{"id":20267,"date":"2017-05-31T09:16:39","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T23:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=20267"},"modified":"2025-03-27T01:21:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T14:21:03","slug":"ko-tao-thailand-island-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Ko Tao is the island you have to visit in Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s no secret<\/span>\u00a0that Thailand <\/a><\/strong>has some of the world\u2019s most beautiful tropical islands. And it\u2019s the Gulf Islands, just south of Bangkok, that are all the rage right now (think Ko Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan). However, one of these Gulf Islands slips under the radar far too often. It’s called\u00a0Ko Tao,\u00a0is nicknamed\u00a0\u201cTurtle Island\u201d, and is truly worth checking out.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s only over the last few decades that tourists have really started visited its shores. Historically, it was scarcely even seen, if not for the odd fisherman seeking shelter from storms. In the 1930s, before being recognised for the island paradise that it is, it was home to only a political prison (poor inmates!). Today, it has over just 1300 local residents, who are most definitely outnumbered by beach-loving visitors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sunset<\/p>\n

Here’s some reasons why a visit to the Gulf of Thailand is incomplete without at least a short visit to Ko Tao:<\/p>\n

Ko Tao: a diver\u2019s delight<\/h2>\n

What brought me to Ko Tao was my desire to do both my Open Water and Advanced Open Water certification. Thailand is known to offer some of the cheapest PADI courses on the planet and over the years, Ko Tao has built a reputation in the diving world for being one of the best spots to take the plunge.<\/p>\n

\"Scuba

Scuba diving on coral reef in sea, Ko Tao<\/p><\/div>\n

Ko Tao\u2019s reefs sure didn’t disappoint and I was left stunned on every single dive I did. Amateurs and aficionados alike come to the island<\/a> in search of some of the world\u2019s most colourful marine life,\u00a0and the crystal clear waters are perfect for exploring it.\u00a0Here, there’s fish aplenty, plus the chance of seeing timid reef sharks among mesmerising coral formations.<\/p>\n

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL INSPO, GIVEAWAYS & MORE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The island also offers easy access to its tiny little friend, Nang Yuan Island, which is actually a man-made diving resort. Whether you\u2019re a diver or not, it\u2019s a total must-see, even if you just want to snorkel (you’ll see schools of parrotfish!). Nang Yuan Island sits only about half a kilometer from Ko Tao\u2019s shoreline and also\u00a0boasts a\u00a0short hike up to a viewpoint, beaches to relax on, and boats to chill out on.<\/p>\n

\"Nang

Nang Yuan Island<\/p><\/div>\n

One tip: Don\u2019t bring plastic bottles with you, as these are not allowed on the island. The island has strict rules to ensure that it stays environmentally protected for the millions of travellers who come to see it every year.<\/p>\n

What to do\u00a0in Ko Tao<\/h2>\n

With quiet laid-back beaches on the southeast tip of the island, romantic coves in the north (like Mango Bay), and Sairee Beach\u2019s non-stop parties on the west side, Ko Tao has it all. And because it\u2019s the smallest of the islands, it\u2019s easy to get around.<\/p>\n

\"Sairee

Sairee Beach<\/p><\/div>\n

I stayed at the southern tip of Ko Tao \u2013 in Chalok Bay \u2013\u00a0which was relatively quiet, and had a very laid back neighbourly feel. The first thing that gave me this impression was that it was customary to walk around barefoot, or at the very least, leave your flip flops at the door of every shop or restaurant before coming inside. It made it feel like every establishment was just an extension of someone\u2019s home, where I was a welcomed guest.<\/p>\n

There were also some incredible beaches that I could reach by foot within 30 minutes, and two memorable snorkeling spots: Freedom Beach and Shark Bay (though I didn\u2019t see sharks there!) The locals rent out snorkels along the path to each beach (you can barter for a lower price of about 50 baht for the day), though if you plan on doing a lot of snorkelling, I suggest you buy your own set.<\/p>\n

RELATED: WHY KRABI, THAILAND SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thai food is fantastic everywhere you go in Thailand, though the island is as much as three times more expensive than\u00a0mainland cities (unsurprising,\u00a0considering its location). For when you’ve eaten and you feel like drinking, Ko Tao also offers a small but lively nightlife scene:\u00a0dancing, beach bars and more.<\/p>\n

\"Ko<\/p>\n

If you travel with Intrepid to Ko Tao, see this<\/a><\/strong> trip, as there’s a ton of optional activities on offer. Think Thai cooking classes, aromatherapy sessions or local spa visits. And that’s just for starters…<\/p>\n

Getting around Ko Tao<\/h2>\n

Many people opt to rent a scooter or a car as taxis are quite costly \u2013\u00a0running as much as 700 baht from one end of the island to the other. Scooters are easy to come by and you can rent them anywhere without pre-booking. Most places will give you a chance to try one out before you sign anything, too, so make sure you\u2019re comfortable \u2013\u00a0and safe.<\/p>\n

(A note about safety: scootering around Ko Tao is not for the completely inexperienced. Many of the must-see spots on the island are accessible only by unpaved, steep roads, making for tough driving conditions.)<\/p>\n

