Out of all the amazing islands in Thailand, Koh Tao is hands down my favourite. Part of the Chumphon Archipelago, Koh Tao rounds out the trio of popular islands off Thailand’s eastern coast. Being the smallest of the bunch at a whopping 21 square kilometres, Koh Tao has more of a chill vibe, compared to the Full Moon famous Koh Phangan, and the swankier Koh Samui.
Since Koh Tao is only accessible by boat, it keeps the island from being entirely overrun by tourists. Bean bags in the sand for sunset beers, beautiful beaches, and for the most part, bars that shut down at 1 am. (Makes it a bit easier to get up for those 6 am dives)!
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We got the overnight train from Bangkok to Chumphon which is basically guaranteed to pull into the station an hour or two late. The pier is about 45 minutes from the train station, and with only an hour and a half to actually make the boat, it’s pushing it even if it gets in on time. We lucked out and were only half an hour late arriving, and actually made it to the ferry for the 7 am crossing. (The boat was waiting a few extra minutes for something and we were sprinting down the pier and the boat pushed away the second our feet were onboard, but we made it).
We were showing up in Koh Tao a few days before Christmas with absolutely nothing booked, so we were hoping that getting in early would give us time to find somewhere to stay for the next week. We ended up staying at Silver Sands Resort, in a little cabana 20 steps from the beach. A little rough around the edges, it was perfect for our week in Koh Tao.
I visited Koh Tao a few years ago, and it was one of the highlights of my entire Thailand trip. My last visit, I was in more of a party-backpacker phase, so I was excited to see what the island had going on besides the beach bars (don’t get me wrong, definitely still enjoyed them this time around too).
Which brings me to the gem of Koh Tao’s tourist industry – scuba diving. Koh Tao is the prime place for completing dive courses in Thailand, if you couldn’t tell from it being absolutely covered in dive shops.
My last trip to Koh Tao, I had intended to do my Open Water Certification. Myself and the friend I was travelling with paid our deposit, and then I chickened out the night before. Pretty sure I had a nightmare about sharks, and that was the end of it. She went ahead and did the course, and I just chilled. I’ve definitely regretted it since then, but wasn’t sure if I regretted it enough to actually go through with getting certified.
Either way, I arrived on Koh Tao still on the fence. Tom was 100% doing it, and I figured I might as well try and go through with it. For me it was more so the fact that in the ocean things can come at you from any direction.
We had researched some different shops before arriving in Koh Tao, and headed out to speak to them the morning we arrived. We ended up going with Roctopus, the pioneer outfit for RAID on Koh Tao.
Along with the amazing diving and snorkelling around Koh Tao, there are tons of other ways to spend your time. Beach exploring to be precise. Let’s be real, those beaches aren’t going to hop themselves. Luckily, Koh Tao is small enough that you can easily navigate it via scooter. But dear god, be careful. If you’re not an idiot, it’s a great place to learn to drive.
Unfortunately, Koh Tao is well known for it’s scooter scams. Almost all rental shops require a passport as collateral, and there are some horror stories of passports being held hostage. To get them back the passport owner forks over thousands of baht to cover a scratch on the bike. A quick tripadvisor or google search on the shop can save you a lot of hassle in the end.
Make sure to check the bike over entirely, and take photos/videos of every single inch of the bike. Shops will charge for the tiniest things, such as scratches on the foot rest. Also, wear the helmet.
There is a shop on Sairee Beach called KP Adventures that rents out scooters with scratch insurance. KP Adventures is more expensive than other shops, 300 baht a day compared to 150-ish elsewhere. But, if you’re just learning to drive a scooter it’s definitely worth it for peace of mind and not having to fork out a couple hundred bucks if you do have an issue.
My absolute favourite beach on Koh Tao! About a 10 minute scooter from Sairee Beach and an entirely different vibe. A quiet spot with mangrove trees scattered around, so it’s easy enough to find shade when you need a break from the heat. The water is really calm so it’s perfect for having a lazy day. When the high tide rolls in it takes over the entire beach, but there are a few raised places to chill.
The most popular area for backpackers to stay in, Sairee Beach is lined with beach bars and restaurants, with bungalows and hotels dotting the strip that runs parallel to the beach. It’s where the majority of the nightlife is, and it’s definitely the place to be for sunset beers. The beach itself is nice and a good place to lay out for an afternoon, with everything you need within a 5 minute walk. Longtails to Koh Nang Yuan leave from here as well.
Tanote Bay is popular with people looking for a bit more of a rush on Koh Tao. A large rock formation crowning the bay attracts adrenaline junkies looking for somewhere to cliff jump. Once you climb up the rope ladder you’re rewarded with amazing views and a pretty solid jump. The coral a short swim off the beach lets the less adventurous enjoy some snorkelling.
