10 days in Koh Tao

The boats large Diesel engines slowly thrusted us forward through the sea, heading towards the eastern shore of paradise. The southern tip of the island was the first to be seen, with large rock pinnacles bursting from the surf. Topping the pinnacles were the lush green forests, recently renewed by the seasons monsoons. Sprinkled amongst the small bays and hilltops, emerging from the dense jungle were bungalows and beach shacks varying in colour, shape and size. While lost in the striking visuals of this tropical island,the golden sand beach that stretched the entire length of the island snuck up on us, a stark contrast from the impassible southern shore. I was filled with such wonderment and joy, I had arrived at Koh Tao.

In the gulf of Thailand, three large islands fill the empty sea. In the south, Koh Samui, the middle island, Koh Phangan and finally the smallest of the three, Koh Tao. Pulling up to the harbour clusters of blue and orange wooden dive boats, and rainbow traditional longboats filled the pristine azure sea. The backdrop was filled with large untouched green hills, full of dense jungle and swaying palms. This divers paradise had an incredible mellowing power, instantly shedding away any fears, anxiety or nerves of the trip.

We made our way down the cobblestone walkway that went the length of the main beach, Sairee. Along the walkway were dozens of dive shops, restaurants, traditional tattoo and massage parlours. We came upon our accommodations, a quaint bungalow at S.B. Cabana, near the far end of the beach, near the town centre of Sairee.

Only 100m from our door was a fine sand beach, crafted from millennia of parrotfish munching coral reefs and tidal waters. 100m in the other direction was a bustling cluster of restaurants, vendors, bars and shops. Everywhere you looked were homages to diving. Whether it was oxygen tanks repurposed as decorations, murals of tropical fish, or people wandering the streets in bathing suits, salty hair and snorkel gear, the island was truly a Mecca for underwater adventure.

During my time in Koh tao, my days were spent in a variety of ways. Snorkelling and enjoying the beach, scuba diving, hiking the green hills of Koh Tao, and eating. Here are my Koh tao experiences.

Snorkelling

Our first mission in Koh Tao was to hit the beaches. How do you not? The calm blue sea gently rose and fell on the glorious Sairee beach, filled with restaurants and resorts. By early morning the temperature was already in the 30s and the water wasn’t far behind at 28 degrees. Laying in the salty sea, above white sand and juvenile coral fishes, one could understand why so many people never leave the island. For me that was just the start. After tracking down a local vendor selling snorkelling gear, I set out to the northern edge of the beach. Here the sand gave way back to impassable rock walls. Above the see the rocks were barren and desolate but underwater was quite different. The sea came alive with fish of all shapes, sizes and colours. Behind every rock was more to explore, more to see and more to discover. I lost all track of time as a followed the shoreline. It was on this snorkel I was introduced to the common cast of coral life.

I met Parrotfish, a green, blue and purple fish who eats coral and passes fine sand. It is thanks to these guys that Koh Tao has such perfect beaches. I saw longfin Bannerfish, or Gill, from Finding Nemo. I met a pink anenomefish, a cousin to Nemo, and a myriad of other coral fish who surrounded me in the real life Aquarium I was in. I spent hours in the sea that day, face down breathing through my snorkel, in awe at the sub nautical world I was now part of. I snorkelled the beaches and rocks around Sairee almost everyday of my trip. I couldn’t get enough of the salty shallow seas, teeming with life I had only seen in books. From the smallest goby burrowing in the sandy bottom, to the largest trevally hunting the edges of the reefs, all was magnificent.

One thing wasn’t though. The more I snorkelled, the more I found evidence of one species; Humans. Whenever I was snorkelling near a sea side patio, or ocean overhang, I discovered bottles, wrappers and plastic. Fuelled by my love of the sea and the hatred of peoples blatant disrespect of it, I began diving with a bag which I would fill with trash. In my time in Koh Tao I rarely came back to the beach without a sack full of rubbish. Plastic bottles were the most common, followed by beer bottles. I was so inclined to hunt down trash, helping clean up the reefs I had only just personally discovered. I felt like a oxymoronic treasure hunter, tracing down trash at the bottom of the sea for no personal gain or notoriety.

Snorkelling is a must in Koh Tao. Dozens of taxi services offer snorkelling trips to various beaches and coves around the island, and just the beaches in front of Koh Tao are full of wildlife. You can bring your own gear, purchase gear, or just rent it for the day, but whatever you choose, snorkelling should be done.

