WHY SHOULD YOU VISIT KOH TAO?
Koh Tao is one of the smallest popular islands in the south of Thailand, and it is my favourite! The island has plenty going on but also the opportunity to feel as though you are in your own tropical world! Most people who I met on my travels said they wished they had stayed for longer than they did, and then I ended up saying the same!
How long should you stay in Koh Tao?
Since we had to rush south Thailand unfortunately, we only had 3 days in Koh Tao. However, I would recommend staying here for at least 4 nights. We met people who had extended their stays for 2 weeks they loved it so much!
WHERE TO STAY IN KOH TAO?
The size of this small island means ultimately you can stay anywhere on the island with regards to location. You can get from one end to another in just half an hour! We stayed high up in the jungle and it was only a 15 minute ride to all the spots we wanted to see.
what to do in koh tao
- swim with sharks and turtles in Shark Bay
This was by far one of my highlights from South Thailand! Shark Bay is located in the south of the island, a 10 minute drive from Sairee beach (the main beach and town of the island). I would recommend hiring bikes whilst here and driving down. To get onto the beach you have to pay a 100 baht (£2.20) entrance fee to Haad Tien beach resort which is situated on the bay. From the resort you can rent snorkles and buy drinks from the bar on the beach. We spent a long afternoon here as it was beautiful and the snorkelling was great, but we could have easily spent the whole day here.
2. Get your divers license
Since we only had a few days here, we didn’t do this but it is certainly something that I will be returning to do in the future! So many people we met had done this and said they loved it. Not only is it such a cool experience but it is the cheapest place in the world to get your free diving license, so why not!
3. Visit Koh Tao View point
AKA the classic picture at the top of this page! We were unsure whether it would be worth it since it can get really busy, but it definitely was. We went about 10 am and just managed to beat the crowds which led to a large queue up to the viewpoint. So if you are going, I would recommend getting there at 9am, especially if you are travelling in peak season.
4. Rent bikes and beach hop around the island
When I was coming to south Thailand this is what I had in mind; driving through the jungle on a motorbike in the sun, stopping at little hidden beaches, swimming and then watching the sunset. And that is exactly what we did. My best advice would be to get a bike, they are super easy to ride and so useful! Just make sure you hire one from a good place – get a recommendation. Koh Tao is brilliant for this activity as its so small but has so many beaches.
5. Watch the sunset from Secret beach
There are lots of viewpoints In Koh Tao that you can watch a beautiful sunset from, but this one is perhaps the most popular and I can understand why, we went back twice in a row. There is a bar, lots of beanbags and a beautiful sunset overlooking the sea, you can ask for much else. From where we were staying, it was just a 4 minute drive. It is up a very steep hill however, so if you do go be sure to have a bike, or be able to get on the back of someone elses!
beach recomendations
- Shark Bay
- Sairee beach
- Tanote Bay (Cliff jumping here)
- Nangyuan Island beach
- Freedom Beach
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