Things to do in Koh Tao

Koh Tao is known for being the most popular destination for scuba diving and snorkelling in the Gulf of Thailand. Diving schools also offer certificate courses and tourists can choose either professional or recreational diving.

While stingrays, reef sharks, turtles, barracudas and a variety of small fishes can be seen, whale shark sightings are rare in this area. Koh Tao offers suitable diving conditions throughout the year except November, when the seas are choppy.

Diving speed boats take tourists and divers to the dive sites and also make special trips to the Chumpon Pinnacle, where night dives are available. Boats also take tourists to the Sail Rock. Dive operators in Koh Tao offer huge discounts to professional divers.  

Water sports such as wakeboarding, skiing, windsurfing, sailing, kite-boarding, para-sailing, sumo-tubing and kayaking, etc. are also possible.

Mountain biking and trekking are also popular activities as the island has flat coastlines, rocky ridges, rolling hills and steep mountains. Monitor lizards, butterflies, squirrels, birds, non-poisonous snakes are found in abundance here.

A number of massage parlours offering traditional Thai massages are found here. These massages can be both therapeutically and medicinally effective. Swedish and reflexology massages are some of the other types of massages provided.

Yoga, bowling, golfing, kickboxing and other martial arts are other activities visitors indulge in. Visitors can also volunteer for animal care, reef surveys or environmental cleaning of beaches besides teaching local kids. Tourists can also join the many cooking schools offering to teach authentic Thai cuisine.

The Nangyuan Island is one of the beautiful sites for sightseeing as well as snorkelling. The Sairee Beach or Freedom Beach is also popular among tourists. Mae Taad is the local market where shoppers can bargain for souvenirs and handicrafts made of ceramic, bamboo, shells and coconut.