Beware of catching the Koh Tao virus - you may never leave this gorgeous island. (Koh Tao)

Member Name: michelleleatham

Product:	Koh Tao
Date:	07/08/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stunning beaches, friendly community, cheap diving

Disadvantages: Having to leave!

Koh Tao is a small island in Southern Thailand, famous for its cheap PADI subca diving courses and beautiful beaches.

The best (and cheapest way) to get to Koh Tao is from Chumphon (mainland Thailand), where you can get the midnight ferry. The name says it all and the midnight ferry does indeed leave the Chumphon port at midnight and arrives at Koh Tao at approximately 6am. It is a very sociable way to get to the island, as you normally make friends on the boat before even getting to the island, although do not expect to get too much sleep on the boat as it is not the most comfortable place to try to get your head down. The boat has tiny thin matteresses on the floor which you're supposed to sleep on and it didn't have any working fans when we used it. We also shared the boat with a family of hugh cockroaches, so was quite relieved when we saw the island approaching in the distance.

The island of Koh Tao is definitely worth the journey as it is a lovely picturesque place. If you have any interest in scuba diving or snorkelling you are in for a treat at Koh Tao. I would recommend doing a PADI diving course whilst here if you have a few pennies to spare as it is one of the cheapest places in the world to get your diving qualification and the marine life is spectacular. Whilst I was doing my PADI course another group of divers at another diving site was lucky enough to be able to dive with a whale shark.

When we first arrived on the island we heard people talking about the "Koh tao virus" - when you catch it the island just keeps drawing you back to it. We didn't really think much of it at the time, but after a few days spent enjoying the island we certainly understood what everyone was talking about. The people are so friendly and you soon start to feel part of a community, the scenery is stunning and the island is still quite undeveloped making it peaceful and relaxing. The island is really social with lots of great little friendly bars.

Have fun!

Summary: Beautiful island with everything you could possibly want.