Mae Haad and Koh Ma, Koh Phangan - the beach with sea on both sides, the hotels and whether to stay here

01What you need to know about Mae Haad and Koh Ma

02The story of Mae Haad and Koh Ma - why is there sea on both sides?

What makes this beach special is its geography.

Mae Haad is a beach on Koh Phangan. Opposite it is Koh Ma, a small, wooded island.

Between them runs a natural strip of sand that is exposed when the sea level drops.

At low tide you can walk along the sand towards the island, with the sea on both sides. At high tide, parts of the sandbar are covered by water and sometimes the whole crossing is submerged.

This is known as a sandbar - a strip of sand formed by the build-up of sediment and the movement of the water.

It is not an artificial path or a bridge built specially for tourists.

Is it really two beaches?

Geographically, it is Mae Haad Beach and the island of Koh Ma, temporarily joined by the sandbar.

But in terms of the experience, it feels like two different sides of a beach.

Standing on the sandbar, you can look to your right and see sea, turn to your left and see sea again, and at the end of the path is the little island.

That is what we remember most from our visit.

These are not two separate beaches you have to travel between. The whole experience is in the same area, and the distances are fairly short.

Can you walk all the way to the island?

Yes, as long as the tide allows it.

At low tide the sandbar can be exposed, and you can cross on foot. When the water rises, the crossing can turn into wading through deeper water.

It is important to check the low tide times before you arrive, and not to assume that because the path was dry on the way out it will stay that way on the way back.

If you are not a confident swimmer, do not try to cross when the sandbar is under water.

03What is a day at Mae Haad Beach like?

Mae Haad has a different character from beaches such as Haad Yao or Haad Rin.

The main attraction here is nature: the sandbar, the little island opposite, the water and the chance to snorkel.

There are a few hotels, restaurants and bars along the beach, but this is not a big tourist centre with a long street of shops and cafés.

We remember the area as a place you can come to, walk along the beach, take in the sandbar and sit down to eat something facing the sea.

One of the things we love about travelling in Thailand is that not every beach visit has to involve a planned activity. Sometimes it is enough to get to a beautiful place, wander around and let the day unfold.

Mae Haad is perfect for that kind of visit.

The two sides of the sandbar

It is worth spending some time walking along the beach rather than staying only at the spot where everyone photographs the crossing to Koh Ma.

The area near the resorts has more services, restaurants and places to sit, while the sandbar and the island are the natural focus of interest.

Conditions in the water can differ between the two sides and vary with the tide, the wind and the season.

So if you want to swim and not just take photos, check on the day where it is easiest to get into the water.

04Snorkelling at Koh Ma - is it really worth it?

Koh Ma is considered one of the best-known places on Koh Phangan for snorkelling straight from the beach.

Around the island there are reef areas where you can see tropical fish and coral, when sea conditions and visibility are right.

The big advantage is that you do not need to book a boat trip or an organised tour to reach the snorkelling area.

But it is important to distinguish between walking on the sandbar and swimming over the reef.

When is the best time to snorkel?

To enjoy snorkelling, you need enough depth of water over the coral.

At a very low tide, when the crossing to Koh Ma is easy to walk, some of the water around the reef may actually be too shallow for comfortable swimming.

So it is worth planning your visit around two different activities:

• Walking on the sandbar at a suitable low tide.
• Snorkelling when the sea is calm and there is enough water over the reef.

Do not stand on or touch the coral, and keep away from areas with boat traffic.

We are not presenting the snorkelling here as our own experience, but as an activity the area is known for and that is worth knowing about before you go.

05The coconut with banana - one of the tastiest things we remember from the beach

Besides the sandbar and the view, there is something else that has stayed with us from our visit to Mae Haad: a wonderful coconut filled with banana that we ate on the beach.

It is exactly the kind of small thing we love discovering in Thailand.

Not a fancy restaurant or a meal planned in advance, but something tasty you come across while travelling that stays in your memory long after you get home.

The combination of coconut and banana fits Thai desserts perfectly, as they make heavy use of coconut milk, bananas and tropical fruit.

Is it a dish typical of Mae Haad?

Not necessarily.

Desserts based on coconut and banana are common all over Thailand in various forms. You can find, for example, bananas cooked in coconut milk, grilled bananas and coconut desserts served in the shell.

Coconut ice cream served in a coconut is also a familiar street dessert in many parts of the country.

But we have no information that would let us say the banana-filled coconut we ate is a speciality unique to Mae Haad, or that it is a regular dish sold in the same place today.

