Ko Tao Travel Forum

Hi all!

We are (2boys&2girls) are thinking of spending time on Koh Tao (25 August - 8 September). We are interested in snorkeling, swimming in clear sea, white sand, rock climbing, may be diving and sure chill out for great relax( Ideally no people on the beach :) and great seaviews and sunsets)). I can't find information especially about quality of beaches (clear, sand, snorkeling), rock climbing and sunsets :).

We prefer cheap accomadation (standart bungalow /w atached toilet and shower, but inside is also impossible), cheap, but good seafood :) (our budget is not big).

At first glance i choose Laem Thian Resort, but if u know free of internet booking and cheaper bungalows /w above parameters, let me know plz.

We are also interested in great trips around (waterfalls, elephant, Marine National Park, Samui, Koh Phangan). What can u advice to visit first of all?

Where we can extend our VISA for three weeks or month?
What does it cost?

Where is a market /w seafood and fruits on the island?
What do u think about jungle on the island. Is there any dangerous animal and mosquitos on it? We are planning independent research jungle on the island.


At first sight, i think that's all.
Thanks very much for any information and advice.

Kulmyakov Nickolay

p.s. We are all at first time on Thailand.

Howdy!

Just returned from a three week vacation on Koh Tao. Have to say it was one of the greatest times of my life, partly because of scuba diving (pretty much all I did!) I stayed at the Koh Tao Cabana for a week 2800 Baht a night(North Sairee beach), and then moved down to Ochai(sp?) bungalows right on the water on slightly less N. Sairee Beach 500 Baht a night. Really think a.c. is unnecessary unless you've got money to burn! Laem Thian looks great, so does Sai Thong(but much of the coral there was killed by the El Nino) if seclusion is what you're looking for. Mango Bay also has amazing snorkleling, but can only be reached by longtail, taxi, or a REALLY brave scooter rider!
I really recommend staying around N. Sairee beach...great snorkling (just beware of the longtail boats!) great beach, however, I was a little suprised at the amount of garbage on the beach, though it's not overwhelming...and there are a lot of dogs! Though, they are all completely harmless and NOT agressive towards people...but I love dogs so, mai pen rai (no problem:))
N. Sairee puts you close enough to the action(lots of restaraunts, bars, and taxi boats ) without having to go to sleep to Thai techno music (uuhhhgg) unless that's your thing :)
If you stay RIGHT on the beach you don't have too many mosquitoes however, definitely bring repellent with a high deet concentration. Several people I knew came down with dengue fever while I was there...something you REALLY want to avoid...puts you down for a week.
I dove with Siam Scuba on Sairee Beach; went all the way to advance open water and highly recommend them. It's a smaller operator that really tries to hit all the dive spots, and their DM's are great! They also offer snorkle trips and when I was there we camped and dove at Ang Thong national marine park! AMAZING!!!! Don't miss snorkling on Koh Nang Yuan (tiny island right off Sairee)
Mayanmar is the usual place people go for extensions...cross the boarder for an hour, pay some small fee and your back in Thailand for another month. If you go to Malaysia it'll be extended for two months, but I think that's a little more of a treck and a little harder on the pocket book. Ask anyone who lives on the island and they'll be able to give you details on Visa runs.
Koh Tao is mainly a dive/snorkle island...no climbing, no REAL trekking, no elephants (more of a North Thai thing)
If you want to do the Northern interior visit, do it before you hit the beach. My whole plan to visit Laos and N. Thailand was scrapped once I started diving...I really felt I wanted to end my vacation from the beach and not the jungle.
Sorry I don't have any pictures up on my Koh Tao travel page yet...having problems with my home computer...will try to get some up soon!
Anyway, hope this helps! Don't hesitate to ask any other questions!

Cheers!

Nate

I just spent a week there in June for my honeymoon. First, do not stay at the Koh Tao Cabana - we are nearly sure that someone from the hotel stole US$300 from our safe. (We believe they are at fault for many reasons, one of which is the hotel was not even nice to us after this theft occured in our locked room and safe.) The police confirmed that this has happened several times before in that hotel - in the same manner (ie locked belongings and only cash is stolen).

For your other questions:
No dangerous mosquitos there - excep tthat dengue fever is suppposed to be identified in nearby islands.

We went diving with the Seashell resort which was a very nice laid back place. All prices are fixed on the island so you pick according to your crowd. We had a fun time with the group there. People stayed at their resort and thought the bungalows were decent. Get one near the sea to make sure you have a sea breeze otherwise nights can get stifling hot.

The beaches - well the main ones with easy access - Sai Ree and Mae Hat are very shallow. You can sometimes snorkel depending on the tides. Otherwise you have to get a truck to take you to other pleaces which are absolutely gorgeous and with no one there (there are no beaches in Koh Tao with parasols lined up). The sunsets on Sai Ree are the best along with the northern part of the island.

Enjoy your trip.