Photo spot in Koh Phangan
Haad Yao and Haad Salad at sunset
Two beaches on Phangan's west coast where the sun goes down into the sea — soft sand, calm water in the dry months, and the quiet side of the island on a party night.
About Haad Yao and Haad Salad at sunset
Get directionsThe west coast is where Koh Phangan's evenings end. Haad Yao and Haad Salad face the sunset, with the sun going down into the sea rather than behind a headland. Haad Yao is the longer of the two, with soft sand and calm water in the dry months; Haad Salad, a little further north, is a smaller bay. Both are far enough from Haad Rin to stay quiet on a Full Moon Party night.
Start about an hour before the sun touches the horizon: the light worth having comes in the second half of that hour and the first minutes after it. For a proposal, the photographer finds a stretch of sand with nothing behind you but the sea and is set up before you arrive; for a family, the calm water lets small children paddle while the light is low.
Both beaches have buildings behind the sand, so the frames look out to sea. The Gulf's calendar applies: the dependable months are from about January to August, with February to April the driest, and from October to December rain and rough seas can wipe out an evening — keep a spare one.
Best time to shoot
The last hour before sunset and the minutes after
Tips
Check the sunset time for your date and start an hour before. On a full-moon night, stay on this coast and keep well away from Haad Rin.
Other spots in Koh Phangan
The Koh Ma sandbar at Mae Haad
On Phangan's north-west coast a strip of sand surfaces at low tide and joins the beach at Mae Haad to the islet of Koh Ma — two people walking out with the sea on both sides.
Bottle Beach and the ridge viewpoint
A single curve of sand between jungle headlands on Phangan's north coast, reached by longtail or a steep trail, with a viewpoint on the ridge above that looks down on the whole bay.
Thong Nai Pan at sunrise
Two bays side by side on Phangan's north-east coast, divided by a headland and facing the sunrise — soft sand, calm water in the dry months and jungle hills behind.
Ready to book?
Our concierge team will hand-pick 2-3 photographers who know Haad Yao and Haad Salad at sunset — free of charge.