Dive sites include the nearby White Rock and Shark Island plus the more distant Chumphon Pinnacle and Sail Rock. Around Koh Tao, divers may espy turtles, nudibranch, colourful coral, barracudas and batfish. There are quite a few dive shops on Koh Tao and they offer the opportunity of obtaining PADI certification at very low prices.
Those who are not so keen on venturing below the sea’s surface will find snorkelling is a great substitute. Tourists looking to chill out and relax will find the soft sands of beaches at Sairee and Chalok Baan Khao are ideal. Beachside cafés serve up refreshing juices and appetisers to nibble on. Land activities include jungle hikes and rock climbing.
The port at Ban Mae Haad is the arrival point on Koh Tao for ferries from the Thai mainland as well as the neighbouring islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. The quickest route to Koh Tao is via Chumpon. Ferries from the Chumpon port of Tung Makham to Koh Tao take around two hours. 12GO can sell you tickets for the ferry or combined train-bus-ferry tickets all the way from Bangkok.
The diverse attractions of Koh Tao
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Koh Tao translates to English as Turtle Island. This unusual name is a nod to the island’s shape and the turtles that were once plentiful in this area of the Gulf of Thailand. Nowadays, Koh Tao is noted for its range of adventure activities chief among which is scuba-diving.