Koh Tapao Noi

Koh Tapao Noi is a very small (1.7 km. of coast) forest-covered island set in the Andaman Sea just about two kilometers off the eastern coast of Phuket Island. The eastern coast is rocky and without beaches, but the west side has a 400-meter-long beach and is decent for snorkeling and swimming.

Getting to the island from Patong Beach isn’t too difficult. Take the highway over the mountain toward Phuket Town (Hwy 4029), pass the Phuket Golf Course and go south on Hwy 402 to Hwy 4022. Go east on Hwy 4023 the whole way down to Chom Tong Village and to Panwa Beach on Phuket’s east coast. From there you can take a long tail boat for ten minutes to the pier on the northwest side of Koh Tapao Noi.

This little island is not full of things to do; Koh Tapao Noi is for people who want a relaxing day on the beach or snorkeling. There are usually not many boats and people on the beach here.

There are no accommodation on Koh Tapao Noi. There are also no restaurants. If you are planning to come for a couple of hours, you should bring your own food and beverages, snorkeling equipment and anything else you may need to make your stay comfortable.

While you’re out on the water, you may want to visit some of the other nearby islands. Travel by boat just half-a-kilometer to the southwest and you’ll come upon a slightly larger island shaped like a boot, Koh Tapao Noi’s sister island, Koh Tapao Yai. This island measures about one km. by one-half km. (larger than Tapao Noi) and has a couple of private beaches, althought it is largely forest and rocky coast similar to Koh Tapao Noi. There are definitely nicer islands to see while you’re in Phuket.

Koh Tapao Yai

Koh Tapao Yai has fertile forests where a lot of horn-bills inhabit. A stone beach with nature trail around the island and up to the hill can overlook the scenery of Sire Island.Visitors need to ask for permission prior to their visit to Koh Tapao Noi as it is the location of the southern sea level measuring station.The lighthouse area is a wonderful viewpoint and the island’s distinctive feature. It’s more than a 100 years old and the first lighthouse of the south for navigation aid.