Scuba Diving

My main reason for coming to Koh Tao started with a simple remark from a dive instructor I met in New Zealand. While getting my open water diver course last winter, my instructor told me that you have to dive in Koh Tao. I had never heard of the island at that point, but the line stuck with me. Fast forward a year and I’m strapping on my BCD and leaping into the waters surrounding the jewel of the Gulf of Thailand.

All my dives in Koh Tao were through one dive shop. Due to the amount of dive shops on the island and the demand for diving, the prices are unbeatably low. For less than 500$ Canadian you can get your Open water dive certification through a 5 star PADI dive shop.

Scuba Shack, the outfit I dived with, even skips the pool day during your training and does it in the shallow waters of the beaches. As anyone who’s done their open water can agree on, that’s awesome. Scuba Shack even offers bungalows right on the beach for accommodation and if I return to Koh Tao, I would definitely stay at the shop as well.

During my stay I completed six dives on 5 dive sites. I would wake up at 5:00 and walk in the dark through the quiet sleepy island. Before the sun rose we piled into the back of a pickup truck with our dive gear and drove to the main pier. Here we climbed over and through multiple boats until we reached our boat. The long wooden boat, painted blue and orange was covered in tanks, dive gear and some of the most knowledgeable divers on the island. From here we would set out, watching the sun rise over the island. The sky was filled with oranges and pinks that we’re echoed by the calm seas. The sunrises reminded me of the dive boats, as if they had been painted to mimic the blue and orange or the first morning light on the ocean.

My first descent into the depths was at Japanese garden, a beach dive site off the famous Koh Nang Yuan. Suddenly snorkelling seemed redundant, as I gulped back air at the bottom of the sea, surrounded by wildlife. Butterfly fish, squirrel fish, and all sorts of marine fish encircled us at the bottom of the sea. Below us were beds or coral in colours, shapes and sizes I couldn’t even fathom before seeing with my own eyes. That first dive was shorter, due to the fact I was so excited I burnt through my oxygen like a kid who was supposed to ration a bag of candy. With more dives, came more chances to see the real marine fish of Koh Tao. At Chumphon Pinnacle, I saw a massive Giant grouper, that cruised the coral with swagger, knowing he was safe from predators due to his enormous size. At Twin Pinnacles dive site, I met a lion fish, the spiky scorpion of the sea, venomous to the touch. He sat alone on the sandy bottom, almost encouraging others to try out his impenetrable defences. During my dive at White Rock reef, a had a Titan Triggerfish angrily charge me, only to change course moments before impact. This aggressive approach is common with these kings of the coral world. A Damselfish tried to fight my GoPro and cleaner Wrasse swam into the mouths of fish, acting as the reef dentists. Moray eels and blue spotted Stingray were seen tucked under rocky crevices, colourful sea slugs covered the rock walls and a rainbow of multicoloured fish filled the seas around us. We darted through rocky caves, over shallow shoals and into the dark depths of the ocean world.

Completing what I knew would be my last dive in Koh Tao was heartbreaking. In my mind there is no better way to spend a morning than waking up early, watching the sunrise from the ocean, then diving in the warm tropical seas. The feeling of breaking the surface after that first dive of the day brings forth this rejuvenated feeling that even the best cup of coffee couldn’t do. Pictures and dive logs only can tell so much of the story. Breathing through your mouth on a stored air supply at the bottom of the sea, well outside of your comfort zone is an out of world experience. You know you’re not meant to be there, but here you are. Nowhere on dry land is a place so colourful, so full of life and so full of mystery. Darling it’s better down where it’s wetter, Under the sea.

Hiking Around Paradise

After days of maritime adventure, I craved a day exploring the lands of Koh Tao. Most days we would wander the streets and beaches of the towns, exploring the various shops, restaurants and resorts that call Koh Tao home. Especially after dark and at sunset, the walkway just off the beach was full of life, light and excitement. Music from different poolside bars filled the streets with excitement, and vendors pushing everything from jewelry to pancakes yelled out as you passed by. Koh Tao tourism is centred around the waters of the island but something about the green rocky hills that towered behind the beaches appealed to our adventurous nature.

