Ko Tao (เกาะเต่า), literally Turtle Island, is an island in the Gulf of Thailand in the south of thailand
Sairee Beach, Ko Tao, Thailand Understand Ko Tao is a great place for divers who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Ko Samui and want more than the Full Moon Party on Ko Pha Ngan. Ko Tao is a great place to learn how to dive. There are hardly any currents and you have to travel in a boat for at least an hour to find depths deeper than 40 meters. Get in
The only option is by boat. If you're coming from the south, you can take a ferry from Surat Thani (around 3 hours) on the mainland, or from Ko Samui (1.5 hours) or Ko Pha Ngan (1 hour). If you're taking a boat from Surat Thani, one possibility might be an overnight ferry - depart around 23:00 and arrive in the morning, about 06:00 (subject to changes). It's advisable to arrive early to grab a mattress as most are formerly cargo boats, so facilities are basic.
If you're coming from the north, you can catch a ferry from Chumphon. Numerous agents sell tickets for a variety of boats of varying size and speed. The fastest takes about 90 minutes, the slowest almost 5 hours. You can also day trip on diving charters from Ko Samui. Many have high speed boats that can make the trip to Ko Tao in about an hour.
Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran is probably the fastest and most comfortable way to get to Ko Tao. They run twice a day from Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan and Chumphon. They also have online booking - useful for checking availability at peak times and all their boats have air conditioning and movies for all passengers. Get around There is only one road on the entire island. There are usually plenty of taxi cars available on both Sairee village and Mae Haad.
You can rent bicycles and motorcycles at a few places on Sairee Beach, Mae Haad, and Chalok. Be careful if you rent a motorbike as the dirt roads can get dangerous. See Sunset view from Thipwimarn RestaurantTake a bike around the island. Shark Bay is a good place to go snorkeling for the day (don't worry too much about sharks, they are only small black-tip reef sharks). However, to see the best places, go by foot as some are inaccessible to motorists.
Scuba diving is still the biggest attraction on Ko Tao. Diving in Ko Tao is easy, fun, and you can see turtles, stingrays, barracudas, lots of small fish, reef sharks, and there is a very small chance of seeing a whale shark. At Chumphon Pinnacle(advanced divers only) you are likely to see juvenile bull sharks which have, until recently, been misidentified as grey reef sharks. Don’t worry, the bulls are curious but not aggressive and for many years literally thousands of people have dived this site without a single shark related incident. Nearly any time of the year except November is good diving weather in Ko Tao, In November, the visibility is reduced and the seas are choppy, but diving is good by the standards of many other destinations. When diving is good, the visibility can be 40+ meters. Average visibility is around 15-20 meters. There are a huge number of dive operators on the island, many offering budget accommodation (sometimes described as "free" accommodation, but this is not really true as you will usually get a discount if you stay elsewhere). Currently (2006) the price for PADI open water certification including the new PADI training manual, professional instruction, rental equipment, boat dives, and certification is around 10,000 baht; insurance and basic accommodation may also be included. Shop around as not all shops teach the course in the same way. Look for experienced dive instructors instead of a low price. A common method for teaching new divers is to train in a pool first by being taught about 20 basic skills before being taken out into the open water. Others will instead take you to a secluded beach so you will see fish and coral from the start but circumstances can be less ideal for an absolute beginner in terms of waves and visibility. You might be able to squeeze in a short dive in this way, depending on your group and instructor. Some shops have a private peer, some shops depart with a longtail from the beach, and some use the public peer, where you will have to climb some other boats. Ask if this matters to you. Most important: Find out maximum number of dive students in a group, and make sure you get an instructor who speaks your language if you are not absolutely sure about your english. These are the little things that will make the difference between an OK course and a great one.
Coral Grand Divers & Resort . Located in a much quieter area than the other dive shops, at the far end of the beach, the hotel is more upmarket than most on the island although the 'free' rooms are still basic. Operates 2 dive boats plus a speed boat. Crystal Dive Resort . One of only a handful of career development centres in Thailand. Every student level course and specialists in divemaster and instructor training. Divepoint (on the waterfront in Mae Haad) . Divepoint has probably the nicest dive boat on the island, big enough that you won't have to carry your gear to and from it. PADI and SSI. (closed during Nov & Dec 2006) DJL Diving Resort (dive resort on Sairee Beach, office in Mae Haad) . Small groups, experienced instructors and quality instruction. PADI, BSAC & SSI courses. Wreck diving by high speed RIB. Easy Divers . Fantastic PADI dive shop with really experienced instructors. Professional and fun with great accommodation. IDC Ko Tao . Instructor development courses (IDC's) run every month by English PADI course director Matt Bolton. Koh Tao Instructor Course . Divemaster and PADI instructor courses. Master Divers (Mae Haad) . Good safety record and well placed for divers that may want to progress on to technical diving. Phoenix Divers (Sairee Beach) . Good boats, new gear and multilingual Western and Thai staff. Sairee Hut (Sairee Beach) . Small but good, on the beach. Seashell Dive Center . Wonderful place with helpful multilingual staff, good boats and gear. No free accommodation. Located on Sairee Beach. Nederlandse Duikinstructeur Groep [www.duikeninthailand.com]. A group of Dutch instructors working at different schools giving courses in Dutch. If you're not into scuba diving, many operators arrange snorkeling trips around the island. Ask your accommodation about a tour. Long-tail boat and a driver can be chartered for about 1500-2000 baht/day including snorkeling gear. Other watersports
Sailing near Ko TaoOver the last couple of years more and more non divers have discovered the beauty of this island with its secluded little bays and unspoiled mountain ridges. Due to this, and the increasing amount of small upmarket resorts and villas nestled in the hillsides there are nowadays a lot more activities provided. In January 2007 the first sailing charter company on Ko Tao was opened: Island Cruises . They are offering Day Sails, Sunset Cruises, private charters and Ang Thong Marine Park safaris. The helpful staff is happy to assist finding accommodation or transport. Other water related activities available are wake boarding, water skiing, sumo tube, wind surfing, and sailing lessons. Other sportsHike to one of the secluded bays on the northern and eastern side of the island? On the 2 hour walk through the jungle to Mango Bay you will hardly meet any people. And when you're there-well, the snorkeling is good too. Or do the same trip with a dirt bike or ATV but be advised: Only for really experienced drivers-the medical facilities on the island make a very good living from motorcycle accidents.
