Once jokingly referred to as a drinking island with a diving problem, Ko Tao has evolved far beyond backpackers diving and beach boozing and today the island draws families, flashpackers and sports junkies alike.
Buy our Ko Tao eGuide for A$3.99
This 105 page guide includes all of our coverage for Ko Tao in one neat, easy to read PDF guidebook.
Download link emailed straight to you.
Top places to stay
Top things to do
- Where to go snorkelling on Ko Tao
- Learning to dive on Ko Tao
- Viewpoints on Ko Tao
- Turtle conservation on Ko Tao
- Free diving on Ko Tao
- See all sights
Transportation
Hotels, food, sights, transport quick links
Keep reading to learn more about Ko Tao!
Visitors will find hiking trails of various levels of difficulty that end with the promise of picturesque views, rock-climbing, live jam sessions where locals and tourists showcase their talents, beach barbecues accompanied by fire shows and even trapeze-flying classes. The draw though for many visitors remains scuba diving. With dozens of dive sites, plenty of scuba schools and notably inexpensive scuba certification costs, Ko Tao is the most popular place to learn to dive in Thailand.
This is how you do it. Photo: Ayesha Cantrell
It hasn’t always been snorkels and sunscreen on Ko Tao though. Mostly uninhabited aside from the fishermen who would occasionally take shelter on shore here, Ko Tao became a political prison in 1943 when more than 100 prisoners were transferred from Ko Tarutao.
The prison was home to several prominent Thais including the novelist Nimittramongkhon Nawarat, who authored The Dreams of an Idealist. In 1944 the prisoners were issued a general pardon and released to the mainland. Many had been incarcerated for a decade or more and their release to Surat Thani was met with bowls of food and wishes of good luck from local ... Travelfish members only (Full text is around 1,900 words.)
Get the full story.
Create an account.
Becoming a Travelfish subscriber costs A$35 for a year. Benefits include:
1) Full access to the site
2) 250+ PDF guides
3) Discount coupons
4) 50% off our travel planning service
5) And of course, our gratitude and a warm fuzzy feeling for helping us stay in business!
By
Stuart McDonald.
Last updated on 28th February, 2017.