So we would treat it as part of our own experience on the beach, not as a guaranteed culinary attraction for visitors.

If you come across it on your visit, it is definitely worth finding out what it is.

06Hotels on Mae Haad Beach - where can you stay?

One of the things that sets Mae Haad apart from other secluded beaches on Koh Phangan is that there is accommodation right by the sea.

That said, the number of hotels is fairly small, and there is not the wide choice you find in the more central tourist areas.

Three places worth knowing about are Koh Ma Beach Resort, Maehaad Bay Resort and Wang Sai Resort.

We did not stay at these hotels ourselves, so the comparison is based on their location, the type of accommodation and the facilities they offer, not on a personal stay.

Koh Ma Beach Resort - closest to the main attraction

Koh Ma Beach Resort is on the part of the beach next to the sandbar leading to Koh Ma.

It is one of the most convenient locations if you are coming specifically for the crossing to the island and the snorkelling.

The hotel offers rooms and villas, a swimming pool and beach access.

The main advantage here is the location: you can step out of the hotel and check the state of the sea and the sandbar without planning a trip.

We would look at it especially if you want to spend most of your holiday on the beach and go snorkelling more than once.

Read recent reviews about room maintenance, cleanliness and service before booking, rather than choosing it only because it is close to Koh Ma.

Maehaad Bay Resort - a resort with a pool and facilities

Maehaad Bay Resort is a fairly large resort for the area, with rooms and suites, swimming pools and a restaurant.

It suits anyone looking for a more organised hotel experience, rather than just a basic bungalow by the sea.

Its location lets you enjoy Mae Haad Beach and be close to the sandbar, while also spending part of the day by the hotel pool.

We would consider it especially if having facilities within the hotel itself matters to you, as the options for going out beyond the hotel are fairly limited in the area.

Before booking, check the room category, exactly how far it is from the beach and what is included in the price.

Wang Sai Resort - bungalows with a simpler feel

Wang Sai Resort offers bungalow accommodation in tropical surroundings, close to Mae Haad Beach.

It suits anyone who likes the traditional Thai bungalow style and prefers a less formal atmosphere.

The property has a pool, a restaurant and beach access.

It is especially important to check which type of bungalow you are booking. Not all room categories are the same, and some may be more basic, including differences in fittings and air conditioning.

It is also worth checking recent reviews about the state of the rooms and maintenance.

Which hotel would we choose?

If the main goal is to get to the sandbar and snorkel a few times a day, we would start by looking at Koh Ma Beach Resort because of its location.

If a pool and resort facilities mattered to us, we would compare it with Maehaad Bay Resort.

And if we were looking for a bungalow with a simple tropical feel, we would also check Wang Sai Resort.

These are not ratings of service quality, but differences in the kind of holiday each hotel may suit.

07A day trip to Mae Haad or a few nights here?

For us, this is the most important question for anyone planning a visit to the area.

Mae Haad is a beautiful and special place, but not every beach worth visiting is necessarily a place we would choose to stay for several days.

Option one: a visit of a few hours

For most travellers on Koh Phangan, we would suggest considering a half-day visit first.

You can come to the beach, walk along the sandbar if the sea allows, snorkel, eat at a beach restaurant and enjoy the view.

That way you get the special Mae Haad experience without committing to staying in the area.

This is a particularly good option if you are already staying in Haad Yao, Haad Salad or another part of north-west Koh Phangan.

You can also combine the visit with nearby beaches, rather than giving the area several nights.

Option two: stay in Mae Haad for a few days

Staying in the area suits anyone looking for a very quiet holiday, with few plans and lots of time in the sea.

If you like snorkelling, swimming, reading a book by the pool and spending the evening at the hotel restaurant or one of the restaurants on the beach, you may enjoy your stay very much.

There is also an advantage if you want to see the sandbar at different states of the tide without depending on a ride from somewhere else.

But it is worth understanding that the area is not a nightlife hub.

There is not the wide range of restaurants, shops and cafés you find in other parts of Koh Phangan.

If you like going somewhere different every evening, wandering on foot between cafés and enjoying nightlife, you may find Mae Haad too quiet for a long stay.

What would we choose personally?

We like to combine quiet beaches with areas that have restaurants, cafés and things to do in the evening.

So for a varied holiday on Koh Phangan, we would tend to base ourselves somewhere like Haad Yao and come to Mae Haad for a day visit.

