Koh Tao

Koh Tao is an island paradise located near the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand. It covers an area of roughly 21 km².The main town or port is Ban Mae Hat.

The main economy of the island is almost exclusively centred around tourism with numerous PADA diving schools located in the main town.    Koh Tao was named by its original settlers for the island’s turtle-like geographic shape and served as a political prison colony until 1947 until its inhabitants were granted a Royal Pardon and relocated to the mainland at Surrathani.

The island is now one of Asia’s premier scuba diving and snorkelling sites, and also offers some fantastic hiking and climbing. The most popular place for tourists is Sairee Beach on the West coast, which has a white sandy beach of 1.7 km interspersed by huge boulders and a variety of medium and budget priced resorts and restaurants.

The island is covered with a multitude of imposing granite boulders, which nestle both in the forests and on the beaches of Koh Tao giving the island an unspoilt and tropical appearance.The island’s unspoilt appearance is further enhanced by very few concrete roads with numerous dirt tracks and trails dissecting the island.

Ko Tao is surrounded by a series of inlets and bays making it a truly beautiful and romantic destination with various places of interest to visit.

The more adventurous travellers visiting Ko Tao can visit Rocky Bay on the Southeast of the island where they can swim with Black Tipped Reef Sharks that visit the bay each day.Ko Tao experiences a raining season from September-November with the best times to visit December-August.