The beach is separate and has its own small infrastructure. You can walk along the entire beach from edge to edge in about ten minutes, and on a scooter along the road you can cover the entire area even faster. The entire first line is occupied by bungalow resorts, and I must say that, according to my observations, this area is popular place among Russians, Russian speech is often heard here.

Haad Yao Beach is secluded, beautiful, quiet place on Koh Phangan. If you decide to live here for some time, it is better to have transport nearby.

Although, if you think about it, this advice is generally relevant for all areas of Koh Phangan, provided that you are not going to sit on the beach all the time free time all the time. But if you are going, then in Haad Yao it is in principle possible. Good sandy beach, everything you need to eat and seal is here.

Entering the water, depth and waves

To my delight, it turned out that Haad Yao is a white sand beach. No matter what enthusiastic vacationers say, the beaches of Koh Phangan do not suffer from an excess of snow-white coral sand - the geography is not the same, unfortunately. But thank Buddha - there are some beaches where the color is as close to white as possible.

In my photographs the sand is wet, so its color is yellowish. As on the entire island, at high tide the sand strip at Haad Yao becomes narrower; this is inconvenient when you walk along the beach, and coastal cafes place their tables right on the sand. Sometimes you have to go around chewing people right across the sea, knee-deep in water.

The ebb and flow of the tides play a big role in the appearance of the beach, and in swimmers too. The bottom is flat, flat, no surprises. When the water goes away, there will be wet sand with shells and walks in the sun. When the water comes, there will be chest-deep depth five meters from the shore and full swimming. On the other hand, if you come to Koh Phangan with children, then this beach will be ideal for them.

Sunbeds and shade

As you yourself understand, on the west coast of any island on the planet, there is shadow only until noon, until the sun reaches its zenith. Haad Yao is no exception. There is more than enough shade here: on the shore there are casuarinas and palm trees mixed together, although you will have to respect the invisible boundaries of the resorts.

Despite the fact that all beaches belong to the royal family and passage must be free anywhere in the kingdom, Thais prefer not to remember this law and may ask you to leave or pay for your stay on the beach section in front of their establishment. So it is preferable to throw your things under the trees in neutral territory. If all the trump spots are occupied, then you can sit in a cafe.

I didn’t notice any sunbeds on Had Yao.

Beach photo

Near Sea Through and Ibiza Bungalows

In the morning hours the shadow reaches the water - very cool for a beach holiday.

Closer to Haad Yao Bayview Resort

And the fly in the ointment: the blue pipes are the drain from the bungalow. Usually the pipe is not visible under the sand.

Infrastructure

I would not say that this is a place with developed infrastructure. There are massage parlors, several cafes, but in general, you zip through the entire area on a bike without noticing, it’s so small. Basically, people are content with the infrastructure of their resort or hotel, whose employees will feed you, give you massages, offer rentals, and can take you on excursions.

On Haad Yao there is a 7-Eleven mini-market, the assortment of which is quite sufficient to meet the needs of this micro-district. By the way, it’s very cool for any beach to have its own 7-Eleven or FamilyMart. This immediately increases its attractiveness for tourists who are planning a stay for a long time and do not want to spend money on renting a car or risk renting a scooter. Among the less well-known establishments - on the shore.

Local infrastructure, a minimarket on such a small beach - it’s very cool

Houses and hotels on the beach

Haad Yao, despite its relative smallness, is full of housing of various categories, from guest houses to decent resorts with good rating. For example:

I lived right on the border of Had Son and Haad Yao beaches, at the Haad Son Resort , but it is on the mountain.

Here, many beaches are located in lowlands and are separated by passes with ascent and descent, and so my hotel turned out to be on such an ascent. Walking to Haad Yao Beach is fun, but getting up is a bit difficult, although you can only go to the hotel beach. .

Be sure (and I insist) to check for discounts or special offers on a great service. It will quickly and easily show you discounts in all existing systems reservations. In Asia, for example, there are a lot of offers on Agoda.com, which are much more interesting than for exactly the same hotels on Booking.com.

They are very different from each other. Therefore, it is very important not to make a mistake when choosing a vacation spot, otherwise lovers of silence may well find themselves in the party town of Haad Rin, and vice versa, active young people - in the wilderness, where they will have to ride a motorcycle or tuk-tuk to get to entertainment. In total, there are more than three dozen beaches on the island, if you count the smallest ones.

