famous for the luxurious resorts, clubs, spacious beach villas and also tons of Airbnb options. Most of the hilltop accommodation offers you a scenic view of the beach along with an infinity pool. The affordable Airbnb option is not only affordable but equally beautiful if you want to soak in the island aroma and yet not spend all your money in the stay.
All the coastlines of Koh Samui are covered with vast beaches. Two major tourist attractions are Lamai beach and Chaweng beach that are almost always crowded during the peak season. If you are a huge digger of street shopping, every Friday evening, there’s a huge walking street between The Wharf Samui in Bophut and the Fisherman’s Village with amazing street food, entertainment and shopping options around. The best time to visit Koh Samui is from late December to April when the weather is pleasant with little drizzles and pleasant sunrays.
Koh Phangan
Located at a distance of 30 minutes by a boat ride, Koh Phangan is famous for being an eventful island. From hiking to the tropical hills, exploring the historic temples, soaking in the views of hidden waterfalls to its popular monthly full moon party; Koh Phangan gives you a taste of all kinds of high. You can begin your day with the breezy orange skies of sunrise and end with a nice sundowner in one of the splendid sunset bars by the beach.
In the west coast of island, there’s a little village of Srithanaut where travellers go to seek tranquility and inner peace along with the local community which practices and preaches the same kind of spirituality. If you are into yoga, vegan food and meditation; you will fall in love with Koh Phangan.
People from all around the world visit Koh Phangan to attend the lit full moon parties and during the peak season, island witnesses’ footfall of more than 20,000 travellers. Apart from the full moon parties, there are various half-moon and black moon parties also in the consequent weeks. Moreover, you will probably not find a silent bar on this island because the nights here are always young!
Take the next hungover day off and wake up to the sound of the ocean, relish the delicious Thai breakfast and indulge in the Thai massage to rejuvenate your body. If you are not a party animal, there are also isolated silent beaches in Thailand where you can simply enjoy the sand on your skin and salt on your hair without any disturbance around. Haad Chao beach, Leela beach, Haad Rin beach and Baan Tai beach are some of the famous beaches on the island. The tourist season of Koh Phangan starts from late December and goes on till May when the weather is just about right and bright.
Koh Tao
Koh Tao is the underwater wonderland island of Thailand. This is the third biggest island which is famous amongst the tourist for its vast underwater world. You will witness the adventure of snorkelling and scuba diving here. Koh Tao is also known for the famous Sairee beach party which attracts a lot of young backpacking crowd. There are many ravishing viewpoints here like the John Suwan viewpoint where you can have a panoramic view of the whole island.
The highlight of the Koh Tao is the Turtle Island lined with sandy bays and candlelit restaurants with the dive gear shops around. This island is one of the top places to learn diving and is also one of the cheapest. If you are a beginner or a professional it’s the best place to learn and to enjoy the water. You can also have a full-fledged diving course here if you have enough days to learn that. Koh Tao also has wreck diving, night diving, shark diving and many such adrenaline rush pumping diving opportunities. The trainers are professional and take care of all, even if they don’t know how to swim. Apart from diving, there are also many more water adventure sports here like snorkelling, water skiing, parasailing and much more to comfort your adrenaline rush along with a relaxing beach vacation.
The tourist season in Koh Tao ranges into three different seasons – the dry season, hot season and rainy season. However, the months of July and August are the ideal months to explore the underwater life of Koh Tao as the visibility remains clearer during these months with little rainfalls and pleasant temperature.
Koh Phi Phi
Koh Phi Phi stands to be the number one island of Thailand which consists of two smaller islands, one being Koh Phi Phi Don and another being Koh Phi Phi Leh which came in the limelight post the popular movie called The Beach. Koh Phi Phi Don is the main island which contains all the beautiful beaches and stunning viewpoints. The nightlife here is extremely vibrant with plenty of clubs, bars and shacks around. It’s the perfect place for the solo backpackers to explore and experience. Apart from the razzmatazz of the island, there are quite a few silent spots towards the Tonsai village which is the main town of the island. This part of the island usually remains calm and surreal and you can just bask in the sun all day and relax by the water.
If you are a solo traveller or just a bunch of friends, Koh Phi Phi might just be perfect for you because of the tons of fascinating activities like cliff jumping, snorkelling, diving, boat trips and more. The stylish energetic millennials are drawn towards this place because of the insta-worthy pictures of pristine blue waters and dense forests in the background. Maya Bay is the major attraction in Koh Phi Phi. New Years’ eve in the island calls for amazing roll-out parties on the beach where travellers come from all over the world to be a part of it. Koh Phi Phi is the place where you’ll do nothing but chill, starting your day with the ocean breeze and a scrumptious Thai breakfast, spending your day chilling around the beach and swimming in the ocean while having a couple of margaritas by the bar. The peak tourist season in Phi Phi Island varies between November and April when the weather is comparatively cooler.
From the wild side of Koh Phi Phi Island where you experience some of the most lit parties to the quaintness of Koh Samui, there are hundreds of islands in the nation with its scattered coastline. You cannot cover all these islands in your itinerary of a week.
To make the most out of your holiday, add-on these little treasures of paradise on your Thailand itinerary. We can almost guarantee, that is won’t be one of your usual trips to Thailand. Go, try it out! 🙂
Traversia 