Are you planning on visiting Thailand soon? If it is your first time to Thailand you CANNOT miss the island of Koh Tao. Here are the top 10 things to do in Koh Tao when you visit.
There are so many places in Thailand people recommend you visit, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and more. But if you love the beach and a more small-town vibe Koh Tao is the place for you.
I recently spent 4 weeks in Thailand and I visited Koh Tao twice because I loved it so much. Koh Tao has amazing beaches, snorkelling and diving spots, hikes, and more.
If you have time in your Thailand itinerary I HIGHLY recommend you add Koh Tao to your Thailand bucket list. Do not miss out on these 10 amazing experiences in Koh Tao when you visit.
This post is all about the top 10 things to do in Koh Tao Thailand.
How to Get to Koh Tao
Koh Tao does not have an airport on the island which means the only way to get to Koh Tao is by ferry boat. The two most popular ways to get to Koh Tao are…
- fly or bus to Surat Thani and then take a ferry from surat thani to koh tao
- fly to Koh Samui and then take a ferry from koh samui to koh tao
I used 12GoAsia to book all of my transport around Thailand. I did lots of research to find the best deals on bus tickets around Thailand as well as ferries to the islands in Thailand and I found 12GoAsia to always have the best deals. If you are looking to buy bus or ferry tickets around Thailand or anywhere around Southeast Asia click here to check out 12GoAsia.
Where to Stay in Koh Tao
There are lots of different areas to stay in Koh Tao and after staying in two different locations on the island during my two stays in Koh Tao I can recommend the best places to stay in Koh Tao.
If you are a young budget traveller I recommend the west side of Koh Tao. There are tons of hostels, bars, and restaurants on that side of the island near Sairee Beach. I stayed at Revolution Koh Tao, a party hostel, so it was super social and in a great location. Other highly rates hostels for budget travellers include Nomads Koh Tao Hostel, Escape Divers – The Jungle, Savage Hostel Koh Tao, and more. When I am looking for hostels I always look on Hostelworld I love that you can easily compare prices, see other travellers’ reviews, and see other travellers going to be at the hostel at the same times as you. If you are a budget traveller like myself I recommend checking out Hostelworld to book your hostels.
If you are travelling as a family or a couple the south side of the island is a bit more relaxing and has a lot of the best spots on the island. During my first stay in Koh Tao, I stayed at the Mar24 Koh Tao Hotel which has very high rates and is also in a great location. The hostel has a pool, very nice rooms, and tour options they can help organize for you at the front desk. For a hotel, it is still a very affordable price. When looking for hotels I often book through Booking.com. If you were hoping to book a stay at Mar24 Koh Tao Hostel check out Booking.com.
How to Get Around Koh Tao
There are three main ways of getting around the island of Koh Tao, motorbike, taxi, or walking.
Motorbike
Renting a motorbike is the more convenient and affordable way to get around the island which is why most people choose this option. If you are renting a bike PLEASE make sure you are comfortable riding it. So many people rent bikes for the first time in Thailand because it is so cheap and then end up in accidents that can ruin the rest of your trip. I met 3 people during my stay in Koh Tao who had gotten into a motorbike accident and two of them ended up in the hospital. I do not write this to scare you but I just want to make sure everyone is safe and has an enjoyable trip with no hospital visits.
Taxi
If you are like me and do not feel comfortable riding a motorbike, taxi or walking is the way to go. In many places around Thailand, the easiest way to get a taxi is by ordering it on the Grab app (which is basically Uber for Southeast Asia). Unfortunately, Grab is not an option in Koh Tao and some of the other islands in Thailand since the mafia runs the taxis. Since there is one group that runs all the taxis on the islands there is a set price no matter where you are going on the island. It will cost around 300-400 baht but if you have a bigger group it can sometimes be split between a group of four where each person pays 100 baht.
Walking
If you do not want to fork over 100 baht or more each way for a taxi walking is another great option. I walked all over the island which is pretty small. The longest I walked to get to a destination was around an hour, in the heat and sun it was not the easiest but was manageable especially if you are an extreme cheapskate like me and will do almost anything to save money.
Top 10 Things to Do in Koh Tao Thailand
1. Take a Scuba Diving Course
Koh Tao is one of the most popular destinations to do your scuba diving course. Why do so many people decide to do their diving course in Koh Tao is it the cheapest place to do your scuba courses? You can take your open water diver course, advanced diver course, rescue diver course and more on Koh Tao. So if you have been thinking of getting your scuba certification Koh Tao is the place to take your courses.
