Mango Bay Boutique Resort

The beach is gorgeous, the water’s great for snorkeling, and you really earn that swim. I’m 57 and found the route challenging, especially with a bag on my back. From the main road it took me about an hour to reach the beach. The scooter track has a very steep path and washed-out sandy patches, and I had both brakes on full time. Other scooter riders said they found it extreme too. After parking, there are endless steep stairs that seem to be part of an abandoned resort, then a rock climb over about 150m of big boulders. There’s water halfway along the stairs. I avoided the climb on the way back by snorkeling through the water with my dry bag, then took the stairs slowly. Entry is 100 baht per person. There’s food and drink on the beach, but the restaurant is another steep climb with more stairs, and I didn’t have the leg power for it, so I was glad I brought water and snacks. A boat trip would be a luxurious way to reach the bay if you can afford it. It’s probably easy if you’re younger than me, and well worth the effort. The stars are for the beautiful, clean beach and great snorkeling. Be warned, getting there by scooter is challenging but doable.

The beach is lovely, relaxed, and good for snorkeling. The walk down is a bit treacherous but also great fun, and you can swim instead, so bring a dry bag, trust me. The road is fucked, but doable and fun. I’d never ridden a bike before the week I came to Koh Tao, and managed it easily on a 110 scoopy. Near the end there’s an absolute legend selling bananas, drinks, and handmade jewellery. The lady charges 100 baht because the road to the beach is on her land.

Totally worth the adventure, and it’s a stunning snorkeling bay you can reach without paying for one of those expensive boat tours. There are two ways down: a free option on Google Maps, or follow the road all the way down. We got there early, so we weren’t charged a fee, but if you take the paid route, it’s about a 20-30 minute walk down the hill to the beach. Coming back means lots of steps uphill to your bike, then climbing over big rocks near the water. If you’re not somewhat athletic, be careful. The dirt roads can get very steep too, so take care if you come by motorbike.

The beach itself is quite nice, but the way down is awful. You have to climb down loads of stairs, then there’s no proper path to the beach, just huge rocks, with no railings and sometimes rotten wooden bridges. There’s no sign telling you what to expect. The road on a motorbike might be manageable if you have a strong bike and are an experienced rider, but be prepared for potholes and holes on the dirt half of the road, while the other half is asphalt. Then you get to the parking lot and have to pay 100 baht. The beach is crowded with a huge number of boats and divers practising in shallow water. Shame they charge 100 baht but can’t even make a proper path!