KO SAMUI
Ko Samui is Thailand's third largest island at 247 square kilometres, and during the last decade it has become one of Southeast Asia's premier tourist destinations.
Ko Samui sits snugly in the Gulf of Thailand, surrounded by other island gems like Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao, and is located 84 km. east of Surat Thani, the provincial capital on the mainland. With soft-sand beaches shaded by towering palms, delicious fresh seafood and a vibrant nightlife, Samui has a magical formula that seems to cast its spell on everyone.
Many visitors are content to laze the days away on the beach, soaking up the sun and cooling off in the turquoise waters, but for action enthusiasts there are plenty of choices. Diving and snorkelling, windsurfing and paragliding, beach volleyball and off-road driving (and other similar activities).
KO PHA-NGAN
Just 20 km. north of Ko Samui and a short boat trip away, Ko Pha-ngan is a mountainous island ringed18 by secluded bays that offer ideal getaways. Its only town of any size, Thong Sala, has a bank, post office, supermarket and shops selling beach equipment and souvenirs.
Many of its beautiful beaches are accessible only by boat, though pick-up trucks and motorbikes also ply the island's rough roads. Its most famous beach is Hat Rin, in the southeast corner of the island, which is the location for the world-famous full moon parties that attract thousands of visitors each month to dance the night away on the beach.
The island's most picturesque beach is Thong Nai Pan, a double bay in the northeast of the island, which has good swimming and snorkelling, as well as the island's most comfortable accommodation. A little south of Thong Nai Pan is Than Sadet, the island's most impressive waterfall, which was once a favourite place of King Chulalongkorn.
KO TAO
'Tao' means turtle, and the island is named for its shape west on the mainland. The island is particularly popular among divers, and has a reputation for some of the most exciting dive sites in the entire gulf. Several companies based at Mae Hat, the island's only town, can arrange dives for beginners and experienced divers. There are many peaceful and idyllic beaches on the island, such as Sai Ri, the island's longest beach on its west coast, and Chalok Ban Kao and Sai Daeng on the south coast. There is also a unique geological phenomenon at Nang Yuan, a tiny cluster of islets just off the northwest coast of Ko Tao, where stunning causeways of sand join the islands, offering visitors the choice of two seas to swim in.
