Koh Tao Island Overview

Thailand’s southern islands are anything but unknown with heavy hitters like Phi Phi in the mix. Koh Tao is a well-coveted island catering to more the backpacking crowd known for its amazing, yet immensely cheap diving on offer. Koh Tao translates to “Turtle Island” in English, partly due to the resemblance of a turtle when viewed from its nearest neighbouring island, Koh Phangan, 47km away. Such a well-known, well-traveled island wouldn’t have lesser-known attractions, right? This stunning Koh Tao hike totally proved me wrong! Through thick jungle and exhaustion, Koh Tao lighthouse quickly became my favourite attraction on the tiny island.

Starting out from my dive company “New Way” accommodation (a small discount is offered, if you dive with them), a mate and I set off for a shorter hike to fill in our last day on the island. We were severely underprepared for what was to come. Originally only planning on visiting two or three viewpoints, the next attraction was just close enough away to lure us in. It’s safe to say we had bitten off a little more than we could chew.

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Starting Out To Koh Tao Lighthouse

Along the main road leading from Baan Haad Sai Ree Pier, the gentle slope turned steep very suddenly and the route to the first viewpoint didn’t let up on its brutal incline. Although the entire horizon was washed out all day in a sea of grey haze, it was completely worth it! This first viewpoint was around 2km in from our starting point – though it seemed a lot further due to the hills. The entrance fee to the first hazy viewpoint was 20 Baht. ($0.60 USD).

Viewpoint number one and two looked out over Haad Sairee Beach and were relatively close to one another. Atop the second viewpoint, in an abandoned shack we got much the same view as number one. Imagination came into play as the hazy blanket sat idle as if mother nature was smiling a cheeky grin!

Not too much further was viewpoint number three. Probably why it was too enticing to turn back! This beautiful vista gave views of both Haad Sairee Beach and Ao Hin Wong Bay. A large rock gave stunning views and was climbable for a better vantage point – it was a little dicey of a climb up though!

Once again, our Koh Tao hike ascent was consistently steep the entire way to the third viewpoint. After that, it slowly descended into the jungle. Signs for Koh Tao Lighthouse began to pop up, they were colorful as if to make out that the hike was cheerful. HA!

Entrepreneurial locals are quite common in Asia and we met a couple such along the trail of this Koh Tao hike. However, the owner of the North Mountain View Bar had taken his effort to the next level. Down the dusty and bumpy driveway, even deeper into the dense jungle, we were greeted by a faint whiff of marijuana and an eccentric man. His energetic and thick accent was too hard to understand his name, and with the scent of pot in the air, his nickname became “Mr. 420”. After climbing the shaky, rusty-nail fastened bamboo ladder to the top of an enormous boulder – which gave quite a stunning view – it was off into the jungle once again!

The entrance fee of 100 Baht ($4AUD) was a little steep for a lot of tourist attractions in Thailand, let alone a rural makeshift bar on a Koh Tao hike. It was, however, justified for a few reasons:

Number One – Simply meeting Mr. 420 was a delight in itself. He made the onset of exhaustion disappear as we laughed along to his impossible to understand, yet enthralling jokes and stories.

Number Two – His directions through the narrow path were invaluable. It was dense jungle and difficult to keep a bearing on which way we were headed, with all the twisting and turning.

Number Three – Most importantly – without Mr. 420’s erected trail markings, the lighthouse could not have been reached. Thin rope swung between trees guides you along the narrow, uneven path. And when the rope disappears, white painted arrows (or “arrowns” according to Mr. 420) lead you to the final destination, Koh Tao Lighthouse.

Two stunning, crystal clear beaches lay at the foot of the hill, home to Koh Tao Lighthouse. A beautiful and peaceful scenery as the waves brushed onto the large rocks on the shoreline. Unfortunately,  there had been a storm in recent weeks and the sand was littered with litter. It was everywhere! Hundreds of water bottles, even more thongs/flip-flops, and enough Styrofoam to build a white castle. It was disheartening to see a pristine beach smeared in such a negative way.