List of Koh Phangan beaches:

Basic tips for choosing a vacation spot are as follows. In the east and north of Koh Phangan there are secluded places, where apart from hotels and a few restaurants there is practically nothing else. Some of them don’t have a normal road at all (not even gravel) and you have to get there by boat. Such inaccessibility makes them not particularly popular among tourists and, as a result, there are not many people there, in general - perfect place for those who want privacy.

For partygoers, there is simply no better place to visit than the southeastern beaches of Koh Phangan. It is here that the famous Haad Rin is located, where every month a grandiose disco on the coast is held, attracting thousands of people. On other days (high season) there is also usually music after sunset, so this is not the place for have a relaxing holiday. But if you come in the low season, for example, in May and don’t get to the Full Moon Party, then in the evenings the beach is quite calm and there are not many people.

The western coast of the island is heterogeneous - there are calm sections of the coast, where there are only a few hotels with bungalows, and there are also more lively ones, where there are even bars with music. But in any case, they do not reach Haad Rin and there is not much noise or crowds here.

Haad Rin Nok, Sunrise Beach

This beach hosts parties every day and a Full Moon Party once a month. Had Rin Nok - for lovers of large companies and entertainment until the morning. For this, there is everything you need - bars with powerful sound systems, restaurants, a large selection of accommodation, water activities, volleyball and football on the beach. This is the youngest beach on Koh Phangan.

Video of Haad Rin Nok

Haad Rin Nai, Sunset Beach

The second name “Sunset Beach” speaks for itself: there are very beautiful sunsets here. But this is not for a beach holiday best place, since its width is only a few meters, and in some areas the water even approaches the trees that stand on the shore.

Despite this, there are plenty of hotels, because from here you can walk to Haad Rin Nok, where the main party of Koh Phangan is located. There is also a pier from which you can sail for 200 baht. Nearby there is a small town that has everything: restaurants, clubs, bars, massage parlors, travel agencies, banks, motorbike rentals and much more.

Video by Haad Rin Nay

Mae Haad

The beach is located 3 km west of the bay and the village of Chaloklum. One of the best places for diving and snorkeling as Mae Had is surrounded by magnificent beauty coral reef.

The coast is divided into 2 parts - western and eastern. There are many more hotels and tourists in the west, as this part is longer and more comfortable. In the east there are much fewer vacationers; it is not as clean as in the western part. It is mainly used by local residents to store their boats. But the main feature of Mae Had is the island of Koh Ma located opposite it, which can be reached on the sand in 3 minutes during low tide, and during high tide - knee-deep or waist-deep water. The island also has its own beach.

Haad Yao West

One of the most touristy beaches in the west of Koh Phangan. There is quite a lot of entertainment here: bars, restaurants, supermarkets, souvenir shops, massage parlors, car and motorcycle rentals and many other attributes of civilization. This is a place for those who don't like to be bored.

Chao Phao

A popular beach on Koh Phangan with developed infrastructure and low cost of living. It consists of several bays and coves, fenced off from other beaches by rocky formations. Here the depth of the sea does not depend on the ebb and flow of the tides, as in most other places. You can rent a boat and go sailing on the sea. There is a coral reef 150 m away, so it is a good place for diving and snorkeling.

Haad Salad

There are quite expensive hotels on Haad Salad Beach, but there are several places with bungalows where you can stay for much less.

This is popular tourist place on Koh Phangan with a supermarket, restaurants, bars, massage parlors, ATMs and internet cafes. Many travel agencies have their offices here. If desired, you can rent a kayak. There is a coral reef 200 meters away - favorite place for divers.

Seekantang Beach

This beach on Koh Phangan is popular because it is located behind Haad Rin, but at the same time it is not particularly popular. The place is very beautiful, not many people. It is quiet in the evenings (especially in the eastern part), only on the days of the Full Moon Party you can hear music from your neighbor. In the west, in , there is a bar with a sound system, so sometimes discos are held here too.

Video from Seekantang Beach

Ban Kai Beach

In ancient times, gold was mined in this area of ​​Koh Phangan, and now there is a fairly popular beach with bars, hotels and shops. But it is much calmer here than on Haad Rin.

Ban Tai

Another beach for lovers of entertainment and nightlife. Black Moon Culture Parties are held here once a month. The party takes place in the western part of the coast, closer to Ban Kai.

All life is concentrated near the coast, and if Haad Rin is full of bars, restaurants and hotels far from the sea, then there is nothing like that here. In the western part of Ban Tai there is a pier from which you can get to Koh Samui.

