Coming to Koh Tao will undoubtedly be one of the best memories from your trip to Thailand. Imagine a postcard landscape of white sandy beaches lined with palm and coconut trees, turquoise water where a large number of fish live, and bungalows dot the landscape... I found all this magical!
Koh Tao is an amazing island where I had the chance to do a whole lot of different activities: diving and snorkeling of course, but even hikes in the jungle, walks along the coast, relaxing on the beach, etc .
Depending on the part of the island where you are, the atmosphere will be completely different: the west is largely urbanized and has quite a few restaurants, bars, hotels, and shops. The south is more tranquil, frequented by young backpackers from around the world sharing their experiences with their feet in the water. The east is still quieter and will delight families with children. Finally, the untamed north is more difficult to access, but a few luxury lodges have been built in the middle of the jungle and along the sea. It's up to you!
Koh Tao is a small island best known for its diving, and famous for its fish-filled waters where you can meet (although I didn't get the chance...) the whale shark, the largest fish in the world.
Koh Tao means "Turtle Island.". Even though they are unfortunately rare, it's still possible to come across one. And as for coral, it has suffered and I was disappointed with how it looked there. The only consolation was that I could see some small sharks, and many small curious fish that turn the other way as soon as you get to a place.
It's also a perfect idyllic setting for those on a romantic getaway. On land, Koh Tao is a little peaceful place, where you can get around on foot or by motorcycle to really see everything. Its cliffs are made of large rocks to a great extent, bringing other destinations to mind, like the Seychelles.
I am a fan of Ko Tao. I like the island a lot and I returned there this year for the third time. In fact, I find that it has all the ingredients for a perfect holiday: beautiful beaches, superb scuba diving spots, an atmosphere that is both relaxing and festive, a people-friendly island, good bars and restaurants, etc.
I especially like to stay in the south of Ko Tao due to its relaxing environment and its many beaches, such as Shark Bay—where you can actually see some (harmless!) reef sharks—, Freedom Beach, Tanote Bay and Aow Leunk. The ideal thing is to hire a scooter, which will give you complete freedom to explore Ko Tao and get to the various beaches. For scuba diving, I usually go diving with the 2 schools run by the French in Chalok Baan Kao. They are really fantastic. There are many scuba diving spots; my favourite is Chumphon Pinnacle. Lastly, I really like the Japanese Gardens beach, but early in the morning or in the middle of the afternoon in order to avoid the hordes of tourists.