Koh Tao is unexpected paradise for hiking addicts in Southeast Asia. Recently, I kicked off the Hike Your Heart Out series to highlight some of my favorite island trails, most of which remain hidden gems thanks to the lack of trail maps, marked routes and mentions from guidebooks and travel blogs. I’m excited about creating a…

Who’s ready for another edition of House Hunters International: Thailand Edition? It’s a little reality show I go through every time I return to Koh Tao and attempt to secure long-term accommodation. Compared to the real estate anguish I used to experience when apartment searching in New York, looking for a place to stay in Koh…

By this point, you guys are probably sick of hearing me say it — yes, there is more to do on little Koh Tao than just diving and partying! In fact, there’s a whole company that specializes in proving it. Technically yes, my good friends at Goodtime Adventures do offer scuba diving; but they also offer…

So you’ve read all my gushing posts about Koh Tao, you’ve found yourself daydreaming of your own palm-fringed beach days, you’ve looked up flights, and now you’re island bound. But where to lay your head at night? It’s one of the most frequent questions that lands in my inbox! The vast majority of my time in…

Welcome to my newest Koh Tao series! Hiking is one of my favorite things to do on Koh Tao, and I try to hit a trail at least once a week when I’m on the island. While in many ways Koh Tao is a hiker’s paradise, it’s also a secret one — there’s no trail map…

Physically, the key I dangled from my finger was little more than an intricately cut, nearly weightless piece of brass. But as I looked down at this particular sliver of metal for the last time, it felt like much more. Giving a spare one to a neighbor is a sign of trust. Presenting a fresh one…