The turtle island of Koh Tao is located in the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Tao is called Turtle
Island because one of the island’s attractions is the diverse species of turtles.
Koh Tao is about 45 north of Koh Samui. Koh Tao has only been settled since 1933.
The use of the island was that of a pure prison island with prisoners from all over Thailand.
Since 1947 the island has only been used for civil purposes. Tourists have been coming
to Koh Tao for diving since the 1960s.
The island’s attractions include Hin Taa Toh…
The so-called Buddha Rock.
The best travel time for Koh Tao is from December to early March.
This is also the time when you have the best visibility for diving . The period from June to September is also suitable for diving on Koh Tao. From October to November is the rainy season. During this time you don’t get much from diving.
But this is the case throughout Thailand.
There are several ways to get to Koh Tao. As with most destinations in Thailand, you first need a flight to Bangkok. From Bangkok you can take a flight
to Koh Samui and take a ferry to Koh Tao.
The ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Tao runs six times a day.
The crossing over the crystal clear water alone is one of the attractions of a diving holiday on Koh Tao. There are also ferry services from Suratthani (twice a day), Chumphon (seven times a day) and Phagan (six times a day).
The hotels on Koh Tao are ideal for diving. Although they don’t offer any big frills,
there is also something on offer for non-diving travel companions. A special attraction and recommendation on Koh Tao is the “Koh Tao Coral Grand Resort”,
which is well-known throughout Thailand .
The affiliated diving center and diving school allows diving directly from the hotel.
Diving and diving areas in Koh Tao / Thailand
For the relatively small island, there are many diving centers and diving schools on Koh Tao.
This is probably because Koh Tao and the surrounding region is rich in diving attractions. Here is a small selection of dive centers on Koh Tao:
Big Blue Diving
Christal Dive Resort (German speaking)
Easy Divers Koh Tao
Master Divers
New Way Diving (German speaking)
Phoenix Divers
Seashell Diving
Scuba Junction
The finest diving spots on Koh Tao are all within a 5 to 50 minute drive radius. The dive sites in Koh Tao are considered to be the best in Thailand, and by some the best
in Southeast Asia. Koh Tao is also ideal for snorkeling, as many dive sites
start just above or just below the surface.
Chumphon Pinacle, Sail Rock, Nang Yuan Pinacle and Shark Island are considered to be the biggest diving attractions. In total there are around thirty dive sites for diving around Koh Tao.
Chumphon Pinacle is up to 35m deep. Visibility is up to 30m, despite the sometimes strong current. One of the attractions of Chumphon Pinacle is the large number of large fish. Chumphon Pinacle is suitable for advanced surfers due to the sometimes strong current.
Although Sail Rock also has a strong current at times, Sail Rock is more suitable for beginners. Sail Rock is up to 30m deep and is an attraction with visibility of up to 30m.
Unfortunately you only occasionally see big fish at Sail Rock.
Nang Yuan Pinacle is “only” 25m deep and is not one of the attractions of Koh Tao with a visibility of 5-15m, but is particularly suitable for diving beginners. The current is low.
Shark Island is a diving attraction. The visibility is only 5m if you are unlucky, but can also be up to 25m. Shark Island is 25m deep, has a sometimes strong current but is still good for beginners.