o,or Turtle Island, has in the past been a pirate's hideout, a layover for fishermen, a prison and a badly-kept backpacker secret. While some say the island took its name thanks to its turtle-like shape, other say it took its name from the turtles that used to breed plentifully in its waters. Today the turtles largely go elsewhere to be replaced by the thousands of recreational divers and other tourists who flock here annually. The island is ranked number two worldwide for the issuing of PADI certificates. (Top spot is held by Cairns, Australia.)Ko Tao also has plenty to offer non-divers, with an array of non-water based activities such as hiking to yoga on offer. Those willing to escape from the congested diver hotspots are rewarded with gorgeous beaches, great viewpoints and hospitable locals. Of course if you are diving, Ko Tao is a must, with some of the best diving in the Gulf of Thailand.
Western travellers first stumbled on Ko Tao in the 1980s, leading to the first rickety bamboo bungalows being thrown up. Within a decade, the island became a well-established alternative to Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Samui, thanks to its fine snorkelling and the cheap huts. In more recent years, Ko Tao has exploded, with more than 100 resorts open by 2001 and the number of diving schools sprouting along with them on the 21 square kilometre island. The rapid development has been accompanied by unregulated construction, which has transformed Mae Haad and Sairee from traditional wooden villages with dirt roads into carbon copies of the main centres on Pha Ngan, Samui and Phuket. Of the resorts from the early days, only Rocky Resort on Ao Thian Ok and Char on Haad Sai Nual remain. The busiest time of year is Christmas-New Year, when it can be difficult to find a bed, but through the rest of the year it's never too crowded. The ongoing violence in Thailand's deep south, the murder of a young Welsh woman on nearby Ko Samui in Christmas 2005 and the coup of 2006 have all contributed to a drop off in numbers, but none of these issues, have much to do with Ko Tao. The island is generally very safe and with its great variety of activities and places to stay, there's never been a better time to visit.
Getting there and away
Boat
Ferry times are listed below, please note these times are subject to change and also subject to weather conditions. In bad weather it is not unusual for no boats to run to or from Ko Tao.
Fares
Chumphon - Ko TaoKo Jaroen Car Ferry: 300B.Lompraya Catamaran: 550B, 450B (two classes).Seatran Ferry: 550B.Songserm Express Boat: 450B.Talay Sub Night Boat: 250B.Surat Thani - Ko TaoNight Boat: 500B.Songserm Express Boat: 550B.Ko Pha Ngan - Ko TaoLompraya Catamaran: 150B.Phangan Cruises: 170B.Seatran Ferry: 250B.Songserm Express Boat: 200B.Ko Samui - Ko TaoLompraya Catamaran: 400B.Phangan Cruises: 280B.Seatran Ferry: 400B.Songserm Express Boat: 300B.
Timetable
Chumphon to Ko TaoKo Jaroen Car Ferry: departs 23:00 – arrives 05:00 (except Sundays)Lompraya Catamaran: departs 07:00 – arrives 08:30; departs 13:00 – arrives 14:30Seatran Ferry: departs 07:00 – arrives 09:00Songserm Express Boat: departs 07:00 – arrives 10:00Talay Sub Night Boat: departs 23:00 – arrives 05:00Ko Tao to ChumphonKo Jaroen Car Ferry: departs 23:00 – arrives 05:00 (except Sundays)Lompraya Catamaran: departs 10:00 – arrives 11:45; departs 14:30 – arrives 16:10Seatran Ferry: departs 16:00 – arrives 18:00Songserm Express Boat: departs 14:30 – arrives 17:30Talay Sub Night Boat: departs 22:00 – arrives 03:00Surat Thani to Ko TaoNight Boat: departs 23:00 – arrives 08:00Songserm Express Boat: departs 08:00 – arrives 14:30Ko Tao to Surat ThaniNight Boat: departs 20:30 – arrives 05:30Songserm Express Boat: departs 10:00 – arrives 16:30Ko Pha Ngan to Ko TaoLompraya Catamaran: departs 08:30 – arrives 09:40; departs 12:30 – arrives 13:50Phangan Cruises: departs 12:30 – arrives 14:00Seatran Ferry: departs 08:30 – arrives 10:00; departs 14:30 – arrives 15:30Songserm Express Boat: departs 12:00 – arrives 13:45Ko Tao to Ko Pha NganLompraya Catamaran: departs 09:30 – arrives 10:30; departs 15:00 – arrives 16:00Phangan Cruises: departs 09:30 – arrives 11:00Seatran Ferry: departs 09:30 – arrives 11:00; departs 15:00 – arrives 16:30Songserm Express Boat: departs 10:00 – arrives 11:30Ko Samui to Ko TaoLompraya Catamaran: departs 8:00 – arrives 9:40; departs 12:00 – arrives 13:50Phangan Cruises: departs 12:00 – arrives 14:00Seatran Ferry: departs 8:00 – arrives 10:00; departs 13:30 – arrives 15:30Songserm Express Boat: departs 11:00 – arrives 13:45Ko Tao to Ko SamuiLompraya Catamaran: departs 9:30 – arrives 11:30; departs 15:00 – arrives 16:45Phangan Cruises: departs 9:30 – arrives 11:30Seatran Ferry: departs 9:30 – arrives 11:30; departs 15:00 – arrives 17:00Songserm Express Boat: departs 10:00 – arrives 12:45
