Koh Tao
The cheapest, easiest place in the world to learn to dive. A small Gulf island ringed by reefs and dive schools, with a laid-back backpacker feel. Warm, clear water and budget certifications.
What Is Worth Your Time on Koh Tao
Koh Tao is a dive island first and a beach island second. Even if you never put a tank on, the snorkeling and the viewpoints are worth the crossing.
The Open Water course
Course feeThe reason most people come: three to four days from nothing to a certification that works worldwide, at prices that undercut almost anywhere. Shop on instructor and group size, not on price.
Koh Nang Yuan
Landing feeThree islets joined by a sandbar off the northwest coast, and the island’s signature view from the rock stairway above them. Go early, and note the ban on single-use plastic on landing.
Chumphon Pinnacle
Dive tripThe best dive site in the Gulf, a granite pinnacle 45 minutes out with schooling trevally, grouper and a real chance of a whale shark between March and May. Advanced-level depth.
John-Suwan Viewpoint
Small feeA short scramble to a rock outcrop at the southern tip, looking down on Chalok Baan Kao on one side and Thian Og on the other. The best twenty minutes of walking on the island.
Shark Bay
FreeThian Og Bay, where blacktip reef sharks patrol the shallows most mornings and evenings. Snorkel from the beach, keep your distance, and do not chase them for a photo.
Mango Bay
Boat tripA rocky bay on the north coast with the clearest snorkeling within reach of shore, reached by longtail or a rough walk. Coral starts a few yards out.
Tanote Bay
FreeA boulder-strewn east-coast bay with a jumping rock, easy reef snorkeling and a couple of restaurants. The steep road in is the reason it stays quiet.
Sairee Beach
FreeThe two-kilometer (1.2-mile) main strip: dive schools, beach bars and the best sunset on the island. Busy, but the whole social life of Koh Tao happens on it.
The Gulf runs on a different calendar from the Andaman: February to September is the reliable window, and October to December brings the heaviest rain and the roughest crossings.
How to Spend 2 to 3 Nights
Don’t Miss
Best Areas to Base Yourself
Sairee Beach
The main strip: dive shops, bars, and sunsets.
Chalok Baan Kao
A calmer bay in the south, still central.
Tanote Bay
Snorkel-friendly and away from the buzz.
The third stop on the Samui-Phangan-Tao chain. See how it all connects on the map and overview.
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Written by Belle, a Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year and has family in Bangkok. Everything here comes from my own visits unless the text says otherwise. Prices and journey times are typical cases rather than quotes, so recheck anything time-sensitive before you pay. Brand mentions are never paid placements, and the guide is reader-supported: some links may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
How we research →Photographs on this page that are not mine are used under the licenses below and hosted on this site rather than hotlinked. Uncredited photographs are my own.
- Wide shot: Koh Nang Yuan’s three islands joined by a sandbarJustraveling.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source