- Transport Page – How to arrive to this group of islands ?
- Compare Page – Koh Samui vs Koh Phangan vs Koh Tao – How do they differ ?
- Koh Tao
- Nearby islands : Koh Phangan + Koh Tao + Koh Samui
- The other islands of Thailand
Maps – Orientation
Map 1 : Transport to the islands (Samui, Phangan, Tao)
Map 2 : Koh Tao
Map 3 : Koh Nang Yuan
Map 4 : Koh Tao – Interactive Map
How is Koh Tao ?
Look at the Maps above.
Koh Tao is a beautiful small island. It is the smallest island between the 3 in the zone, just 6 Km long. In the opinion of many travelers, it is the most beautiful of the 3. The beaches + the mountains in Koh Tao make a very nice scenery.
- Note : I compare the 3 islands (Samui, Phangan and Tao) on a separate page.
There is also an adjacent tiny island called Koh Nang Yuan which is very picturesque and is very visited. Koh Nang Yuan can be considered part of Koh Tao. Koh Nang Yuan appears almost always on the publicity for Koh Tao.
Koh Tao is known for its clear waters and it is a big center for diving. There are a lot of diving schools here.
In the south of the island there is a bay called “shark bay” in which non dangerous sharks can be spotted (also from the land). There are also turtles in the water, on this beach, but you have to be lucky to see the turtles.
It is very common to take an half day boat trip around the island. During the trip, there are stops in order to do snorkeling (and also in order to try to see turtles in shark bay).
A lot of tourists want to visit Koh Tao and it is a small island, so the hotels tend to be more occupied and more expensive compared to Koh Samui. See on Page 2 : Where to Stay in Koh Tao.
Because Koh Tao is small, it is very easy to move from one place to another (if you rent a motorbike).
There is not a circular road in Koh Tao. The main road is vertical, on the left coast.
The most animated area in Koh Tao is around Sairee Beach. There are a lot of restaurants (along the road) and the beach is long and beautiful.
The second most animated area is around the main pier, Mae Haad. The distance between the 2 places is just 1 Km.
The nightlife in Koh Tao is very good. There are a lot of young people who arrive to Koh Tao and there is a lot of happy life, especially in Sairee Beach.
The food is OK. There is much less choice than in Koh Samui or Koh Phangan, but there are some good restaurants and some foreign owners of restaurants.
How to Arrive to Koh Tao ?
There is a dedicated page about how to arrive to this group of islands, with maps and location of the stations and piers + Info about the transit cities Surat-Thani and Chumphon + the boats between the islands.
You can book Flights, Trains, Buses and Taxis inside Thailand with the site 12GoAsia Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.
Location of the Pier in Koh Tao
The pier is located in Mae Haad. See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
Mae Haad is on the left side of the island.
It is the only big pier on the island. There are Taxis waiting for passengers when the boats are arriving.
There may be small piers in other parts of the island, for small boats doing excursions.
Where to Stay in Koh Tao ? – Hotels
See this on Page 2 – Where to Stay in Koh Tao ?
How to Move in Koh-Tao ?
Note : There are no buses in Koh Tao.
Option 1 : By Foot
The island is small but not that small in a way that you can see everything by foot. Still, you can decide that you don’t want to rent a motorbike. In that case, stay in the most animated place, Sairee beach and take an organized boat trip around the island.
Option 2 : By Motorbike (or maybe a rented car)
The best option to explore an island in Thailand. Koh Tao is small so you really don’t need an engine above 125 cc.
With a motorbike, you arrive very fast to all the corners of the island.
Option 3 : By Taxi
There are Taxis in Koh Tao (Tuk Tuk, shared pick-up). You need to catch them on the roads or use your hotel, to call one.
Sometimes, the service of the hotel will transport you (if it is a good hotel, in a remote corner).
Option 4 : By Grab Taxi
Doesn’t seem to work in Koh Tao (at the time that I am writing).
Option 5 : By Organized Tour
They will transport you to the destination. There are of course the organized boat tours.
How is the Nightlife in Koh-Tao ?
