Koh Tarutao: Thailand’s Best Adventure Island

Koh Tarutao is often referred to as “Thailand’s wildest island” and after spending a good amount of time on the island, we’re inclined to agree! In our opinion, Koh Tarutao is hands down the best island in Thailand for adventure activities.

Is Koh Tarutao worth visiting? Absolutely! Staying here is an absolute adventure experience and a must-do for those who love to get off the beaten track in Thailand.

Koh Tarutao: Overview

Coming in at 152 sq km, Koh Tarutao is Thailand’s fourth-largest island. The sizable mass of Koh Tarutao is almost completely covered in old-growth jungle, mountains reaching up to 700 metres, extensive mangroves and hidden cave systems. Along the coast, you can find completely pristine white-sand beaches. Sound awesome? Well, it is!

Koh Tarutao is completely untouched by tourism and being within Tarutao National Park, is protected from development by the Thai government. 

Adding to this mystique, Koh Tarutao has a sordid past as a former prison camp for political prisoners and there are remnants of this past scattered throughout the island. Combined with barely any visitors whatsoever, this makes for a wild experience. 

Where is Koh Tarutao?

Koh Tarutao is located within Tarutao National Park in the far south of Thailand. It’s just off the coast of Satun province in the Andaman Sea. It’s extremely close to the Malaysian border and you can see the Malaysian island of Langkawi from Tarutao. 

For those of you who like facts, it’s actually the southernmost island in Thailand.

Koh Tarutao is the largest island within the Tarutao National Park, measuring 26 km long and approximately 11 km wide. The majority of the island is dense and thick jungle, making it a prime spot for adventure activities and exploration.

The Best Time to Visit Koh Tarutao

The best time to visit Koh Tarutao is during the high season, which is from mid-November until March. During this time, you should have clear, warm days. 

All of Tarutao National Park closes from mid-May until October and you are unable to visit during this time. 

Where to next? Check out The Best of Thailand Off the Beaten Track for more inspiration

How to Get to Koh Tarutao

As with all islands in Tarutao National Park, getting to Koh Tarutao involves a bit of work. But like all good travel spots, it’s worth it! 

There are a number of steps involved. 

1. First, you need to get to Hat Yai. 

To get to Hat Yai, you can either fly (easy, fast, albeit somewhat expensive), or you can take a bus or a train. 

Flying to Hat Yai

There are multiple flights from Bangkok to Hat Yai daily. The trip is 1.5 hours and can cost anywhere from 800 THB – 2,500 THB. We booked ours very last minute and paid 2,240 THB each, including 20kg of luggage. 

The easiest way to find cheap flights to Hat Yai is through Skyscanner.

Bus to Hat Yai

There are multiple buses from Bangkok to Hat Yai daily. The trip is approximately 17 hours and most leave in the late afternoon and arrive early in the morning.

At the time of writing, there was one bus that left at 6.25 a.m. and arrived just before midnight. These costs from around 750B – 900 THB. You can buy your tickets here.

Train to Hat Yai

There are regular afternoon trains from Bangkok to Hat Yai. These arrive in Hat Yai in the morning. The trip is approximately 17 hours. They cost between 1000 THB – 2000 THB, depending on which tier you choose. Tickets can be bought here.

2. Once you are in Hat Yai, you need to get to Pak Bara.

This is the pier from which all the ferries/speedboats to Tarutao National Park depart. 

From Hat Yai, take a minibus to Pak Bara Pier. 

Minibuses depart hourly from the Hat Yai bus station and cost 150 THB. The trip takes around 1.5 hours to 1 hour 45 minutes. Tickets can be purchased here.

Looking for more in Tarutao National Park? Check out our Guide to Koh Adang

3. From Pak Bara, you need to take a speedboat to Koh Tarutao.

From Pak Bara, speedboats leave at 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. There are a number of companies leaving at each designated time. These tickets cost 450 THB per person. The trip takes 30 minutes. 

Alternatively, many travel agencies offer a combined minibus/boat ticket. This costs 750 THB. You can be picked up at the airport, or any venue of your choice. These can be booked through 12Go Asia, or through the travel agency directly.