Google only gave us vague directions from other tourists who had climbed to the summits. The most common method of finding the trail was to ask a local to draw you map on scrap paper. Thankfully my two main map apps I use (maps.me and AllTrails) showed a collection of pathways. We soon were to learn that not all these trails were in fact trails. But for now, we set off early in the morning, hiking up the steep streets north of Sairee. The roads themselves featured inclines that would scare away most hikers, but determined we climbed. Our first destination was a rocky overlook known as Fraggle Rock. On a map I had seen the small point mentioning fraggle rock, but it featured no trails to it. To get to Fraggle Rock we knew we had to climb to an abandoned hostel.

The entire way to the hostel were switchback roads, with broken cement. We arrived early at the hostel, which featured a beautiful view of the island. It was saddening knowing that a place like this existed but due to the hills and distance from the beach, it made sense that the hostel was no more than a graffiti filled trail marker for Fraggle Rock. At this point we left the cement pathway and began to trek on a path where the only maintenance were from the footsteps of other curious hikers. After ten minutes more up the hill we arrived at our first lookout.

Fraggle Rock was a large cliff that broke out from the jungle, giving view to the entire western side of Koh Tao. This alone was worth the entire hike for us, but at the same time we knew this was just the beginning of our adventure. From here we pushed further into the islands jungle, coming down the backside of the hill, trying to follow the thin path. Eventually the thin path turned to a grassy path and finally vanished into the jungle. Now almost a kilometre further than Fraggle Rock and what essentially was a dead end without proper equipment, we hiked back. Once back on the main roads of Koh Tao we set off onto a second trail, this time headed for the tallest peak of the Island.

The map simply showed an icon called two views. Off again we climbed the switchback hills. Now, almost noon, the climb was much more challenging. Our clothes became so full of sweat that they began to drip like an oversaturated towel. Every part of my body was sweating, and the hill climb just kept continuing upwards. Just as at fraggle rock, the trail began on a cement path, to a dirt track and finally no more than a walking trail up the steep slope. At one point I spotted something move under a rock in front of me. Curiously I moved the rock to find a scared little Skink, no more than 4cm long. The small lizard frantically tried to flee but even small rocks were challenging for the minuscule lizard to climb. He disappeared into the grasses of the trail and we let him be. It was a heartwarming site that fuelled our push upwards.

Finally the trail crested. We had finished the hardest part of the hike and now we’re glancing over the entire west side of the island. A small push upwards and now could see the entire east side of the island. We were at the top of Koh Tao. All below us was this canopy that appeared too dense to penetrate. Further out was the blue ocean, that from this high looked flat and calm. Even further was the empty horizon that melted into the waters, surrounding our island in endless blue. It was one of those lookouts that just made you smile and look out at the beauty of it all. For us, Koh Tao changed that day. We had in a sense conquered the island. We had seen it all from an almost impossible vantage point.

After a quick lunch we began our trek down. Rather than return the way we came, we hiked down to the islands water reservoir, and followed more trails out and across the island. At this point a local dog emerged from the tree line. She was panting hard in the afternoon heat, so I decided to share my water with her. Instantly the dog seemed to have new life. As we continued, our new four legged friend came with. We trekked back across the island on old dirt paths, being baked by the hot midday sun. Suddenly the road somehow disappeared. Almost as if someone was pulling a cruel joke, the road seemed to vanish as if erased from the island entirely. After desperate searching, we decided to give up. Back at the reservoir was a main road, and would have to be our exit plan. Back through the hilly backroad we climbed until meeting the pavement of the main road across the island. We now had to hike the shoulders of the roads back to our community. To say it was a bad thing is a lie. The road rolled along the coast giving views of various beaches, rock points and sprawling jungle.

Shirtless we pushed on, enjoying the warm sun. After a couple hours we had arrived back to our little bungalow, with a feeling of complete satisfaction. We quickly changed and headed to the sea. The saltiness of our sweat covered skin was replaced by the saltiness of the ocean and a feeling of complete bliss swallowed us up. We had just hiked over 15km of Koh Tao. Although we were rewarded with breathtaking views, sprawling jungle beauty, and a celebratory swim, the Dairy Queen Blizzard I ate after my swim was a perfect ending to our adventure. It was one of those hikes that I know I’ll always remember. The steep hills, dying heat and multiple wrong turns were far from negatives. They added to it all. They Juxtaposed the untouched beauty we had ventured through. And will always be a positive to be cherished when I think about my favourite hikes.

