Staying in Tanote Bay and Ao Leuk: resorts and bungalows on Koh Tao's east coast

Who should stay on the east coast?

The east coast is for people who want the sea at the door and nothing else. Snorkellers, because Tanote, Ao Leuk, Hin Wong and Mango Bay have the best reefs reachable from a beach on Koh Tao, with coral and fish from the first metres of water; couples and families who want a bungalow with a view and quiet nights; and travellers on a second or third visit who have done Sairee. It suits people who ride a scooter confidently or are happy to be driven and stay put, and who like eating where they sleep. It does not suit budget backpackers without a vehicle, anyone who wants a choice of restaurants and bars in the evening, or nervous riders: the descents to Tanote, Ao Leuk and above all Mango Bay are the steepest on the island, difficult in rain and at night, and the cause of many of Koh Tao's scooter accidents.

Each bay has its character. Tanote is the largest, a sandy beach between rocky points with a famous granite boulder for rock-jumping, jungle hills, sunrise views and the island's rock-climbing crag. Ao Leuk is smaller and prettier, run by one family, with coral on both sides, snorkel hire, two restaurants, a cliff-top yoga studio and a 100 THB day-use fee that closes to visitors at about 17:00. Lang Khai is the quiet cove between them. Hin Wong, to the north, is a boulder bay with no sand to speak of, one of the best snorkelling spots on the island and a couple of places to stay, one very simple and one a luxury hillside resort. Mango Bay at the northern tip is the most secluded of all: one boutique resort, a 300-step staircase, a reef with swim-throughs and a road so steep that most people arrive by long-tail from Sairee.

Resorts and bungalows in Tanote Bay and Ao Leuk

The 19 properties listed here are mostly resorts, nine of them, plus villas, apartments and a lodge, and they have the highest average guest score on Koh Tao. Tanote has the widest range: bungalows on the beach and up the hillside at about 1,000 to 3,000 THB, sea-view rooms and pool resorts at 3,000 to 6,600 THB in the peak weeks, and a large hostel-resort at the northern end for divers and groups. Ao Leuk's two properties and the Lang Khai bungalows charge about 600 to 1,500 THB for a basic room and 1,200 to 2,500 THB with air-conditioning and a view; Hin Wong ranges from 500 THB rooms to a luxury resort at several thousand; Mango Bay has a single boutique resort with sea-view rooms. Pool villas on the slopes above Tanote and Ao Leuk start around 4,500 THB. Every listing states how the property is reached, since on this coast a room can be a hundred steps above the road, and whether the resort runs a pier transfer, which most do.

How do you get to Tanote Bay and Ao Leuk?

From Mae Haad pier a pick-up truck taxi costs about 550 THB per vehicle to Tanote or Lang Khai, 440 THB to Ao Leuk, 770 THB to Hin Wong and around 1,650 THB to Mango Bay, ten to twenty-five minutes over the ridge depending on the bay; almost every resort here offers a transfer, and taking it is the sensible choice on the first day. By scooter (150 to 400 THB a day, rented in Sairee or Mae Haad) the roads are concrete but very steep: use the engine as a brake, avoid the descents in rain and after dark, and take a taxi if you have never ridden a hill. Mango Bay is easier by long-tail, ten minutes from Sairee or Mae Haad for about 200 to 300 THB a person; long-tails also serve Hin Wong and Tanote when the sea on the east side is calm. On foot, the cross-island trail from Sairee to Tanote is about 4 km and three hours, and another leads to Mango Bay.

What is there to do on the east coast?

Snorkelling from the beach every morning, when the water is clearest: Tanote's reef and boulder, Ao Leuk's coral on both sides, Hin Wong's boulder gardens with turtles and shoals, Mango Bay's swim-throughs down to 20 m. Tanote is the island's rock-climbing area, with half-day introductions and multi-pitch routes on the granite, and its viewpoints above the bay (the Two View restaurant and Tanote Peak) look over both coasts. The cliff studio at Ao Leuk gives yoga classes with the bay below. From Tanote a coastal footpath and a 30-minute kayak reach Laem Thian, an abandoned resort on a wild beach that is one of the island's best freediving and rock-jumping spots, and Mao Bay beyond it. Evenings are dinner at the resort, the stars, and an early night; Sairee's bars are twenty minutes away for anyone who wants them, but the ride back over the ridge in the dark is not one to do after drinks.

When to stay in Tanote Bay and Ao Leuk

The east coast is the sheltered side from April to October, when the south-west wind blows over the ridge and these bays are flat, clear and at their best; the same months are when Sairee gets some chop. From November to March the north-east monsoon hits this coast directly: November and December bring swell, poor visibility and days when the beaches are unusable, and the resorts cut prices heavily. If you want the east coast in the northern winter, choose January to March and accept the odd rough day, or stay on the west coast and come over for the snorkelling. Prices peak from mid-December to February and in July and August; the green-season months of May, June and September are the best combination of calm water and low rates here.