Chaloklum Beach

Chaloklum is one of the ports, so there are quite a lot of ships and local boats. Cheap seafood is available for sale.

It is believed that this is the best place on Koh Phangan for surfing, as when there is wind in the sea there are often high waves. But only the eastern and western parts are suitable for swimming (rather shallow), since there is a pier in the center, and the beach there is not particularly pretty. The infrastructure is well developed, there is a 7/11 store, restaurants, hotels. But since this is largely a Thai village, you won’t find discos or much entertainment. In general, in our opinion, this is not the best place for a beach holiday; it’s hard to feel the tropical idyll here.

Thongsala

This is the main one populated area on the island of Koh Phangan. This is where almost all ships from the mainland arrive, Koh Samui Islands and Koh Tao. Here is the best place for shopping, a large selection of inexpensive guesthouses (in low season you can stay for 300 baht in a room with air conditioning, a refrigerator and a TV), many travel agencies and motorbike rentals (almost at every turn), there is a night market and the only supermarket on the entire island Tesco Lotus with groceries and some household goods, such as electric stoves.

If you come to Koh Phangan for beach holiday, then it’s better not to settle here, since the proximity to the pier leaves its mark - the sea is not particularly clean, there are many boats, the coast is narrow. Although a compromise can be found, since the neighboring sparsely populated and nice beach Nai Wok can actually be reached in 15-20 minutes. There is no nightlife in the town itself, but on the way to the east you will find drinking bars with available girls.

Bang Charu

Bang Charu Beach is a great alternative to Thongsal. They follow each other, but the coast of Bang Charu is very nice, there are not many people. At the same time, you will have access to shopping in Thongsala and bars on the main road. The coast is wide, there is a lot of sand. There is also a stadium and a Thai boxing school here.

Srithanu Beach

If you are interested in the real life of Thais, then settle on this beach. There is a village nearby, the life in which is the same as many decades ago on Koh Phangan. You will see how the locals lived before the “conquest” of the island by tourists. One of the attractions of Srithanu is the Laem Son lake, which has improvised water rides. There are not very many people resting on Sritanu. At the same time, if you move a little away from the coast, you will come across travel agencies, a 7/11 store, and motorbike rentals.

Thong Nai Pan

The beach is located in the northeast of Koh Phangan. It consists of two sections, similar to each other and separated by a rock. The infrastructure is more developed in the south - there is even. Since it is not so easy to get here, prices in stores are higher than in other places. Thong Nai Pan is quite crowded, there are observation deck with magnificent views of the island and bay. Housing is available both expensive and cheap. It is quite possible to get there by motorbike through the center of the island. True, the road turns from asphalt to gravel halfway, so novice bikers are better off not taking risks. Thong Nai Pan good place to watch the sunrise (at about 6 a.m.).

Sometimes it is also sometimes called Long Beach. This beach, about a kilometer long, quite wide, with fine white sand, is considered one of the most beautiful beaches on Koh Phangan. Near the shore there are picturesque palm trees, coniferous and deciduous trees, which create a pleasant shade for relaxation.

Haad Yao beach is very shallow white sand and clear turquoise sea. But the low tides are noticeable in the sea, of course the low tides are not as bad as on the beaches in the southwest of the island, but still it’s not very comfortable to swim in the sea in the evening. Not far from the shore there is a reef where you can snorkel and look at the fish and corals.

On the shore on the beach Haad Yao(Haad Yao) there are no local settlements, but only hotels and bungalows for every taste and budget. We lived at the very beginning of Haad Yao beach (if you come from the Thong Sala port) in a hotel. There is a normal road from Thong Sala port to the hotel, travel time is 15-20 minutes.

The beach on this side of Haad Yao is wide and there is room for playing football or volleyball. But towards the end of the bay, near the cape, a lot of algae was noticed, which is why swimming in this place was not very comfortable.

On the opposite side of the beach, the beach strip is narrower and in the morning, at high tide, the water reaches almost to the hotel restaurants.

There are restaurants and bars on the beach that offer Thai and European dishes.

Very nice bar on the beach - Vaga Bar
Vaga Bar in the evening

In the evening, closer to sunset, many restaurants set up tables on the sand and people gather to first drink a cocktail and watch the sunset, and then try BBQ or other delicious dishes.

Evening gatherings on the beach with a cocktail
My favorite Thai cocktail is Mai Tai :)

In the evening, all bars are beautifully illuminated and many host fakir shows.

