Koh Tao travel guide

Dive island with snorkel bays and Koh Nang Yuan. Most people stay 2–4 nights. Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug.

Highlights

• Koh Nang Yuan
• Dive courses
• Snorkel bays

Things to do in Koh Tao

• Koh Nang Yuan viewpoint & snorkel · 4 h · about ₹1,000 per person. Taxi boats leave from Sairee and Mae Haad; island entry fee payable on arrival and no plastic bottles allowed.
• PADI/SSI Open Water course (3–4 days) · 8 h · about ₹27,000 per person. Among the most affordable places to certify; plan at least 3–4 nights and avoid flying for 18–24h after the last dive.
• Two fun dives (Chumphon Pinnacle, Sail Rock) · 5 h · about ₹5,000 per person
• Round-island snorkel boat (Shark Bay, Aow Leuk, Mango Bay) · 6 h · about ₹2,000 per person
• John-Suwan viewpoint · 1.5 h · about ₹125 per person. Short but steep rocky scramble near Chalok; wear proper shoes.
• Sairee Beach sunset & fire shows · 2.5 h · free
• Tanote Bay snorkelling · 3 h · about ₹300 per person. The access road is steep; take a pickup taxi rather than a scooter.
• Kayak or paddleboard from Sairee · 2 h · about ₹600 per person

Where to stay in Koh Tao

• Sairee Beach (budget, ₹1,500–₹3,500 a night): Dive schools, sunset bars and food on foot.
• Mae Haad / Chalok Baan Kao (mid, ₹3,000–₹6,500 a night): Near the ferry pier or a calm southern bay.
• East-coast bays (Tanote, Aow Leuk) hillside villas (premium, ₹7,000–₹16,000 a night): Secluded snorkel bays; arrange pickup taxis.

What to eat

• Massaman curry & pad kra pao: Mae Haad and Sairee cafés
• Fresh fish barbecue: Sairee beachfront

Getting there

• Catamaran from Samui ~1.5–2h
• Catamaran from Chumphon ~1.5–2h (bus or train from Bangkok)
• Pickup taxis and scooters on the island

Good to know

• Oct–Dec monsoon brings rough crossings and poor visibility.

Thailand itineraries with Koh Tao

• Gulf islands: Koh Samui & Koh Tao · 8 days · 8 days, Koh Samui → Koh Tao · from ₹34,750 per person, base estimate before flights. The mid-year beach option (May–August), when the Andaman coast is in monsoon.
• Backpacker loop: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai & Koh Tao · 13 days · 13 days, Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Pai → Koh Tao · from ₹92,050 per person, base estimate before flights. Street food, mountains and a dive island on a budget, using minivans, sleeper trains and ferries where they make sense.