Koh tao

A beautiful island known for its vibrant underwater life, Koh Tao become one of my favorite places in Thailand very quickly. Read on to find out why:

How to get here

Ferry is the only way to go here, and its honestly kind of complicated. Ultimately, the easiest way to do it is to fly into Koh Samui then take a 1.5 hour ferry up to Tao. There’s also a ferry from Chumpon but I don’t even know how that would work.

Where to cliff jump then have pad Thai: Lai Beachbar

So this spot is on Ao Tanot Beach, and while the food and views are amazing, its the massive boulder in the middle of the bay that steals the show. It’s a quite frankly terrifying climb up about 3 stories with nothing more than a rope to help you ascend the sharp rocks. Once you make it up though, its a fun little cliff jump (but only worth doing one time). 

Where to have a meal after the boat ride: Coconut Monkey

Great views over the bay, cute decor and friendly service with a more western menu overall (think bowls, vegan food, hummus, burritos, etc.) - so great, in fact, we stopped here twice in our 3 days in Koh Tao

Where to have a fancy rooftop dinner: Barracuda Rooftop

This is the fanciest restaurant on the island with views to match the great food - highly recommend. 

Where to party on the beach: Fishbowl Beach Bar

Is it packed with foreign tourists who just graduated high school? Yes. Is the music from the 2010’s? Of course. Are the drinks watered down? Absolutely. But is it a fun time? Definitely!

Where to go scuba diving: Honestly, anywhere

Scuba diving in Koh Tao is a necessity. The underwater world here is beautifully vibrant and quite dramatic in terms of the underwater seascape. Even if you have never scuba dove before, its definitely worth it here!

Where to get a fire Instagram picture: Koh Nang Yuan

This is one of the more popular things to do on Koh Tao, and for good reason. A quick, 15 minute or so boat ride from the main marina, you find this collection of 3 islands connected by isthmus’s (if that’s even grammatically correct), and beautiful views over the islands. If you don’t go via tour (which means HUGE lines), you can just get a long tail boat from Sairee Beach to take you over.