Around this time is when exhaustion sets in. We crossed both small bays along the shore and headed up the final ascent to our goal, Koh Tao Lighthouse. As the guiding ropes vanished the white “arrowns” became our leader. All went well for the short climb, but as the jungle canopy became thick and voided any light, we lost our path. The final white arrow eluded us to the point of almost turning back. At last, it was spotted in a dark corner of the jungle and within 30 seconds Koh Tao’s Lighthouse was in front of us!

A blue cloudless sky contrasted the pure white tower, and it was a welcome sight. A broken padlocked door swung open effortlessly and inside the height of Koh Tao Lighthouse was split into three vertical ladders. The stale air was only broken by labored breaths and drips of perspiration. One of my favorite photos came from a barred circular window, giving a unique perspective of the tranquil and untouched views of the surrounding jungle.

This Koh Tao hike is roughly 6km one-way, not including extra viewpoints and detours. It sure seemed like quite a bit longer while I was walking it. Exhaustion, combined with the intense humidity all but broke me mentally as we made one or two wrong turns back through the dense jungle. A steep, seemingly never-ending incline, with zero energy left was extremely taxing. I should have taken both more water and snacks!

We set out on a half-day hike to Koh Tao Lighthouse, but the excitement of another relatively close viewpoint, and eventually Koh Tao Lighthouse, was too much to pass up. While there are a couple of little restaurants and shacks along the way, only a handful was open when we passed. In the end, 24,000 steps equated to 17km round trip for our Koh Tao hike. It was too much as we were massively under-prepared. Definitely, go, this hike to Koh Tao’s Lighthouse is my favorite sight on the island, just please, plan it better than we did! Even so, the reward is well worth the anguish and exhaustion!

 

Lighthouse Koh Tao Hike Tips

-Be prepared for your day. It’s easy to get suckered into a “little bit further”. Take extra supplies.

-Good hiking shoes are a must as loose ground and exposed roots made it a challenging hike overall.

 

Koh Tao Lighthouse Hike Information

Two of the viewpoints we visited along our Koh Tao hike asked for entrance fees. The first was 20 Baht, while “Mr. 420” and his North Mountain View Bar charge 100 Baht. Both worth the cost.

All up our hike lasted 17km, and 24,000 steps – most of them on a steep incline/decline!

Even though Koh Tao translated into “Turtle Island” in English, turtles no longer live around the island.

A wonderfully in-depth guide to all activities and sights on the island can be easily found in the common “Koh Tao, a Complete Guide” book. Although it is very detailed, even it has no mention of Koh Tao lighthouse or the hike to it.

The hike is easily accessible by following the main road inland from Haad Sai Ree Pier and continuing along the asphalt road. All viewpoints are next to the weaving road. If you choose to continue on to the lighthouse, signs start appearing between the 2^nd and 3^rd lookout.

If you’d rather, you can book a wide range of tours around Koh Tao online, as well as transport to/from Bangkok. Click here if you’re looking for the best hostels on Koh Tao!

 

Lighthouse Koh Tao Hike Highlights

-Assuming the door isn’t locked, climb Koh Tao lighthouse if you feel comfortable. While you don’t get a beautiful panoramic vista, you do get a unique view of Koh Tao. Judging by the number of people we saw on the trail (zero), not many people get this view.

-I loved talking to Mr. 420 at North Mountain View Bar. I couldn’t understand the majority of the conversation, still, he had a way with words, none the less.

-A cold coconut after an extremely unprepared, 17km challenging hike, is the best thing you will EVER taste!

For another activity on Koh Tao, why not visit the underwater world and learn how to dive?? Check out my blog post all about diving the beautiful Koh Tao Island or take a snorkel tour around the island.

Have you been to Koh Tao Lighthouse? Another favorite Koh Tao hike? Questions? Drop a comment below 🙂