Whilst we normally eschew travel agency tickets and prefer to organise things independently, we found this to be a much more convenient option. Plus, when factoring in the cost of transport to the Hat Yai bus station, the price difference was negligible. 

If you want to be as efficient as possible, we’d recommend catching a very early flight from Bangkok to Hat Yai and then arranging the 9.00 a.m. minibus/ferry combination. It will be a very early morning and a long day, but it will get you to Koh Tarutao by 1.00 p.m. 

Visiting other Islands in Tarutao National Park

If you’re going to be island hopping in Tarutao National Park (i.e., visiting either Koh Lipe or Koh Adang), it is much easier to visit Koh Tarutao on the way to the other islands. This is because every boat heading to Koh Lipe stops at Koh Tarutao and you can simply get off when the boat stops for its 20-minute ‘tour’. 

If you’re coming from Koh Lipe, you can still get to Koh Tarutao, it’s just a bit harder. You will need to ask at the Bhundaya Speedboat Office in Koh Lipe for a boat that stops at Tarutao en route to Pak Bara.

We asked multiple travel agencies in Koh Lipe and called a few companies directly, but none said they were stopping.

We then asked at Bhundaya Speedboat and they put us on the 9.30 a.m. boat to Pak Bara. The office is near the Immigration Office on Koh Lipe. It costs 500 THB per person (the same fare as the price to Pak Bara). 

Read next: Bangkok’s Top 5 Coolest Neighbourhoods

Leaving Koh Tarutao

If you are heading onward to Koh Lipe or Koh Adang, it is very easy to arrange a spot on a speedboat. As dozens of boats stop at Koh Tarutao every day on the way to Koh Lipe, simply speak to the ranger, who will organise a spot for you on one of the boats. The price is 500 THB.

If you are heading back to Pak Bara, you need to ask the ranger to organise a spot for you on a return boat. Boats generally don’t stop at Tarutao on the return journey from Lipe, so this will need to be specially organised. We tried calling Bhundaya Speedboat ourselves, but they told us they required the booking to be made by the ranger directly. The price is 500 THB. 

Tarutao National Park Entrance Fee

Being a National Park, there is a 200 THB fee to enter Tarutao National Park. You will likely pay for this at Pak Bara pier before boarding your boat. If for some reason you did not, you can pay it at the pier when you arrive in Koh Tarutao. 

The ticket is valid for 5 days across all the islands in Tarutao National Park. Unlike at Koh Adang, the ranger at Koh Tarutao checked ours closely. 

You will also have to pay a 20 THB pier fee at Pak Bara.

Related: 13 Epic Things to Do in Khao Sok National Park + Essential Travel Guide

Koh Tarutao Island

There are 3 main areas on the island: Ao Pante Malacca, Ao Mo Lae and Ao Son.

Ao Pante Malacca 

Located at the northern tip of the island, this is the ‘main’ part of the island and where the boat pier is. This is also where most of the facilities are: the Tarutao National Park Headquarters, the visitor’s centre, and a small shop. 

There is also a restaurant, bungalows and camping area here. 

Ao Mo Lae

Located 4 km down the east coast from Ao Pante Malacca, this is a secluded bay that offers a restaurant, bungalows and camping area.

Ao Son

This is another beautiful bay about 4 km further down the east coast from Ao Mo Lae. Like Ao Mo Lae, there is a restaurant and camping area.

To reach the other areas from Ao Pante Malacca, you can walk, rent a bike, charter a long-tail boat or hire the Tarutao National Park truck taxi (600 THB). 

Check out our 7-Day Northern Thailand Road Trip Itinerary for more off-the-beaten-track adventures

Accommodation on Koh Tarutao

Being a National Park, there is no development on Koh Tarutao. That’s what makes this place so great!

To stay here, you have two options: camping or government-run cabins. 

Camping on Koh Tarutao

You can camp at Ao Pante Malacca, Ao Mo Lae and Ao Son.  

Koh Tarutao camping areas are beachfront and absolutely stunning. Koh Tarutao has provided some of the most scenic camping we have encountered. 

If you have your own tent, it costs 80 THB per person to camp. 

That said, WE DO NOT RECOMMEND USING YOUR OWN TENT. We cannot stress this enough. The monkeys on all three bays are extremely aggressive and have a long history of breaking into tents. 