On the other hand, if we wanted a few days of almost complete rest facing the sea, a good hotel on Mae Haad Beach would certainly make our shortlist.

The question is not whether Mae Haad is beautiful enough to stay in, but whether its quiet atmosphere suits your style of holiday.

08How to get to Mae Haad and Koh Ma

Mae Haad is in the north-west of Koh Phangan and can be reached by road.

From the Thong Sala area the drive usually takes around 25-35 minutes, depending on the route, traffic and road conditions.

You can get there by local taxi or hire car. If you ride a scooter, take Koh Phangan's road conditions into account and only ride if you have the right experience.

If you are staying in Haad Yao or Haad Salad, a visit to Mae Haad is fairly easy to fit into your day.

It is worth sorting out your ride back in advance, especially if you are planning to stay until sunset.

Our Koh Phangan transport guide

09When is the best time to go?

If your main aim is to see the sandbar exposed, the most important thing is the state of the tide on the day you visit.

Low tide times change from day to day, so there is no fixed time that always works.

If you want to snorkel, it is also important to check sea conditions, visibility and the depth of water over the reef.

In the months when the sea is calm and visibility is good, snorkelling is likely to be more rewarding.

We recommend checking the weather forecast and tide times the evening before your visit.

And what about sunset?

Mae Haad is in the north-west of the island, so the area can have particularly lovely light in the late afternoon.

If you are coming for a whole day, you can combine time on the beach, a meal and the sunset.

But if you are relying on a taxi or planning to move on to another area, arrange your return in advance.

10Things to know before you visit

Do not come just for the sandbar photo. Mae Haad is also a pleasant beach with restaurants, snorkelling and a lovely view. It deserves some time.

Check low tide in advance. The famous look of the sandbar changes with the water level.

Bring snorkelling gear if you have it. That way you can make the most of your visit if sea conditions are right.

Watch out for coral and rocky areas. Do not stand on the reef or touch the coral.

Do not assume there are facilities on Koh Ma. Restaurants and tourist services are on the Mae Haad Beach side. Take water with you before you cross.

Choose a hotel to suit your kind of holiday. Being close to the beach matters, but also check the standard of the rooms, the facilities and the distance to restaurants.

11Are Mae Haad and Koh Ma worth visiting?

Definitely.

Mae Haad is one of the places on Koh Phangan where the scenery itself is the reason to go.

The sandbar linking the beach to Koh Ma creates an unusual sight, especially when you can walk along it and see the sea on both sides.

We remember the visit as part of the fun of discovering Koh Phangan's different beaches, each of which offers a different experience.

And we also remember the banana-filled coconut we ate there - a reminder that sometimes it is the small, unplanned things that stay with us from a trip.

For most travellers we would recommend coming to Mae Haad for a visit of a few hours, and if you are after a particularly quiet holiday, considering a stay at one of the hotels on the beach too.

Either way, it is one of the places worth knowing when planning a trip to north-west Koh Phangan.

12FAQ about Mae Haad and Koh Ma

Can you walk to Koh Ma?

Yes, when the sandbar is sufficiently exposed at low tide. At high tide the crossing may be covered by water.

Do you have to pay to walk on the sandbar?

Walking on the natural sandbar is not an attraction that requires an entry ticket. Extra services, such as parking or equipment hire, may cost money.

Is Mae Haad good for snorkelling?

Yes. The Koh Ma area is known as one of the snorkelling spots on Koh Phangan that you can reach from the beach, depending on sea conditions.

Are there hotels right on Mae Haad Beach?

Yes. The options in the area include Koh Ma Beach Resort, Maehaad Bay Resort and Wang Sai Resort.

Is it worth staying in Mae Haad?

If you are looking for peace and quiet, the sea and snorkelling, it is definitely worth considering. If you prefer lots of restaurants, cafés and nightlife, a day visit may suit you better.

Is the banana-filled coconut a speciality of the beach?

We found no information to confirm this. Coconut and banana combinations are common in Thai desserts, but there is no reason to assume the particular dish we ate is regularly available at Mae Haad.

13More Koh Phangan guides

• Our complete Koh Phangan guide
• Where to stay in Koh Phangan
• Haad Yao
• Thong Nai Pan
• Getting around Koh Phangan
• Bottle Beach

Our impressions of the beach and the dessert are based on our own visit in February 2025. The information about the hotels, snorkelling conditions and tides is based on external sources; we did not stay at the hotels mentioned in this article. We recommend checking up-to-date details before your visit.