East-Coast Bay Hotels on Koh Tao
6 Quiet Snorkel Coves
Coral Straight Off the Beach!

It's number 1 because it's the most reachable, easiest-to-book stay right on Tanote Bay — Lub d Koh Tao Tanote Bay is a modern resort sitting directly on Tanote beach, with coral off the sand you can snorkel straight away (formerly Montalay Beach Resort), scoring 8.4 on Tripadvisor from over 2,000 reviews. The signature is the giant boulder in the middle of the bay that guests climb to jump off, and water clear enough to see fish from the shore. There's a seaside pool, a beach bar, kayaks and dive courses on site. A good fit if you want a quiet east bay but still want full facilities.

Mango Bay is the far northern tip of Koh Tao with no road in — you arrive mainly by boat, which makes it the quietest and most private corner of the island. Mango Bay Boutique Resort is a row of sea-view villas stepping down the rocks above the bay, scoring 4.2/5 on Tripadvisor from 238 reviews. It runs a boat transfer from Mae Haad pier three times a day (a 4WD when the sea is rough). Coral and fish sit right in front for snorkelling, and The Rock restaurant perches on the boulders with a full view of the bay. A good fit if you genuinely want to switch off from the crowds.

At 8.7 it has the highest review score in this list — Tanote Villa is a hillside resort above Tanote Bay with two swimming pools that look out over the bay and the open water, set among the coconut palms on the island's east side. Rooms and villas have private balconies, and some open straight onto the pool. Guests single out the restaurant over the bay and waking up to the sunrise over the sea (an east-coast advantage). It's about a 10–15 minute walk down to Tanote beach, where there's coral to snorkel.

At 8.6, with couples rating it 9.1, Aow Leuk Grand Hill is a stay right on Aow Leuk beach, one of the prettiest and quietest snorkel coves on Koh Tao. Walk a few steps from your bungalow and you're in clear water over coral. There's a private beach with loungers and umbrellas, and several bungalows have sea-view balconies. It's family-run, easy-going, with few people and real quiet.

At 8.3, from just ฿1,100, Poseidon Resort is a row of beachfront bungalows on Tanote Bay whose real draw is wading in off the beach to find coral and fish. It sits right on Tanote beach, with a restaurant and bar set out by the water. The bungalows are simple, fan or air-con, with balconies that catch the sea breeze. Come here for the beach and the snorkelling, not for plush rooms.

It scores 5.9, but the draw is a location you can't get elsewhere — Hin Wong Apartments is a block of rooms built on the granite boulders above Hin Wong Bay, the quietest cove on the north-east coast and a name divers know for clear snorkel water. Some rooms are sea-view with a kitchen and a balcony over the bay. There's almost nothing else in Hin Wong — the appeal is the quiet and the clear water. Choose it because you want to wake up to Hin Wong Bay, not for room comforts.