Tao Koh

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Koh Tao is rather a scuba diving only destination, a remote pristine island in the gulf of Thailand north of Koh Samui.

Calm and almost no entertainment, sleep your time through on the beach or elsewhere or do it like most, go scuba diving and say hello to the fish, they cant say hello to you but they pretend to ignore you anyway since they are to busy to search for food between they colorful corals. Some of the multicolored fish do it the easy way, they just eat the other fish. Its a hit and swim business down there.

If you are on a diving trip Koh Tao might be the right place, but be careful when you book your trip because quite some of the accommodation is only available if you also go scuba diving, they offer this as a package.

Tao Koh in southern Thailand means 'Turtle Island', and that also means that there are lot of sea turtles to be watched around the shores. In this part of the Gulf of Thailand there are 3 islands, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and the smallest is Koh Tao.
 

Koh Tao In The Gulf Of Thailand
 

Koh Tao which literally means Turtle Island, is an island in the Gulf of Thailand, and is a great place for divers who want to escape from places like Koh Samui, because it is a bit quieter, perhaps because it isn’t very easy to reach, in fact your only option is by boat.

From the south it will take about three hours by ferry from Surat Thani  

on the mainland, one and a half hours from Koh Samui, and around an hour from Ko Phangan.

The options depend on where you are traveling from:

You might wish to take an overnight ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Tao, it leaves about eleven o’ clock at night and arrives early morning, but if you use this option, get there early to grab a good mattress position, and be warned they are old cargo boats, and very basic, so you might feel happier with your own inflatable life jacket!! There is also a ferry from Chumphon.

Koh Tao Diving Snake                              Koh Tao Diving                                          Koh Tao Coral Diving Thailand

If you're coming from the north, Chumphon is the place you will travel from and here you will find agents selling tickets for all kind of boats, some take as little as 90 minutes, but others will take 5 hours, so you choose according to how much you want to spend.

Another way is to get yourself on a day diving charter from Koh Samui, these are high speed boats, and you could make Koh Tao in around an hour.

However if it is comfort you are after, and a choice of departure points, such as Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan and Chumphon, then the Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran is probably the fastest and most comfortable way to get to Ko Tao. They run twice daily, have online booking, air conditioning, and movies.

You need to go snorkeling at Shark Bay, see the sunset from the Thipimarn restaurant. About The Author :  Andy Perrin doesn't believe you have to stay in 5* resorts or go where everyone else goes, so he finds out of the way, and interesting destinations such as http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/categories/Far-East-Hotels/Thailand/Koh-Tao/

Koh Tao Corals and Diver

Koh Tao Coral Dive

Koh Tao or Tao Koh

A tiny speck in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Tao was once a place where political prisoners were incarcerated. These days, this gorgeous island, with its mix of rocky secluded coastline and palm-fringed beaches, attracts travellers who want to relax or learn to scuba dive. (Koh Tao hosts the highest concentration of dive schools in Asia.) The seas around Koh Tao are an excellent place to learn to dive, with weak currents, good visibility and a full repertoire of exotic fish and corals. However, bad practices by some of the less scrupulous dive schools, plus bad storms, have been killing off coral and driving the bigger fish away. Koh Tao also has terrible water shortages. How the island overcomes these issues will have a huge bearing on its future.

How to get to Tao Koh: About 12 trains to Chumphon leave Bangkok daily. The journey takes eight hours, with fares starting from 300 baht (pounds 4.50). Get an early train to connect with the daily boats that go from Chumpon to Koh Tao in two to six hours, with fares costing 150 to 500 baht (pounds 2.30- pounds 8). Or fly with Andaman Airlines (www.airandaman.com) to Chumphon - for 3,600 baht (pounds 55) return. Private speedboats can also be rented for transfers from Chumphon, which seat 10 and cost about 20,000 baht (pounds 300) - though you'll have to negotiate on the day.

Where to stay: Set on the far end of Sairee beach, Coral Grand Resort (00 66 2 629 2916; www.KohTaocoral.com) offers both a dive school and superb accommodation. A new resort with a very well-run and equipped dive school, its bungalows are stylish to a fault. It's also one of only two places on the island that has its own pool, making it an excellent choice for scuba beginners - they'll even let you do a free test dive. Bungalows start from 1,900 baht (pounds 30) with online reductions.