A ten minute drive from Sairee Beach, Hin Wong is one of the best snorkelling beaches on Koh Tao. There’s no entrance fee to access the beach, just 20 baht up top to park your bike in the shady area. The beach itself is pretty quiet, with one bar setup and the guy who owns it keeps the beach tidy.
One of the highlights of Koh Tao is a daytrip to Koh Nang Yuan Island. Longtails leave for Koh Nang Yuan from Sairee Beach throughout the day, but the earlier the better to beat the larger boat trip crowds that come in from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. It’s about 250 baht pp return, but it depends on how many people you have. Larger group, you can get it for a bit cheaper. The boat driver will ask what time you want to come back and tell you which number boat to look out for.
When you reach Koh Nang Yuan there’s an entrance fee of 100 baht, and you can’t take any plastic onto the island so leave the plastic water bottles behind.
There’s no shortage of viewpoints on Koh Tao. The island is littered with them, obviously some better than others. Most of them you’ll need a bike to reach, and it can be a steep climb. This is just a short list of the few that I checked out, there are lots more!
My personal favourite, John Suwan is a beautiful spot to catch sunrise. Once you get to the top there’s a bird’s eye view of both bays. It’s about 15-20 minutes to hike up, nothing too crazy but since there’s a little scramble over the rocks I would opt for sneakers or a sturdier pair of sandals. There’s an entrance fee of 100 baht, but we went up for sunrise twice and there was nobody around yet.
A 15 minute drive from Sairee Beach, Love Koh Tao. The entrance fee is 20 baht, or if you order food from the restaurant the entrance fee is waived. Love Koh Tao is decked out with plenty of photo ops, including some netted hammock bed things with a wicked view.
A good way to burn an hour and a half, the hike to Mango Viewpoint is a sweaty one, but what isn’t in Thailand. You’ll be greeted by a small restaurant perched on the cliff top with a 100 baht entrance fee. Comfy cushions come in handy to chill out while taking in the views over Sairee Beach. Looking for a good spot for sunset? Mango Viewpoint with it’s west coast views is probably the best!
A visit to Koh Nang Yuan has to include a hike to Koh Nang Yuan viewpoint. A short and sweaty hike leads to Koh Nang Yuan viewpoint, one of the better views in Koh Tao. It can get fairly crowded up there though, so if you’re going to check it out it’s best to head up before the snorkelling trips being to arrive after 10 am.
No matter where you’re coming from, you’re going to need to take a ferry. It is an island, after all. Ferry prices vary depending on if you’re coming from Chumphon or Koh Phangan ranging from 500 – 900 baht.
I personally recommend the night ferry when leaving the island, you don’t waste a day dealing with the ferry, you arrive in Chumphon around 5:30 AM, and shuttles to Phuket/Bangkok start leaving around 6. You get a little mini bed, the room is either AC or fans, but with the windows open it was perfect. I actually had a solid night’s sleep, just make sure to bring earplugs/eyemask/gravol (just incase)!
If you’re coming from Bangkok the options are pretty vast. Train, plane, bus, pick your poison. I travelled from Bangkok to Chumphon via night train, and from the Chumphon train station it’s about 45 minutes to the pier. I’d recommend the night train, saves you a night’s accommodations, and I hate wasting days transiting. BUT, I wouldn’t do the latest train. We were late getting in, and luckily the boat was running late as well otherwise we would of been waiting 6 hours to get the next one.
If you’re in Bangkok, you can save a couple hundred baht by buying your train ticket directly from the train station, it’s just a pretty far jaunt from the usual backpacker stops. We were in the area for a night market so we popped over. If you want to get a bed, you need to book a few days in advance. Also, get the train/ferry combo ticket. You save no money buying the ferry ticket at the ferry terminal, it’s actually a bit more expensive once you pay for a transfer to the ferry terminal.
There are two ferries daily from Chumphon to Koh Tao, one at 7 am and another at 1 pm. There are also numerous ferries from/to Koh Phangan daily.
The closest airport to Koh Tao would be on Koh Samui, which would also be the most expensive flight as well. Flying into Surat Thani or Chumphon is way cheaper, and then you just need to get the ferry over.
There are basically two options for getting around Koh Tao, taxis or motorbikes. The ‘taxis’ in Koh Tao are the bed of a pickup truck, and rides tend to be more expensive. A pickup truck ride from the pier to Sairee Beach is 400 baht. Getting a taxi from the pier? Ask other people standing around to share, most people are heading towards Sairee.
If you have experience riding a bike and were planning on renting a bike on Koh Tao, I would recommend just renting one in town and using it to get from the pier. If you don’t have experience and you’re travelling solo, there are always people to share a taxi with getting off the ferry.
Some accommodations offer free pick-up, so if you have a spot already booked, check with them!
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