But back to the fun stuff, Ko Tao is an island you don’t want to miss out on. Though famous for its spectacular coral reefs, it’s safe to say that a trip there offers so much more…<\/p>\n

Tempted to visit the always-beautiful Kingdom of Thailand? Check out our range of small group adventures there.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(Image credits from top to bottom: Intrepid Travel, iStock x4, Intrepid Travel)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re looking for an island paradise in Thailand, make sure you do not \u2013 I repeat, do not \u2013 skip the tiny island of Ko Tao.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15924,"featured_media":20279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[455],"tags":[582,35],"class_list":["post-20267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-southeast-asia","tag-thailand","ipf_region-thailand"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat to do in Ko Tao, Thailand's most underrated island | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019re looking for an island paradise in Thailand, make sure you do not \u2013 I repeat, do not \u2013 skip the tiny island of Ko Tao.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why you should visit Ko Tao, Thailand's underrated island paradise\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It's no secret that Thailand has some of the world\u2019s most beautiful tropical islands. However, one of these Gulf Islands slips under the radar far too often: Ko Tao.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Times by Intrepid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-05-30T23:16:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-26T14:21:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thailand_koh-tao.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Visnja Milidragovic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Visnja Milidragovic\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/\",\"name\":\"What to do in Ko Tao, Thailand's most underrated island | Intrepid Travel Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thailand_ko_tao_129958055-e1496093239320.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-05-30T23:16:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-26T14:21:03+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/23e3ec355d9089985fd2bd4d0a480345\"},\"description\":\"If you\u2019re looking for an island paradise in Thailand, make sure you do not \u2013 I repeat, do not \u2013 skip the tiny island of Ko Tao.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thailand_ko_tao_129958055-e1496093239320.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thailand_ko_tao_129958055-e1496093239320.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450,\"caption\":\"Ko Tao Thailand\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why Ko Tao is the island you have to visit in Thailand\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\",\"name\":\"The Good Times by Intrepid\",\"description\":\"adventure news\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/23e3ec355d9089985fd2bd4d0a480345\",\"name\":\"Visnja Milidragovic\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5866ce0294293a384632b51c5af11672ac2d705978b42de18c5ea076721aafd2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5866ce0294293a384632b51c5af11672ac2d705978b42de18c5ea076721aafd2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Visnja Milidragovic\"},\"description\":\"Visnja Milidragovic is a writer based in Vancouver, Canada. She loves traveling because it taps into her intuition. \\\"It's easy to gape in awe at new places with your eyes, tongue, ears, and nose, but the challenge is participating in the scene with an open heart.\\\" When she's not reflecting on her blog (idefiningi.wordpress.com), she divides her time between planning future adventures and living mindfully in the moment.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/visnja-milidragovic\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What to do in Ko Tao, Thailand's most underrated island | Intrepid Travel Blog","description":"If you\u2019re looking for an island paradise in Thailand, make sure you do not \u2013 I repeat, do not \u2013 skip the tiny island of Ko Tao.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why you should visit Ko Tao, Thailand's underrated island paradise","og_description":"It's no secret that Thailand has some of the world\u2019s most beautiful tropical islands. However, one of these Gulf Islands slips under the radar far too often: Ko Tao.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/","og_site_name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/","article_published_time":"2017-05-30T23:16:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-26T14:21:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":628,"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thailand_koh-tao.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Visnja Milidragovic","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_site":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Visnja Milidragovic","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/","name":"What to do in Ko Tao, Thailand's most underrated island | Intrepid Travel Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thailand_ko_tao_129958055-e1496093239320.jpg","datePublished":"2017-05-30T23:16:39+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-26T14:21:03+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/23e3ec355d9089985fd2bd4d0a480345"},"description":"If you\u2019re looking for an island paradise in Thailand, make sure you do not \u2013 I repeat, do not \u2013 skip the tiny island of Ko Tao.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thailand_ko_tao_129958055-e1496093239320.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thailand_ko_tao_129958055-e1496093239320.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"caption":"Ko Tao Thailand"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/ko-tao-thailand-island-guide\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Ko Tao is the island you have to visit in Thailand"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/","name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","description":"adventure news","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/23e3ec355d9089985fd2bd4d0a480345","name":"Visnja Milidragovic","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5866ce0294293a384632b51c5af11672ac2d705978b42de18c5ea076721aafd2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5866ce0294293a384632b51c5af11672ac2d705978b42de18c5ea076721aafd2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Visnja Milidragovic"},"description":"Visnja Milidragovic is a writer based in Vancouver, Canada. She loves traveling because it taps into her intuition. \"It's easy to gape in awe at new places with your eyes, tongue, ears, and nose, but the challenge is participating in the scene with an open heart.\" When she's not reflecting on her blog (idefiningi.wordpress.com), she divides her time between planning future adventures and living mindfully in the moment.","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/visnja-milidragovic\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thailand_ko_tao_129958055-e1496093239320.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4OQMK-5gT","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15924"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20267"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83859,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20267\/revisions\/83859"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}