Ao Mae Haad

Mae Haad

As you would expect of Ko Tao's main town, Mae Haad has a great selection of eateries and a few decent bars too, however it remains relatively quieter at night and has little to offer in the way of pumping tunes and dance floor mayhem.

Wander right to the southern end of the beach and you will find Sensi Paradise Resort. The menu comprises of top quality Thai cuisine and some western delights. Their restaurant is open to non guests, is about as formal as you will get for beach side dining and while the prices reflect the service and ambience it is certainly worth it if you're looking for a bit of a splurge.

Further along the beach towards town on the beach, Tattoo Bar, offers a fabulous selection of tasty food from all around the world at very reasonable prices. Service is laidback but at this relaxed beachside location it doesn't seem to matter. Tattoo Bar serves Thai, Mexican, Indian, pizza as well as hearty pies, bangers and mash and does an excellent steak.

The road to the Songserm pier has a number of Thai cafes offering inexpensive food with not much to choose between them. Walk a few minutes down the beach northwards, past the Songserm pier and you'll find Whitening. Simply decorated all in white, this sophisticated restaurant offers a menu best described as Thai fusion. The seafood is good and one of the few places where you're offered a range of cooking styles for fish and seafood. It's more expensive but as with Sensi Paradise worth paying the extra for that touch of class for a special treat. Their cocktails are well prepared too.

During the day you'll find a papaya salad cart within a few steps of Whitening with chicken on a stick too. If you walk from here towards the Lomprayah pier you'll find an ever changing variety of street food. Walk up the hill away from the ocean with the Songserm pier behind you and you'll reach Bam Bams on your right hand side. This is cheap and tasty Thai food with great portions.

Continue further, take a right and walk along till you reach Moov. Described as an art garden, it serves tasty tapas sized delights in a well designed and chilled garden location. Moov do throw occasional parties with well known DJs so keep an eye on those posters and flyers.

On the road leading up from the main pier you have any number of eateries to choose from. Two bakeries sit almost next to each other and between them Cappuccino and Zest will take care of your sandwich, pasta, burger, croissant, salad and sweet tooth cravings. On the right hand side of this road you will find Pooks, tasty Thai food, great portions and very easy on the oil too. Up the hill from Zest and on the same side lies Famoso Pizza who serve pasta and salads.

Leave the Seatran pier and head directly up this road and the first watering hole you will encounter is Safety Stop. It has a range of imported beers and a traditional Western menu. Walk a few hundred metres further and you'll hit the popular Cafe del Sol. Free WiFi ensures this place is busy and the food is served quickly from a largely Western menu. Dolce Vita is a little further up the road on the opposite side and serves a Mediterranean mix in a cool white tiled locale. Just a few doors away, Reef Bar will satisfy any sports fan, many screens show a multitude of games, the beer’s cold and the atmosphere is friendly.