The full moon is one Friday a month on one beach. This is the rest of it — a guide we keep ourselves, for the people staying with us.
Six shortlists — the kitchens we go back to, the bays worth the ride, the trainers worth the week.
Pick a category, or scan the featured picks below. Every place is within a scooter ride of the villa. We update the lists when we find something better.
Four places, mixed across the categories — a balanced first day if you only have one.
ClosedThe royal waterfall — King Rama V carved his initials into a boulder here in 1888. A series of pools, our closest swim, and almost always empty.
P3W5+7P3, Ban Tai, Ko Pha-ngan District, Surat Thani 84280, Thailand
Open nowWooden pier dining over the bay — whole grilled snapper, a salt-crusted seabass, and the best seat in the north for the sunset.
30, 6, Tambon Ban Tai, Koh phangan, Chang Wat Surat Thani 84280, Thailand
Open nowA crescent of soft sand backed by jungle, only reachable by longtail or a sweaty 45-minute hike. Three small bungalow restaurants, no roads, no scooters.
Unnamed Road, Q2X9+MXG ตำบลเกาะพะงัน อำเภอเกาะพะงัน สุราษฎร์ธานี 84280, Thailand
The longest-running yoga school on the island — drop-in classes most mornings, four-week intensive courses, and a quiet shala at the back of the village.
42/4, Moo 8, Srithanu Koh Phangan, ตำบลเกาะพะงัน อำเภอเกาะพะงัน สุราษฎร์ธานี 84280, Thailand