Contact details
Lomprayahttp://www.lomprayah.com/Ko Tao: (077) 456 176Samui: (077) 427 765-6Chumpon: (077) 558 212-3Bangkok: (02) 6292 570-1Songserm Express BoatKo Tao: (077) 456 274Samui: (077) 420 157Chumpon: (077) 506 205Bangkok: (02) 2807 897Phangan CruisesKo Tao: (089) 8712 939Phangan: (077) 377 274Samui: (089) 4734 836Seatran Ferryhttp://www.seatrandiscovery.com/Ko Tao: (077) 456 907-8Samui: (077) 246 086-8Phangan: (077) 238 129Bangkok: (02) 2402 582-9Ko Jaroen Car & Cargo FerryKo Tao: (081) 9790 276Chumpon: (077) 580 030Talay Sub Night BoatKo Tao: (081) 8945 488; (081) 0861 793
Getting Around
Mae Haad is Ko Tao's major port town, so all travellers will come through here when arriving to the island. All locations in Mae Haad and most in Sairee are easily accessed by foot, although songtheaws are available. A short ride to Sairee should cost 50B during the day but climbs as high as 200B/person at night. Other destinations are priced depending upon distance and road conditions, and most aren't too outrageous. An army of boat taxis also awaits visitors at the pier, and they have a well-organised and fair price structure posted around town that will deliver you just about anywhere on the island. Many resorts on the island provide free or discounted pickup from Mae Haad, so be sure to inquire before hiring a taxi or boat. Prices are more or less set from 6:00 to 17:30 daily and tend to be much higher at other times. Always confirm the price with your driver before departure. Motorbikes can be rented from several shops for 150-250B/day as can ATVs for 1,000-1,500B/day (depending on size).Cost from Mae Haad to:Jan Som BaySongtheaw or longtail boat costs 100B to start and 50B/person after the second passenger.Sai NualLongtail to Sai Nual costs 200B for one or two people and then 100B/person.Kul JeuaThe best way to access Ao Kul Jeua is by longtail. The cost from Mae Haad is 300B for one or two people and then 150B/person. Chalok Ban KaoLongtails to Chalok Ban Kao cost about 400 for one or two people and 200B/person after that. A songtheaw should cost 100B for one or two and then 50B/person.Ao Taa Toh, Freedom Beach Longtail from Mae Haad to Taa Toh or Freedom Beach should cost around 400B for one or two people and 200B/person after the second. A songtheaw should cost 150B for up to two people and then 80B/personAo Taa ChaaLongtail from Mae Haad to Ao Taa Chaa should cost 500B for one or two people and then 250B for each additional person. Songtheaw to this area will cost 150-200B for the first two people and then 80-100B after thatThian OkLongtails typically cost 600B for the first two people and 300B for each additional passenger. Ao Thian Ok can be reached by road, but the condition of the road is poor. Expect to pay at least 300B for one or two people and 150B/person thereafter. Sai DaengLongtail to Sai Daeng costs 600B for one or two people and 300B/person thereafter. A songtheaw should cost 300B for one or two people and 150B/person after the second. Ao LeukA longtail from Mae Haad costs 800B for one or two people and 400B apiece after that. More reasonable are the songtheaws that charge 300B for the first two people and then 150B apiece.Lang KhaayExpect to pay 800B for one or two people and 400B/person after the second by boat. Songtheaws are a better deal, costing around 300-400B for one or two people and 150-200B apiece thereafter.TanoteA songtheaw to Tanote Bay from Mae Haad should cost around 300B for the first two passengers and then 150B each thereafter. Longtails from Mae Haad will cost 800B for one or two and then 400B/person.Laem ThianA longtail will cost you 1000B for one or two people and 500B each thereafter to access Laem Thian on the opposite end of the island. A songtheaw typically costs 300-400B for one or two people and 150-200B each after two.Hin WongA Longtail to/from Mae Haad costs 800B for one or two people and then 400B/person. A songtheaw to Hin Wong will cost at least 300B for the first two people and then 150B/person. Mango BayThe cost