The Food and Drink

When planning my trip, every person I talked to talked about the food in Thailand. Just a couple weeks into my trip and I already understand why. Food is just different here. Whether it’s a traditional dish served in an open air night market, or fast food from a popular global chain, food here is an art. Koh Tao was no different. The island is covered in restaurants varying from high class dining to vendors selling a single dish on the side of the streets. I made it a goal to try so many different places, to really see what the island offered. And overall, I was not disappointed.

Street Vendors

Street food is very popular in Thailand. At night some streets explode to life full and fill with vendors selling their finest meals. I can understand the wariness of someone who comes from the overly hygienic western world, but street vendors deserve respect as some of the best food on the island. For instance, there is a lady who from 3-10pm sets up outside a 7-11 on the main road. Here she cooks the best pad Thai in Koh Tao. With her cooking on a wok on a single burner right beside us you could see the care she put into the meal. One by one she adds the different ingredients at the perfect time, making sure everything is cooked exceptionally well. You eat it at a small plastic table she has set up and the entire time she’s making sure that you enjoyed every bite. To this point of the trip it is the only place I’ve eaten their pad Thai more than once.

But she isn’t the only vendor like that.

Smattered all over the island is people just like her. Some sell pancakes, and have turned the sweet dessert pancakes filled with fruit into a performance. Others take the ripest fruits grown locally and turn them into the tastiest smoothies imaginable. Whatever the street vendor, it’s worth checking out what they are selling.

Our picks: The lady outside 7-11 on main road, the fruit stand and smoothie bar between Asia Divers and 995 Roasted duck, Any pancake vendor who’s overly enthusiastic.

Authentic Restaurants

Once you venture off the main resort areas you’ll stumble across a variety of open air restaurants filled with locals and travellers alike, eating a variety of Thai cuisine. Often you’ll be greeted by one one of the staff who is always happy to have a customer. These are the places I shined. I would often pick meals I had never heard of and rolled the dice. Thankfully every time I rolled the dice I found a new dish with flavours I struggled to explain. Having curries back in North America or larger restaurants in major centres in Thailand just didn’t compare to these small hidden gems. I’d scour the worn out menu, finding something that caught my eye. It was at one of these places I found Tom yam. This sour and spicy soup was filled with a collection of spices, ingredients and flavours that would be impossible to replicate back home. It was at small authentic places like this I found which of the curries that are popular in Thailand is my favourite. Penang curry with its thick salty and sweet flavour is now a regular staple when ordering food here. The one thing these places all had in common was tremendous service. When entering new places I now look for these real Thai restaurants. They have changed how I look at cooking completely.

Our picks: Mint Kitchen, Pranee’s kitchen, Coffee Boat, Bingorev2.0

The Rest of the Best

With tourism comes the need to appease the people. The island is covered in restaurants that cater to every culinary group. Italian, french, western, Mexican, Indian, and Chinese restaurants fill the streets, far out numbering Thai cuisine. After my stay in Koh Tao, I’m thankful for these restaurants as well. Sometimes you just want a great big burger with fries. Sometimes you’re craving tacos. Sometimes it’s Chinese New Years and you decide “hey let’s go get dumplings”. There is no shortage of amazing eats on the island. No matter what food you’re searching for, no matter how picky an eater, the food here will shock you with its quality and flavour. Permpoon Cafe has an entire page of the menu just for different styles of eggs Benedict’s. Bang! Burgers makes their own ketchup to go along with their tasty burgers and fries. The Brother has a daily specials board full of tasty cheap eats to satisfy your budget and belly. No matter where on the island you’ll find tasty food from all walks of life.

Our picks: Permpoon Café, The Brother, Nanya’s Burgers, Sairee Cottage’s 6-10pm skewers deal, Baia Taco Concept, Stuffed.

Leaving Koh Tao was sad. It felt like leaving home. I’ve already vowed to come back to this magical island paradise. Who knows I may even return on this current trip. There was so much of Koh Tao I didn’t experience, and so much more I want to do again. If you’re a nomadic backpacker or the all inclusive type, please do yourself a favour and visit. The mix of culture, tropical paradise and adventure blend together into a perfect little package of an island. From the seas to the Palm trees, from the diving to the dining, Koh Tao is worth your time.