More adrenaline? Go rock climbing or do some paint-ball jungle games (temporarily closed, reopens in December 2007) For the ones who are into a serious workout the Thai boxing stadium in Sairee is offering Muoy Thai courses and if that's not enough the Monsoon Gym is conveniently located beside the stadium. Less straining is playing mini golf or bowling in Mae Haad, doing a massage course or yoga. Cooking courses are also available. Last but not least elephants have arrived here; if you want to look at Ko Tao from an elephants back, go for it.
Eat A huge selection of Thai food is available, including lots of sea food. Barbecue fish is one of the local favourites. As a large portion of the population seem to be expats, you will find plenty of other cuisines too. Thai food is cheapest, with July 2007 prices ranging from 45 baht for stuff-on-rice through to 250 baht for a nice hunk of fresh barbecue fish at a decent restaurant. 25 baht would get you a fresh banana pancake, and 60 baht a bowl of porridge with honey at a budget resort's restaurant. 200-300 baht would get you a bowl of freshly made Italian pasta, and 160-200 baht for pizza. Fresh fruit juices are available at many stalls for 20-30 baht.
Thipwimarn Restaurant on the north of the island has wonderful sunset views and a 'higher class' feel about the place - however the prices are not much different from the rest of the island. El Toro Restaurant - between Ban's and AC BAR - offers great Tex-Mex, Pizza and Thai food. Java Juice-behind the Ko Tao Physicians Clinic, offers free Wi-Fi and fresh juices.
Playhouse is a groovy restaurant/bar/nightclub with great Mediterranean food Drink
When you get a break from diving, there are a few bars on the island. The bars on the island rotate nights, so the best bet is to ask someone working at dive shop which bar will be crowded that night or check the posters. Many start off the evening at the Lotus Bar, located at the northern end of Sairee, and after it closes at 1am, make a pilgrimage down towards whichever club is open for the rest of the evening at the southern end of Sairee. Fizz Beach Bar and Lounge on Sairee Beach is well worth a visit.
Sairee Beach HutsYou can usually find accommodation at the pier when you arrive. However, during peak times it is worth booking ahead unless you want to sleep on the beach or spend the night in one of the more expensive lodgings. If you are thinking of booking accommodation online before you arrive, make sure you book with the actual resort or a trustworthy booking site as there are numerous fake sites for several well known Ko Tao resorts appearing on the Internet. (All links below are genuine.) During busy periods, most resorts with dive outfits will not want you to stay unless you are diving at least every second day with them. If you don't want to stay with your dive operator and use their free accommodation, ask for a discount (although they will probably just give it to you without asking - competition is stiff!)
In March 2006, 400 baht/night would get you a room for two with a fan, 24 hour electricity, and a hole in the floor right on the beach. Prices generally go up with quality and features such as a fridge or air conditioning. The swankier bungalows may go for around 1200 baht/night.
Chalok Bay is nice and quiet but you won't get a sunset view - plus you will have to pay 50 baht each time for taxis or motorbikes if you want a bit of night life in the evening. Sairee beach is where the action is but many people complain when staying there about the noise from the parties at the beach bars till the early hours. It can be cheaper and easier to stay near Mae Haad beach and do the 5 min walk over to Sairee when you want to go out. Villa Jivarah, Ko Tao
Charm Churee Villa . A boutique resort located in the quiet Jansom Bay. Their beach front villas are some of the best accommodation on Ko Tao, while the Panorama Rooms offer great views of the spectacular Jansom. Snorkeling is very good, lots of fishes and some nice coral close to ther beach. Recommended for families with young children. Coral Grand Resort Ko Tao Resort (formerly Ko Tao Cottage) Jamahkiri Spa & Resort Thipwimarn Resort . Stunning.
View cliff Resort Villa Jivarah - private villa Villa Lipanaa - private villa Stay safe
The number one way to stay safe on Ko Tao is to not rent a motorbike. Motorbike accidents are very common, and almost unavoidable given the fact that people drive them drunk, on the left side of the road (unless they're drunk), and in the dark. The island is tiny, and can easily be navigated on bicycle or foot. Should you be unfotunate enough to need medical attention then there are numerous clinics on the island and with the largest clinic being situated in Sairee.
