Ao Thian Ok

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Glistening Ao Thian Ok leaves most of the other beaches on Ko Tao back at the starting post in terms of sheer beauty; the perfect arc of white sand and azure waters will make quite the impression. The beach is the property of Haad Thien Resort now, so getting in to explore and enjoy the beach can prove a little problematic if you are not staying in the resort.

Locally Ao Thian Ok is known as Shark Bay, as its waters are home to harmless reef sharks. Swim a way out and wait if you want to catch a glimpse of these amazing creatures. They're shy so be patient. If you're not staying at the resort yet want the chance to see the sharks in the bay, either take a longtail or swim in from the rocks at the bottom of OK II Bungalows. Neighbouring Haad Sai Daeng has no such restrictions and plenty of sharks to swim with too.

One of the flashest resorts on Ko Tao, Jamahkiri makes its home perched on the western flank of Ao Thian Ok.

Ao Thian Ok is separated from Chalok Ban Kao by a peninsula, and on the eastern flank of this peninsula, facing Ao Thian Ok, you'll find Ao Taa Chaa, which is tiny and secluded. Access is only by boat or through New Heaven Resort. If you are not staying here then you canâ€™t just walk through the resort; however if you go and enjoy breakfast or lunch, they will be happy to look after your bags and let you wander down to the beach. This beach also provides closer access to the sharks of Haad Thian than via the rocks at the bottom of OK Bungalows.

If you walk out to the end of the peninsula you'll reach the John Suwan Viewpoint, a spectacular vantage point overlooking Ao Chalok Ban Kao to the left and Ao Thian Ok to the right. Unfortunately the trail hasn't been well looked after, so it's quite a bush-bash to get there nowadays.

Further to the east you'll find the very pretty Haad Sai Daeng where, just offshore, sits Shark Island -- one of Ko Tao's most popular dive spots. The bay itself has some fine snorkelling and sharks can be seen here too. While smaller than Ao Thian Ok, there's plenty of sand on which to just lay around, plan world domination or just play another round of frisbee-golf.

While it's a shame that Coral View Resort decided to build a two-storey building right on the beach, the beach nevertheless remains scenic and relatively low key. It's a good choice for those looking for some peace and quiet but not for you if you want to get out and about.

Get orientated with a map of Ao Thian Ok, Thailand

Ao Thian Ok reviews

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It's all good

We stayed at the Coral View on Haad Sai Daeng for seven nights. Perfect for what we (a family of four) were after.

The beach is fantastic with reasonable snorkelling straight out in front. You are pretty assured of seeing some small reef sharks (harmless) in this bay. There is a nice Bamboo raft to swim out to and they have kayaks if you want to go for a paddle out to Shark Island or one of the nearby bays.

The best snorkelling in the area is about 10 minutes walk over the hill at Ao Leuk which was fantastic. It's a little tricky to find the track over but you'll find it at the end of the next resort.

Coral View's rooms are reasonably basic with fan only and the power does go off at times. You don't spend that much time in your room as there are hammocks and deck chairs etc all over the place and under some very beautiful trees so it wasn't an issue. The rooms were fine for sleeping in and they do have a nice little deck for hanging out on.

The staff were really friendly and helpful and we loved On On's beach side bar.

The food is good but to be honest is better at the place next door especially the breakfasts. This is fine though as their restaurant is right on the beach so we ate between both places.

You can also do a boat trip around Ko Tao, stopping at all the best snorkelling sites (550B) -- it was great and well worth doing.

This is a very quiet bay, with only two resorts on it, and it is on the other side of Ko Tao from Sairee Beach, which is about a 15 minute drive away. You can arrange transport into town twice a day for 100B. We only went in twice and were glad to get back to our little bay each time.

If you want a bit of piece and quiet and love snorkelling and beautiful beaches go here.
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By australasianBFs (dabbler)
Written on 9th May, 2009 after a visit to Ao Thian Ok in April, 2009

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