What to do: With 200,000 Padi certificates handed out last year and Open Water courses costing about 6,500 baht (pounds 110), learning to scuba is what most people visit Koh Tao for. There are more than 20 dive schools on the island, some operating like Padi factories. Whichever dive school you choose, make sure the equipment is new, well maintained and has a low student to instructor ratio. The best courses, with no more than five students per instructor and new equipment, are scarce and can cost up to 40 per cent more at 10,000 baht (pounds 160). Scuba can be dangerous, so it is well worth investing in the best course you can afford. The Coral Grand Resort has excellent courses starting from 1,600 baht (pounds 25) and pleasure dives from 700 baht (pounds 11.50). All courses include transport, equipment, lunch and soft drinks. On dry land, there's some good walking, meditation retreats and, of course, the beach. Mopeds hire costs 150 baht (pounds 2.30) per day.
From Independent, The (London), by Andrew Spooner

750 divers break world record off Koh Tao coast in Surat Thani / Chumphon

Thailand broke the world record for the largest mass dive some time ago  when 750 divers took part in an event off the coast of Koh Tao, an event which the provincial authority hopes will put the southern island firmly on the world diving map.

Over 10,000 tourists flocked to the island yesterday to witness the event, which was promoted by the Koh Tao Diving Association and local administrative authorities.

The 750 divers had gathered from Thailand and around the world to participate the event, which marks the biggest mass dive on record, breaking the record previously achieved by Australia two years ago when 590 divers gathered for a similar event.

Mr. Wichit Srisang, head of the Koh Tao Diving Association, expressed confidence that the event would help turn the island into one of the world’s most important diving locations. Although included in the event were a ‘Miss Dive Shop’ contest, longboat races and demonstrations from the Royal Thai Navy. (TNA)--E006

Diving On Koh Tao In Thailand

Scuba diving is by far the biggest attraction on Ko Tao, and it is easy, fun, and you will see a lot of fish, perhaps even turtles, stingrays, barracuda, reef sharks, and even a whale shark if you get lucky

You will get good diving weather on Koh Tao apart from November, when the sea is choppy, and visibility is poorer than normal. The visibility can be over 40 metres during the rest of the year.

You will find a lot of dive operators on the island, and some of them offer accommodation. Just beware that when you read the accommodation is free, it’s not really, because they will offer discounts if you stay somewhere else.

In 2006 you will pay in the region of 10,000 bht for a PADI open water certificate, and this should include the new PADI training manual, proper professional instruction, rental equipment, boat dives etc. This may include insurance and basic accommodation, but shop around, and remember the methods of instruction may differ enormously.

A few hints include avoiding shops that use swimming pools to teach you in. You’ll find it cold, boring, and unhygienic, bearing in mind this is a very popular diving island, and they will have literally hundreds of students .
Choose one that will take you to a private beach so you will see fish and coral right away, it is a lot more interesting, and you will probably get more dives!!

It’s also a good idea to find a dive shop that has its own private pier, so you won’t have to climb over other boats at the pier, although you won’t be carrying your dive gear, that should be carried by a Dive Master Trainee. In addition you ought to ask how many students there will be in your group, because there should not be more than a small handful, if they tell you there will be more than ten then look elsewhere. You want personal tuition for something as important as this, and you want your course to be really enjoyable.

If you are looking for specific dive shops, this list whilst by no means exhaustive, is at least a starting point.

1. Coral Grand . Located in a much quieter area than the other dive shops, at the far end of the beach, the hotel is more upmarket than most on the island although the 'free' rooms are still basic. Operates 2 dive boats plus a speed boat.

2. Divepoint . Located in Mae Haad on the waterfront. Divepoint has probably the nicest dive boat on the island, big enough that you won't have to carry your gear to and from it. PADI and SSI.
3. Easy Divers. Fantastic Dive Shop with really experienced instructors. Professional and fun with great accommodation. Based right in the heart of Ko Tao.

4. IDC Ko Tao. Instructor development courses (IDC's) run every month by English PADI Course Director Matt Bolton.
 

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