The nightlife is good. A lot of young people are arriving to Koh Tao to make a diving course or just for a short visit. The energy is high.
Sairee Beach
The main spot for nightlife is Sairee beach. There are bars-restaurants on the beach, also some dancing.
Apparently, some dancing places have to wait for the right hour.
There are more bars and dancing between the beach and the road (called “the walking street”).
Mae Haad Pier
Cannot be compared to Sairee, but the street that goes from the pier and inland, is illuminated at night.
The main road of Koh Tao
They are not concentrated like in Sairee beach, but there are bars along the main road of the island. See the main road on Map 2 above.
How is the Climate in Koh-Tao ?
Note : The climate in Koh-Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao is quite similar.
Temperatures
It is hot in this zone, all year round. At day time around 30 degrees Celsius. At night around 25 degrees celsius. You better have air-conditioning in your room.
Rain
Like in all Thailand, there is also in this zone a rainy season. The rainy season here is from May to January.
- The month of November is very rainy, around 400 mm rain.
- October and December around 200 mm rain.
- The rest of the rainy season is moderate : May to October around 120 mm rain.
- In the dry season, it can also rain. February, March, April : Around 60 mm rain.
What to Eat in Koh-Tao ?
The quality of food is good. There is less choice than in Koh Samui but still good.
Sairee Beach
It is like for the nightlife. Sairee is the main place for a lot of restaurants. There is also a lot of “street food”.
Among the Italian restaurants in Sairee : Portobello Restaurant, Koh Tao.
I took a Pizza, of course. A vegetarian Pizza.
Also : La Pizzeria da Claudio is good. Located on the main road.
A good Mexican restaurant in Sairee beach, on the road : Centrico Cafe and Mexican Restaurant. My Veg Burrito was good.
French Bakeries
This is an important issue for me. I usually like to eat a croissant in the morning and not eggs. So, there are in Koh Tao, at least 2 bakeries with good croissants. I am not sure that they can compete with the French bakeries of Koh Samui.
The French Market – Less then 1 Km from Mae Haad Pier.
And also : Croissant & Ko – Close to the south coast.
Strangely, these places sell also Pizza, but who am I to judge.
A good Vegetarian restaurant in Mae Haad Pier : La Carotte Qui Rit
The owner is French and he is preparing Vegetarian Thai dishes. Cool.
Continue to Page 2 – Where to Stay in Koh Tao
More on Bangkok and Thailand :
- Where to Stay in Bangkok – Potential Zones for the Hotel
- How to book Trains, Buses, Flights, Hotels for Thailand
- What to Visit in Bangkok ? – The Tourist Attractions
- Bangkok Transport – Airport, Metro, Buses, Boats…
- To the Islands – Which Island to visit + Stay + Arrive
- To Chiang-Mai – What to Visit, Stay, Transport
- To Pattaya city – What to Visit, Stay, Transport
- The Cost to Visit Bangkok – Common Prices
- The Nightlife of Bangkok – The animated zones
- Visa for Thailand- Basic rules and how to extend
- Internet in Thailand – Buying a local SIM
- Useful Products for the Trip to Thailand
- Maps of Bangkok – With places of interest and Transport
- Bangkok FAQ – Weather, Distances etc…
- Bangkok Shopping – The big Malls and the Markets
- The Khaosan Road Survival Guide – The famous Backpackers
- A Tour of Bangkok – An overview
- Taxi Scams in Bangkok – Common Scams of Taxi and Tuk-Tuks
- Go-Go Bar Scams in Bangkok – What to expect
- Vegetarian in Bangkok
Other Stuff :
- Info about 2 more cool cities: Barcelona and Tel-Aviv
- What to Pack ? the visual list that will help you prepare the suitcase.
- Visit my Vegetarian Page. Why be Vegetarian ? What to eat ?
- Visit my Salsa Dance Page. Salsa main Styles. Why Dance Salsa ?
- Listen to nice Songs with translation in French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew.
- Listen to basic Words In Spanish, French, Hebrew
If you find incorrect data on this page, like a restaurant that has closed or a big river that has moved or you want to tell me something, please write me to contact.