Here’s our story: when we arrived and set up at Ao Pante Malacca, at least 3 staff members warned us about the monkeys and told us not to keep anything scented or important in the tent. Even though we followed this advice, sure enough, within a few hours we had a monkey-sized hole in our beloved tent. Do not let this happen to you! 

Since our tent was out of commission, we rented a tent from the visitor’s centre for the remaining nights. It cost 260 THB per night for the two of us (inclusive of the camping fee). The monkeys seemed to leave this tent alone and we had no issues. 

Our advice would be to play it safe and rent a tent from the visitor’s centre. 

If you do not have your own sleeping bags and mats, you can rent the whole kit (tent, 2 x sleeping mats, 2 x sleeping bags, 2 x pillows) for 400 THB a night, inclusive of the camping fee. 

We also recommend keeping your valuables and bags stored safely at the visitor’s centre. The staff there are happy to accommodate this (in our case, it was their suggestion that we do). We kept a few items in the tent and our main bags and valuables at the visitor’s centre. They do not lock the doors at night so it is not a problem getting to your stuff after working hours. 

Read more about camping in Thailand

Koh Tarutao Bungalows

There are very adorable, basic bungalows at Ao Pante Malacca and Ao Mo Lae.

At Ao Pante Malacca, bungalows cost either around 800 – 1000 THB, depending on location, with the sea view options costing more of a premium. 

The bungalows at Ao Mo Lae are especially cute and directly on the beach. We’d highly recommend spending at least one night in one of these!

All have a/c, a mosquito net, private bathroom and come with towels. 

The easiest way to book is to either have a Thai speaker call the Tarutao National Park on 074 783 597 or speak to Tarutao National Park Office directly in Pak Bara. 

Theoretically, you’re supposed to be able to book via the National Parks Website, however, after spending some time on the website, we were unable to figure it out. 

Check out Chiang Dao in Thailand’s north

Where to eat on Koh Tarutao

There are restaurants in Ao Pante Malacca, Ao Mo Lae and Ao Son.

Considering it is the only place on the island to get food, the prices are reasonable and the food is good. 

For example:

• Som Tam – 100 THB
• Fried Rice – 120 THB
• Green Curry (this is a very big portion) – 300 THB

On average, we paid 200 – 300 THB per meal for the two of us. 

They will make vegetarian options for you if you ask, but they do not change the price. 

If you are going to Koh Adang, you’ll notice the menu is almost exactly the same.

Facilities on Koh Tarutao

Electricity has recently been brought to the island but only runs from 6.30 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. 

There is no wifi, but at Ao Pante Malacca you can get good 4G reception. There is no reception at any other spots on the island. 

Each bay has a bathroom block containing multiple toilets, sinks and showers (bring your own toilet paper). On Ao Pante Malacca there are two bathroom blocks, but only one has showers. 

At Ao Mo Lae there are outdoor showers in front of each cabin so that you can rinse off after swimming in the sea. 

There are no ATMs on Koh Tarutao, so ensure you bring enough cash with you for the duration of your stay. There are however plenty of ATMs on nearby Koh Lipe and Pak Bara. 

Love camping? Read about our Top 5 Places to Camp in Thailand

Things To Do on Koh Tarutao

Koh Tarutao is an adventure lover’s dream! There is so much to explore and the Tarutao National Park office has good rental gear to facilitate independent exploration. 

Mountain Biking

Koh Tarutao is an excellent island to explore by bike. There are paved roads that you can use to get to some of the more distant parts of the island and roam the jungle interior. Whilst the roads are in pretty good condition, there are a few steep hills, so be prepared for a good workout!

You can rent very good quality mountain bikes from the Koh Tarutao Visitor’s Centre for 250 THB per day. The price is calculated on a 24-hour basis, so you return the bike the following day at the same time. In our experience, they are pretty relaxed about this (no one was even at the Visitor’s Centre when we returned our bikes). 

We really loved renting the bikes and roaming the island this way. There are some great viewpoints and it gives you a great perspective. We didn’t encounter another person on the road but did see some sea otters (and of course, lots of monkeys!). 

