D
id you think Thailand’s islands and beaches are full of tourists? Think again. In these gorgeous deserted Thai islands you can pretend to be Mr. Robinson Crusoe himself.
1 Ko Adang
Ko Adang has it all: jungles, mountainous viewpoints, empty beaches, and amazing coral reefs with some of the best snorkeling in Thailand. What makes Ko Adang very comfortable choice is its location just a 15-minutes longtail-boat drive away from the popular paradise island Ko Lipe. You can easily hop between the islands depending on your moods, if you are looking for solitude on a deserted beach or want to enjoy modern comforts like Italian ice cream and the company of other travelers.
Ko Andang has a park warden station with a canteen for basic meals and a campsite. The rangers also have a few surprisingly nice, almost luxurious, bungalows to rent for 800 baht.
2 Ko Tarutao
Hilly, jungle-covered Ko Tarutao is Thailand’s largest deserted island and it feels truly wild. The 26 kilometers long island lies close to the border of Malaysia, and you can explore its dense, forested interiors on a look out for the remains of old prison camps or just lounge by yourself on its fabulous long and empty beaches. The park rangers can rent kayaks. The only thing missing is coral reefs for snorkeling.
There are several beaches and park ranger stations around the island. You can either camp or rent a bungalow. Beware though, that some of the more distant bungalows are rather rundown (expect the “toilet door” to open directly to the jungle).
3 Ko Rok
Small Ko Rok has the most beautiful beach of the all the deserted islands: its long, soft and shining white. Lush jungle starts right behind the beach. Surrounded by coral reefs, this island is a great place to snorkel on your own.
You can visit the island on a day trip from Ko Lanta or join a one or two-night camping trip organized by Freedom Adventures, which gets a lot of good reviews.
4 Ko Laoliang
This is island in Trang is truly a memorable sight: a steep limestone mountain rises vertically from the sea with sandbar-like beach attached to it. From November to April you can stay on the island on a tented tourist camp, other times you get there for day-trips from other Trang Islands like Ko Libong. You can do snorkeling, kayaking and rock climbing.
5 Ko Surin
Ko Surin’s small twin islands far offshore in the Andaman Sea are known as Thailand’s best place to snorkel. The jungle-covered islands are surrounded by shallow and beautiful coral reef, perfect for snorkeling.
One of the islands has a campsite run by the marine park rangers, the other has an exotic village of the Moken tribe. Mokens who are also called sea gypsies live from the bounty of the sea, moving freely between the deserted islands of Thailand and Myanmar.
Here you will feel like a sea gypsy yourself, living in a tent and snorkeling from morning till the evening in the crystal clear sea.