Haad Yao is located in the west of Koh Phangan and offers stunning sunsets.

On Haad Yao beach there are many salons with Thai massage for 300 baht (I can’t say anything about the quality of the massage - they didn’t do massage there, as there was always no time) and, for some reason, many shops for tailoring suits!!! We haven’t seen this on the beach for a long time 😎

There is a rocking chair on Haad Yao Beach that is so nice to ride on 😎

A little further, on the road parallel to the beach, there is a 7 eleven store, which opened in 2011. You can buy water, coffee, nuts, chocolate, wine and other small items there. Prices at this 7 eleven are cheaper than on the beach, but more expensive than at . And what surprised me was that there were queues at 7 eleven! This is the first time I've seen this!

Near 7 eleven in the evening they bake and sell delicious Thai pancakes. And here is the fruit market on the beach Haad Yao was not noticed. But we didn’t really look, because we specifically went to the market in Thong Sala and to Tesco Lotus for fruit and water.

There are many houses for rent in the Haad Yao Beach area. long term(House for rent). As we understand, many winterers from Russia also live in this place 😎

Here are some offers for houses for rent on the island of Koh Phangan - there are phone numbers in the photo, you can call and find out the rental conditions and book your house:

Contingent on the beach Haad Yao different from the contingent on Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach. If a more respectable public relaxes on Tong Nai Pan Yai beach, then on Haad Yao beach there are more young people and more informal people, and there are a lot of families with children and many Russians. We haven't heard so much Russian speech since...

If we compare the two beaches where we lived on the island of Koh Phangan, I liked the beach more than Haad Yai beach. Firstly, because of the contingent living on the beach, and secondly, because Haad Yai is somehow less well maintained, the beach is less well cleaned, and the cafes are not so nice 😎 . And there are much more people on Haad Yao beach.

Although for those who need at least a minimal party and the ability to easily get to the very big town on Koh Phangan - Thong Sala, Tesco Lotus, market, other attractions and beaches of Koh Phangan, I recommend the beach for accommodation Haad Yao.

On the island of Koh Phangan there is a wonderful beach called Haad Yao, although it is sometimes called Logn Beach. His landscapes could decorate any postcard.

Architecture

Haad Yao is an ideal location for football and volleyball championships. The length of the sandy coast is about one kilometer. Coconut palm trees grow around, under the shadow of which more than one resort and hotel are hidden; bar with restaurant; massage parlor and minimarket, facing west. The sea sunsets here are simply amazing. The beach is perfect thanks to its unforgettable marine species.

Neighborhood

From the islands to west coast Phangan is closest, perhaps, to a small island called Koh Ma. They were connected by an artificially created sand spit. And in the only national Marine Park Koh Phangan will attract your attention with turtles, reef sharks and a wide variety of tropical fish. The areas surrounding Haat Yao Beach are mountainous, but numerous paths and paths allow for pedestrian crossings between nearby beaches. Special attention You should pay attention to the freshwater Laem Son Lake and Vang Sai Waterfall. The Chorenrit Muau Thai camp is considered the first sports institution in this area. His age is over 15 years. It is equipped with a gym and sports hall where boxers train. More than 1000 athletes have been trained at this camp. It is notable for the fact that it allows in not only local residents, but also tourists. Thanks to special courses, people with different levels of training can study here. Tourists prefer to spend time in the fitness room. To attend classes, they only need to acquire a subscription that gives them the right to take a two-week course, although they can use a one-time subscription entrance ticket. The camp is ready to receive its clients any day throughout the year. And in the local sports store you will find sportswear and food. Behind the picturesque hills you will find Paeng Waterfall. Climbing up the path, you can take a break and plunge into a wide pool of fresh water. A little higher there will be another level of the waterfall. Having thoroughly enjoyed its view, you can go to the Wat Phu Khao Noi temple - one of the oldest religious institutions in Phangan. Translated, its name means temple of a small mountain. Everything here breathes antiquity. Numerous relics of Buddha can be seen in this active temple. The atmosphere of this place is really special, not the same as in a young temple.

Note to tourists

Haad Yao Beach – wonderful place for walking. Diving enthusiasts are keen to get to the island of Koh Phangan, because the opportunity to swim next to a coral reef is a chance to see the local marine fauna. Haad Yao Beach has a light, relaxed atmosphere. Everything you may need can be found within its borders or in nearby areas.