Haad Yao & Haad Salad Hotels
6 West-Coast Sunset Stays
on Koh Phangan!

Salad Buri is the only 4-star resort on Haad Salad, opened in 2009, with around 72 rooms and villas spread along the beach and up the headland for the bay view. The draw is the beachfront pool that looks out over the clear waters of Haad Salad bay, with greenery wrapped around the grounds — and the west-facing sunset is when guests gather poolside. There's an aromatherapy spa and the beachfront Paradise restaurant serving Thai food and seafood; some rooms come with a hot tub or a private pool. Haad Salad shelves gently and stays clear, so you can wade in and swim or snorkel, and it's a short walk to the snorkel point at the end of the beach. Boats run out to Koh Ma.

Long Bay Resort is a 32-cottage resort sitting directly on Haad Yao, the long white-sand bay on the west coast where the water stays shallow and clear. Cottages come in garden and sea-view styles, and the ones nearest the front are a few steps from the sand. The standout is the Sunset Beach Bar by the water, where you can sit with a drink and watch the sun drop into the bay each evening. It scores 9.1 on Trip.com — guests praise the beachfront setting and the friendly, attentive staff, and several call it one of the best sunset spots on the island. Haad Yao is good for snorkelling and kayaking.

High Life Bungalow is a set of Balinese-Thai wooden bungalows built up the cliff above Haad Yao bay, with rock steps cut down to the beach below. The headline is the infinity pool whose edge runs out over the bay toward the open western horizon — at sunset it's the shot guests take home. Bungalows are air-conditioned with garden or sea-view balconies. It scores 8.5 on Booking from more than 1,600 reviews, with guests singling out the view and the pool, and the restaurant terrace looks down the full sweep of Haad Yao.

Tantawan Bungalows is a cluster of wooden bungalows on the hillside at the end of Haad Yao, on the side that faces the sunset. The bungalows are scattered through green gardens, each with a balcony and a hammock, and the higher ones look out over the bay and the western horizon at dusk. Guests talk most about the sunset view from the balconies and the restaurant terrace, and the food — Thai and European — draws praise. There's a hillside pool. It scores 9.4 on Trip.com but 7.5 on Booking across 600-plus reviews — the gap comes down to the stair access and firm beds, so check the room photos before booking.

Haad Salad Villa is a 28-bungalow resort right on Haad Salad, a minute's walk to the sand. The wooden bungalows are simply done, each with a balcony and a hammock, a fridge and hot water. The selling point is the location on the clear, shallow bay, with the snorkel point at the end of the beach about five minutes away. Couples rate a two-person stay 9.4, and guests praise the hands-on owner and staff; the beachfront restaurant serves Thai and European food in a quiet setting. It's the cheapest way here to sleep right on the west-coast sand.

Haad Yao Over Bay Resort is a set of Thai-style wooden bungalows perched on the hill in the middle of Haad Yao bay, with a wide-open view across the whole bay — around 20 of them. Sitting up high, the bay outlook and the west-facing sunset are the main draw, and many bungalows have a sea-view balcony. There's an outdoor pool and a Thai restaurant with sea views. It scores 4.1/5 on Tripadvisor from 129 reviews and is the cheapest pick here that still gets you the full bay view. True to the name, the resort is 'over the bay' — about 700 metres above Haad Yao beach, so you walk or drive down to swim.