of a boat taxi is 600B for one or two people and 300B for each person thereafter. There is a long, poorly-maintained dirt road to Mango Bay as well. Both resorts here offer taxi service to guests, so give them a call before hiring a taxi. Otherwise, a songtheaw costs at least 400B for the first two passengers and then 200 apiece.Nang YuanLongtails typically cost 200B each way for one or two people and then 100B/person, but some travel agencies offer a round trip ticket for the same price. Remember you'll have to pay 100B/person just to visit the island.Haad SaireeSairee is easily accessible by foot from Mae Haad, although it's far enough that you may not want to haul your luggage. Taxi to/from Mae Haad should cost 100B for one or two people and 50B apiece after that. This price skyrockets after 18:00 and seems to increase throughout the night.
Other spots near here
Ao Mae Haad
Ko Tao's Ao Mae Haad runs to the north and south of the island's main town, Mae Haad, which is also where the ferry piers are located. This will be your arrival point on Turtle island.The town is typical of those on
heavily touristed Thai islands, with a cluster of dive shops, exchange kiosks, travel agents, Internet cafes, bakeries, restaurants and bars and there is probably a tailor or two. It's dusty during the day, totally chaotic when the ferries come and go, and otherwise sleepy and largely deserted.While smaller service centres exist elsewhere on the island, Mae Haad is the biggest. There are also cheap lodgings in the immediate area, but they're mostly catering to divers or those on a very long stay basis, so you're really better served staying elsewhere on the island.In the area immediately around the piers the beach is grubby and littered but both the northern and southern extremes are quite pleasant. To the south, there is some good snorkelling and particularly comfortable resorts.If you're looking for something secluded however, or have a strong aversion to ferry horns, Mae Haad probably shouldn't be at the top of your list. Luckily for you there are regular songthaews from here to pretty much everywhere else on the island, so at least it is easy to get out of here.
Ko Nang Yuan
The private island of Ko Nang Yuan which sits off the northwest coast of Ko Tao audaciously charges admission to all visitors -- we're not fans of the island because of this policy.For those who stay on the island, they tend to enjoy the island in the early morning and later afternoon, but in the middle of the day the island tends to be overrun with day trippers. It's not like Ko Nang Yuan has an oversupply of beach real estate, so things tend to get very crowded very quickly -- especially when divers arrive.Yes the island is very pretty -- Ko Nang Yuan is a stunning island formed by three separate rocky outcrops connected by white-sand beach, much of which is submerged at high tide. The view from the southernmost outcrop is particularly impressive.However Ko Tao does offer plenty of other gorgeous spots that don't charge for the privilege of setting foot on dry land.
Regular longtails from Mae Haad can whisk you out here for 100B per person for the return trip. The island will charge you another 100B per person to set foot on the island -- how's that for a welcome.
Mango Bay
Ko Tao's Ao Mamuang (Mango Bay) is a very isolated bay at the very northern tip of Ko Tao and is the most recently developed area on the island. The landscape consists of high rocky cliffs and lush green hillsides rising up from the water's edge and offering breathtaking views of the gulf. The clear blue-green waters of Mango Bay are great for swimming and snorkelling, and one of the island's most beautiful dive locations sits at the centre of the bay. The resorts here are decidedly upscale and more expensive than elsewhere on Ko Tao, and given the particular isolation of this spot, they lean towards self-contained affairs. You'll get a good deal of comfort and tranquillity for your money. That said Mango Bay does get a lot of day-tripping diving and snorkelling trips -- this is a secluded spot, but unfortunately not a silent secluded spot.
The focus is on water activities: snorkelling, diving and kayaking. If that's all a bit too energetic, tanning, reading and generally lazing around are also prime activities.The road access is via a poorly maintained road, so most opt for a longtail.
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