Best hostels in Koh Tao

Koh Tao packs four very different moods onto one narrow island, and which bay you sleep beside decides whether your evenings end at a fire show on the sand or with an early night before a dive briefing. Hostel hunters usually land in Ban Hat Sai Ri (บ้านหาดทรายรี) first, where the long strip of Sairee Beach and its row of dive schools set the backpacker pace. Ban Mae Hat (บ้านแม่หาด) is the working port, with the ferry pier, ATMs, pharmacies and shops, which makes it a practical base if you arrive late or leave early. Ban Chalok Ban Kao (บ้านโฉลกบ้านเก่า), on the south coast, trades nightlife for a sheltered bay and slower evenings, while Snorkel beach suits travelers who would rather be near the reef than near a bar. Every pick across these four areas sits in the Budget tier, so the real choice here is location, not price band. Read each area for what is within an easy walk, then pick the bed.

1. 1

   Ban Chalok Ban Kao (บ้านโฉลกบ้านเก่า)

   Chalok Bay, sheltered south coast of Koh Tao

   A calm southern bay for divers and budget couples who want quiet evenings and good sleep.

   View Point Resort sets the budget bar on Chalok Bay at about $77 a night and holds a 9.3, with guests praising its views, its gardens and its restaurant. Mornings here are quiet. The bay is shallow and sheltered, dive shops line the road behind the sand, and Freedom Beach and the viewpoint trails sit at the bay's western edge. Evenings mean dinner at a restaurant, not drinks at a bucket bar, so skip the beach-party hostels if you came to log dives and sleep; the locals prefer Chalok for exactly that reason. The Mae Hat pier is a short taxi ride north, so ferry days are easy without the harbor noise right outside. Rooms lean toward resort bungalows over dorm bunks, so book ahead. This area suits divers and couples on a budget who want the island's calmer south.

   1. Budget

      View Point Resort

      The best hotel I have stayed in in all of Thailand. The views are AMAZING, the green area with animals around, the hotel restaurant TOP! the best on the entire island.

      9.3/10 rating ~$77/night
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2. 2

   Ban Hat Sai Ri (บ้านหาดทรายรี)

   Sairee Beach and village, west coast of Koh Tao north of the pier

   The island's social backpacker hub, with dive schools, sunset bars and the longest beach on Koh Tao.

   Sunset spills across Sairee Beach every evening, and Ban Hat Sai Ri is where most of Koh Tao's backpacker energy collects along the sand. Asia Divers Resort proves the budget tier works here: it holds an 8.8 at about $41 a night, and guests mention a ferry pickup they never had to arrange. Within an easy walk you have the long beach, village lanes full of dive schools, smoothie stands and bars, and the beachfront path south toward Mae Hat. Nights run late with fire shows and music drifting off the sand, so light sleepers should book a room set back from the beach. Don't bother with the bucket-drink party bars if your dive starts early; the locals head for the quieter northern end of the beach to watch the sun go down. This is the area for solo travelers and dive students who want company without having to look for it.

   1. Budget

      Asia Divers Resort

      Very nice, one of the cheapest options we had, But we were positively suprised. Included pickup at ferry dock, even though we hadn’t discussed this with the hotel.

      8.8/10 rating ~$41/night
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3. 3

   Ban Mae Hat (บ้านแม่หาด)

   Mae Hat pier and harbor village, central west coast of Koh Tao

   The practical ferry-port base for short stays, late arrivals and early boats.

   Ferries rattle into the pier at Ban Mae Hat all day, and the village feels like Koh Tao's working harbor more than a beach escape. Koh Tao Montra Resort covers the budget tier with an 8.9 at about $69 a night, a strong score for a base this practical. Within walking distance you have the ferry ticket offices, ATMs, pharmacies, the island's main shops and the road north to Sairee. The village wakes early with arrival traffic and goes quiet once the last boats leave. Avoid the cramped rooms right on the pier road if you want to sleep; a room set back from the harbor gives you the same convenience without the engine noise. Choose Mae Hat for a short stay, a late arrival or an early boat, and treat the beaches as day trips.

   1. Budget

      Koh Tao Montra Resort

      8.9/10 rating ~$69/night
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4. 4

   Snorkel beach

   Small reef cove around Haad Tien, quiet coast of Koh Tao away from the main villages

   A secluded cove where the reef, not the bar scene, sets the daily routine.

   Beach Club by Haadtien holds an 8.4 at about $80 a night, and guests mention the quiet beach above anything else. Snorkel beach is the island's escape hatch: a small cove where the reef starts close to shore and mornings are mask, fins and little else. Your walking radius is the sand, the resort restaurant and the rocks on either side, so plan on taxis or longtail boats to reach Mae Hat and Sairee. It's not worth the trek if you want a social hostel scene or cheap street food every night. Come here to read, snorkel and sleep early. It suits couples and solo travelers who would rather have clear water than a party, and who don't mind arranging transport for every trip into town.

   1. Budget

      Beach Club by Haadtien

      good location very friendly nice and quiet beach

      8.4/10 rating ~$80/night
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