2. Swim at Freedom Beach
Freedom Beach is one beach I went to multiple times because of how beautiful it was. Freedom Beach has beautiful clear blue water, tons of butterflies flying around the trees on the beach, comfortable beach chairs, and even a massage place right on the beach if you want an even more relaxing experience. There is an entrance fee to this beach which costs 50 baht and is good for the whole day.
3. Go snorkelling at Shark Bay
As someone who is terrified of sharks, I was not the biggest fan of this beach’s name but it is a must-see especially if you are snorkelling. In the morning at Shark Beach, people often can see reef sharks swimming around. But if you go in the afternoon around 2:00 or 3:00 pm you are more likely to see sea turtles. I went snorkelling at Shark Bay twice, the first time I saw an octopus and the second time I saw two sea turtles, no sharks thank goodness. If you want to see sea creatures Shark Bay is the place to go.
4. Go see the fire show at Lotus Bar
I lost count of the number of times I went to see the fire show at the Lotus Bar. It was just down the street from Revolution Hostel, around a 5-minute walk so I went almost every night. The shows run every night from 8:00-12:00. It is free to watch the show but if you want a comfortable cushion to sit on all you need to do is buy a drink from the Lotus Bar. Also, the performers have a tip jar that I encourage you to tip as they are there every night putting on this show for 4 straight hours. If you are crazy like me go every night of your stay in Koh Tao but you should go at least once as this show is super popular in Thailand and it is SUPER COOL!
5. Hike up to John-Suwan Viewpoint
Take note of how I call this a hike because my sister found this recommendation to go to John-Suwan viewpoint from another blogger who called it a walk. From someone that loves to hike and is super active, this is NO EASY WALK! Because my sister saw this was a walk none of us were prepared for a hike, I wore jean shorts and sandals and my sister wore a dress and flip-flops. We had to use ropes to climb up to this viewpoint, at certain points we were seriously rock climbing. I am not trying to deter you from doing this hike up to John-Suwan viewpoint I am just trying to prepare you, so you are not like us and instead prepared for a more difficult hike. It is worth the sweat and rock climbing for the beautiful views at the top.
6. Book a Snorkelling Tour Around Koh Tao
There are so many spots around the island that are great to snorkel and the best way to see when all is on a snorkelling tour around Koh Tao. The snorkelling tour I went on was with Oxygen and we visited 5 different spots around the island. The tour started at 10:00 am and ended at 5:00 pm and cost 550 baht (around $20 CAD) and included a buffet lunch and unlimited coffee and water. This tour went to Koh Nangyuan, Mango Bay, Hinwong Bay, Aow Leuk Bay, and Shark Bay. If you want to book the tour with Oxygen click here and if you want to look at other snorkelling tours I recommend checking out GetYourGuide or talking with the reception at your Koh Tao accommodation for their advice.
7. Relax at Aow Leuk Beach
Aow Leuk is one of the bays you will visit if you go on the Oxygen snorkelling tour but it is also just a beautiful beach to relax on. The water is much deeper compared to other beaches on the island which is nice if you want to swim. There are also lounge chairs to relax on and a restaurant overlooking the beach with delicious food. Who doesn’t want to enjoy a Pad Thai with this beautiful view after relaxing on the beach? There is a 100 baht entrance fee to enter this beach
8. Get a Thai Massage on the Beach
You must try a Thai massage when in Thailand and what better place to relax and get a message than at Koh Tao beach? As mentioned before there is a massage place right on Freedom Beach to get Thai messages which is where I got my first and only massage of my trip to Thailand. But there are massage places all over the island to experience the relaxation of a Thai massage.
9. Go to the Parties and Pub Crawls on the Island
If you are a big party animal than Koh Tao is the place for you! There are LOTS of parties and pub crawls on Koh Tao. Koh Tao is known for its huge pub crawls run by Choppers Sports Bar, it is said to be the biggest pub crawl in Asia. There are also almost daily parties around the island. I went the the Jungle Party in Koh Tao and it was lots of fun.
10. Watch the Sunset
Another MUST-DO activity when you are in Koh Tao is to watch the sunset on the beach. Especially if you are staying on the west side of the island you have no excuse to miss out on seeing beautiful sunsets. There are lots of beach bars and restaurants where you can eat dinner or have a drink while watching the sunset but you can also just sit along the beach and enjoy.
That brings us to the end of our top 10 best things to do in Koh Tao. I really did love Koh Tao and if you visit I hope you do too. It has the most beautiful beaches, amazing snorkelling and diving spots, and incredible hikes. Hope you have an amazing trip to Thailand and if you plan to visit Bangkok or Chiang Mai check out my other Thailand blog posts. Enjoy your visit to Koh Tao and safe travels!
