Koh Tao

Koh Tao is a tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand and a paradise for scuba divers. It is named 'Turtle Island' after the turtle-like shape of the island. Coincidentally, the island is also an important breeding ground for Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles. You can reach Koh Tao by ferries from Surat Thani (4 hours day boat, 9 hours on overnight boat), Chumphon (1.5 to 3 hours), Koh Samui (approx 2.5 hours) and Koh Phangan (approx 1 hour). The island has quite developed in the last 15 years and the most popular place for tourists is Sairee on the West coast, which has a white sandy beach of 1.7 km interrupted only by a few huge boulders and a scattering of medium budget resorts and restaurants.
Koh Tao is less developed than Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, but has become increasingly popular especially with the mid-20's backpacker crowd in search of relatively inexpensive scuba diving certification. Apart from scuba diving there is also some great hiking, climbing, kayaking and free-diving on offer. Check it out, Koh Tao is definitely worth the visit. The photo shows the view down to Sairee Beach and Koh Nang Yuan.