Visit Koh Tao - Koh Tao literally translates as 'Turtle Island' and for good reason. Sea turtles are abundant around it's shores and each year Turtles are released into the wild by the local marine life agency.
Koh Tao is the smallest in a chain of 3 islands in The Gulf of Thailand, which also include the much bigger Koh Samui and Koh Phangnan. The island is only separated by an hour and a half high speed ferry ride and therefore easily accessible throughout the year.

The island is well known for scuba diving and snorkeling, and offers also some hiking. The most popular place for tourists is Sairee on the West coast, which has a white sandy beach of 1.7 km interrupted only by a few huge boulders. Resorts are scattered with varying density, however, along the many small bays of the island.

Ko Tao is serviced by ferry services from Surat Thani (4 to 9 hours) (only night boats), Chumphon (1.5 to 3 hours), Ko Samui (4 hours) and Ko Pha Ngan (2.5 hours). All ferries dock at Ban Mae Haad.

Ko Tao has no airport.

Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan Snorkeling Trip (from Koh Samui)
For the combination of fantastic scenery above and below the water this tour is simply a must. While on the island of Koh Nang Yuan, relax and unwind by swimming, snorkeling or plain old fashioned sunbathing! Visit Koh Tao - one of the most scenic places for diving and snorkeling in the Gulf of Thailand especially along Aow Leuk or Leam Tien beaches. Book now for a relaxing day out!

Beaches and diving / snorkeling are the main (and only) tourist attractions on Ko Tao

Mae Haad

All boats arrive here. Naturally highly developed, but still managed to keep some of its old fishing village charm. Money exchange, post office, government office & health center are in Mae Haad. Most dive centers have an office here, lots of travel agents, email services, supermarkets, bike rentals, good restaurants and party venues. A few up-market resorts are located on the southern end .

Sairee Beach

Sairee's white sandy beach stretches about 1.7km over most of the west coast, interrupted only by a few huge boulders. Mae Haad is only a 10 min walk away. Being the most popular area on Tao, Sairee offers a huge range of accommodation, dive centers, restaurants, shops, beach bars, travel & email services, nurseries, etc. You also find here the Fishery Museum, the Rama V rock and on the way to Mae Haad the police station, the public school and the temple.

Hat Cho Po Ro and Giant Clam Park

This small powdery beach provides accommodations. The Giant Clam Park nearby breeds the near-extinct giant clam and exhibits many aquatic animals. It is open daily.

Rocky Bay

Famous for its Blacktip Reef Shark population, Rocky Bay is also a beautiful little beach on which to spend a lazy afternoon sunbathing.

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.

Thipimarn 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.

Suthep - next to dry bar - has a good selection of western food - the mash balls are seriously addictive!

El Toro Restaurant now offers high-speed wireless internet access - so bring your laptop or use one of their machines. It's tons better than the standard dial up that most internet cafés on the island offers and it's the same price...

Scuba diving is by far the biggest attraction on Ko Tao. Diving in Ko Tao is easy, fun, and you can see turtles, stingrays, barracuda, lots of small fish, reef sharks, and there is a very small chance of seeing a whale shark.

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.