Koh Tao Cabana — Thatched Villas with Rock-Top Plunge Pools at the End of Sairee Beach
If you've ever scrolled through Sairee Beach hotels on Koh Tao, you've probably swiped past the aerial shot of Koh Tao Cabana — round blue plunge pools sitting on granite boulders above turquoise water. The resort clings to the rocky headland at the northern end of Sairee Beach, looking back down the whole length of the sand, which is what sets it apart from the row of concrete properties in the middle. The thing guests keep coming back to is the thatched-roof villas climbing the hillside and the Koi Pool Villas, where a private plunge pool is built onto the rocks facing straight out to sea — a setup only a handful of places on Koh Tao can offer.
The first thing guests mention is the villas scattered across the hillside. There are around 57 of them — thatched roofs, hand-sculpted curved plaster walls — and together they read like a small village tucked among the boulders and coconut palms. Rooms range from the garden-zone Deluxe Patio Villas around the pool up to the higher-tier Koi Pool Villas and Jig-Lae Pool Villas perched right on the rocks. Many villas have a semi-open-air bathroom with a stone basin set against a full-height window, so you shower looking at the sea. These small details are what stop the place feeling like a standard row of rooms.
The pool villas are the real draw here. A Koi Pool Villa comes with a round plunge pool built onto a rock outcrop that juts toward the water — sink in late afternoon and you can watch dive boats coming and going from Koh Nang Yuan all day. Reviewers consistently say the extra spend on a rock-edge villa is worth it over a garden room: you open the door in the morning to the sea right in front of you, with no walk down to compete for a spot by the main pool. Worth flagging, though, that these villas climb noticeably in price during high season.
The main shared pool sits in the lower zone near the beach — an outdoor pool with a waterslide and a separate kids' pool, so families with children are well covered. A few steps from the pool you reach the resort's private stretch of beach, a quieter patch of white sand at the far end of Sairee than the village side. The resort lends out kayaks and stand-up paddleboards for free, and a short paddle out brings you to shallow coral you can snorkel straight off the surface — which lines up neatly with Koh Tao's reputation as a diving and snorkelling island.
One guest recalls opening the villa door in the morning to a little pool on the rocks and emerald water in front — "slipped in before anyone else was up, and it honestly felt like having a corner of the island to themselves for a while."
The main restaurant is Rimlae Restaurant, right at the water's edge on the beach. It serves Thai food and seafood on a terrace that opens onto the bay — guests agree dinner at sunset is the best stretch of the day, eating while the boats head back in. Breakfast is included in most packages and earns steady praise for fresh ingredients. There's also a spa and morning yoga by the sea, which suits anyone after a slow day that never really requires leaving the grounds.
One thing to know up front — the resort sits on a fairly steep slope. Several villas involve a decent climb up stone steps to reach, so anyone with bad knees or travelling with elderly guests should request a lower villa near the beach. The other point reviewers raise consistently is that the buildings and bathrooms are starting to show their age, with some villas reporting inconsistent water pressure or hot water. This is a resort whose appeal lives in the atmosphere and the rocky setting rather than pristine, brand-new rooms — knowing that ahead of time helps you decide how much it matters to you.
The Trip.com score sits at 9.1/10 from 117 reviews, with cleanliness scoring 9.4 and location 9.3, while amenities come in lower at 8.6 — which tracks with the ageing-buildings point. In short, Koh Tao Cabana works best for travellers who want a private, sea-view villa on the rocks, leaning into a quiet island mood — plunge pool, meals by the beach, snorkelling out front. If you're coming to Koh Tao to do a serious dive course and want a crisp, modern room right next to the dive shops in the middle of the village, the far-end location may not be the right fit, since the resort is built around its villas more than walk-everywhere convenience.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Rock-edge sea-view villas genuinely beautiful — feels like a village on the island
- ✓ Private beach out front is quiet and clear, less crowded than the village side
- ✓ Staff attentive and friendly
- ✓ Free kayaks and paddleboards — paddle out and snorkel straight away
- ! Resort is on a steep slope; some villas mean a lot of stairs
- ! Buildings and bathrooms are starting to show their age
- ! Some villas report inconsistent water pressure or hot water
- ✓ Thatched architecture and tropical gardens unlike anything else on the island
- ✓ Koi Pool Villa with a private pool on the rocks — ideal for couples and honeymoons
- ✓ Beachfront Rimlae Restaurant with a lovely sunset view
- ✓ Can walk along the beach into Sairee village for restaurants and dive shops
- ! Path up to the upper villas is steep and made of stone steps
- ! Some villas need renovation; older bathrooms
- ! Rock-edge villa rates climb in high season
- 💡If you have bad knees or are travelling with elderly guests or small children — request a lower villa near the beach and pool when booking → the rock-edge villas have better views but mean climbing stone steps every time
- 💡If you plan to spend the trip in your own pool — paying up to a Koi or Jig-Lae Pool Villa is well worth it over a garden room, since you get a private plunge pool jutting over the sea instead of competing for space at the main pool
- 💡If you're particular about crisp, modern rooms — the charm here is the rocky setting, not newness · some villas have inconsistent hot water or pressure → if you want a sleek modern room, compare a newer resort in the village first