Hiking on Koh Tarutao

There are multiple hikes to do on Koh Tarutao. The staff at the visitor’s centre will give you a map with details of each hike.

Just a heads-up that except for the cliff, all the hikes are through very thick and dense jungle. We recommend good shoes (Zandy hiked in Tevas and almost broke his toe) and downloading the maps.me map ahead of time. While the trails are adequately marked to get to the waterfalls, they aren’t marked for the return journey so will require some navigation on your phone. 

Pha Toe Boo Cliff

There is a lovely, short walk to Pha Toe Boo Cliff, which provides a great viewpoint over Koh Tarutao’s hilly interior and over the sea to distant islands. 

The walk begins just behind the visitor’s centre and is well-marked. The trail is 400 metres and very clearly formed. It should take approximately 15 – 20 minutes. 

The sunsets from the hill are particularly magnificent. 

Lu Du Waterfall

From Ao Son, you can hike through the jungle to a small waterfall, Lu Du.

The trail starts about 300 metres up the paved road from Ao Son. There isn’t a sign but you will recognise it because there is an intersection road sign just before you reach it and then there is an opening in the jungle. Download the maps.me map to help find it!

The trail is about 3 km and takes approximately 1 hour. The clear green cool pools are a refreshing treat during the heat of the day! 

At Lu Du waterfall the trail continues another 30 minutes to a second waterhole. This is a small clear pool surrounded by tall cliffs. We preferred this as a swimming spot and found the area more picturesque. 

Make sure you have a map downloaded for the return journey, as it is difficult to see the trail markings in this direction.

Lo Po Waterfall

The Lo Po Waterfall trail starts about 1.5 km south down the beach at Ao Son. There is a marked pool to swim in at the bottom. 

Unfortunately, we never got to walk this trail due to Zandy’s foot injury. We’d love to hear from anyone who has!

Kayaking on Koh Tarutao

With an extensive mangrove system snaking around the northern part of the island, Koh Tarutao is a wonderful place to rent a kayak and explore. 

You can rent a kayak from the Ao Pante Malacca pier for 100 THB/hour or 500 THB/day. 

You can kayak all the way inland to the crocodile cave, but you can no longer enter the cave. Depending on wind and tide conditions, it will take anywhere from 1 hour to 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach the cave. 

Koh Tarutao Beaches

There are multiple stunning beaches on Koh Tarutao worth exploring and you can reach them by mountain bike, or if you’re up for a big day, by foot. 

Every beach we went to was completely empty and looked completely untouched by humans. Our favourite was Ao Mo Lae. 

Note that sand flies are a big issue on Tarutao, so while the water is great for swimming, it’s not a great place to lay on the beach. The water is also cloudy and there is no reef so it is not a place for snorkelling. 

Visit Ao Talo Wow

This is a bay on the west coast of the island, approximately 12 km from Ao Pante Malacca. There are no facilities here but there are the ruins of the former prison camp and a giant rock that has become something of an icon. 

Spot Wildlife

Koh Tarutao is a great place for spotting unique wildlife. Keep your eyes open for wild pigs, water buffalo, sea otters and even cobras!

Our favourites are the adorable spectacled langur monkey (aka dusky leaf monkey) and the hornbill.

Sunsets

The sunsets on Koh Tarutao are absolutely epic. When we were there, we saw some of the best we’ve ever seen.

We especially recommend taking in the sunset from one of the many hammocks strung along the beach on Ao Pante Malacca. 

Other Important Points to Note 

The sandflies are notoriously bad on Koh Tarutao and we found that regular mosquito repellant just didn’t cut it against them. Our homemade tip is to mix coconut oil and Dettol – this helps keep them at bay. We also recommend bringing some non-drowsy antihistamines just in case. 

Stock up on snacks and breakfast supplies before you come to the island. 

Besides bottled water from the restaurant, there is no potable water on Koh Tarutao. We recommend bringing a Steripen, so you have access to clean water 24/7! It’s what we did and it was a game-changer.

If you’re camping, keep your bags at the visitor’s centre and any food at the restaurant. 

We’ve already said it, but we’ll say it again. Watch out for those monkeys! 

What to Pack for Koh Tarutao

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