Koh Tao island is located approximately 70 km east of the coastline between Suratthani and Chumporn in the Gulf of Thailand and is about 21 km2 in size - so small but not too small. From the days of being a prison, through to its current development, Turtle island has retained it's magic and charm, though it now caters for everyone's tastes, budgets and needs. It has so much to offer but hasn't lost what attracted people here in the first place and it's still a little piece of paradise for everyone to share and enjoy. Read more about the island's history here.
Koh Tao is unique in many ways and not just because it offers the best scuba diving in the Gulf of Thailand. Conveniently small, with a real international community, truly great cuisine at reasonable prices, fantastic night life, exciting activities and stunning vistas, Koh Tao really is full of surprises! No matter what you are looking for whilst on holiday or traveling you can probably find it on this delightful island. Click on the above link to read more about Koh Tao's attraction.
Koh Tao is very lucky due to its centralised gulf location. Besides a 6 week wet monsoon period starting round Novemeber into mid December, Koh Tao generally has a great tropical climate most of the year. The island does get hit occasionally with storms that are blown in from surrounding countries but these tend to blow themselves out within a day or so. In summer time the island does get really hot but most of the time the weather is perfect if slightly on the humid side. Click on the link to read more about Koh Tao's climate.
Different people have different ideas of their perfect beach. For some the pebbles of Brighton are bliss, for others the wind swept sand dunes of south west France is a delight. Koh Tao beaches tend towards the populist view of paradise. Imagine fine white sand, under an azure sky, the clear warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand lapping at the beach. A line of coconut trees provide welcome shade from a strong sun. A beach bar built from the same trees and roofed with banana tree leaves serves beer cold enough to chill even the uptight. Sound good?
The Koh Tao island boasts about 30 different dive sites all pretty close by, with the furthest away being Hin Bai (Sail rock). Check out the variety on offer with the dive sites maps and their proximity to the island. And don't forget that you just never know what surprises you may find beneath the surface around Turtle Island!
Little more than 21 km, Koh Tao is located about 70 km east of the coastline between Suratthani and Chumphon, in the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Tao translates as Turtle Island, because in the past the waters teemed with sea turtles. Nowadays they have moved on to new breeding grounds since travelers and tourists enjoy Koh Tao's beaches instead.
Here you will find a selection of land based Koh Tao maps to help you find your way around the island as well as get your bearings whilst deciding where to stay and where to visit. Dont forget the island is only 21sqkm so nothing is actually that far away.
In the beginning, the island was uninhabited, and only the occasional fisherman from the neighbouring islands came by to seek shelter from a storm. On June 18, 1899, His Majesty the King Chulalongkorn (Rama V , 1868-1910) visited Koh Tao and left as evidence his monogram on a huge boulder at Jor Por Ror Bay next to Sairee Beach. This place is still worshipped today and should be treated with respect. From 1933 on the island was used as a political prison because of it's far distance from the mainland. In 1947, Khun A -Paiwong, Prime Minister at that time, pleaded and received a royal pardon for all prisoners on the island. Everybody was taken back to the mainland and the "Turtle" was abandoned once again. Not for long.
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