The turtle island Koh Tao!
Koh Tao is a small island located around 70 km east from the cost of Surat Thani and Chumpon. Koh Tao translates to "Turtle island", a name appropriately given considering that Koh Tao used to be a turtles favourite spot. While today the turtles have moved on Koh Tao is famous for its fantastic marine life and the beautiful corals.
Figure 1 and 2: Two pictures taken from the beach summer 2011.
During the 1980s backpackers discovered an "amazing island" kept from all the exploitation that other islands had suffered. The island was Koh Tao and it quickly became a popular destination for tourist alike. The larger stream of people where covered by larger, faster and more secure boats than previously. Koh Tao's reputation as an untouched paradise island has persisted. Much thanks for the respect shown by the tourist who visit. This is both attributed to the natural beauty of the island, the amazing marine life and the corals that surrounds the island. Beginners and professional divers alike can spend a lot of time exploring the waters surrounding the island.
Figure 3: Picture taken from the beach in Mae Haad summer 2011.
From the beginning there were no roads on Koh Tao. Today the main road on Koh Tao ties together the north end of Sairee with Chalok Baan Kao in the south. In between is the harbout town Mae Haad where you arrive from the boats. There are also the smaller roads which leads to beaches and bays. These smaller roads have everything from steeps to sharp turns and are mostly made of sand. The driving can be a little bit tricky so make sure to take it easy when you begin exploring!
Travelling to Koh Tao
Travelling to Koh Tao is easy. If you are arriving from Bangkok there are plenty of travelling agencies who offer packages of buss or train together with a ferry to the island. There are pleny of agencies along Khao San Road and around the trainstation Hua Lamphong. If you want to get to Koh Tao on you own there are plenty of options. It's popular and comfortable to take either bus or train to Chumpon or Surat Thani. From Chumpon you can take several ferries and expect to arrive at Koh Tao within two hours. If you take the ferry from Surat Thani expect a little longer since it stops at Koh Samui and Koh Phangang. If you prefer flying you will be happy to hear that both Chumpon and Surat Thani have airports. A flight from Bangkok takes around one hour.
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