Dawn at Ao Cho, Ko Samet

Taken on: 18th January, 2004. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See travelfishery's page of Flickr

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Just over the hill from Ao Wong Deun, Ao Cho is a reasonable medium-sized beach split in half by a pier that gets a daily ferry in from Ban Phe. The swimming here is particularly good just to the south of the pier, which is fun to jump off.

Despite being a centre for boat drop-offs, Ao Cho accommodation isn't that impressive. Some newcomers have arrived on the market, and one of them, Ao Cho Grand View Resort, clearly hopes to attract a more upmarket set.

Like pretty much everywhere on the island, this beach tends to fill up on weekends, but through the week we found it to have a half-abandoned feel -- others might see it as hippyish and unkempt.

Weekdays aside, Ao Cho remains a good spot for a daytrip as the swimming is good and the seafood barbecues on this beach are very well-regarded. The only downside is that boats sometimes leave trails of fuel in the water, so be sure to check before leaping in.

A daily slow boat from Ao Cho departs for ... Read our complete Ao Cho travel guide

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