Koh Tao refers to the island of Tao in
the gulf of Thailand. Koh here means an
island in Thai language. The Koh Tao island
is located about 70km east off the coast
of Thailand, between Suratthani and Chumphon.
The island derives this name from the word
turtle which means turtle island, as in
the past, the vast waters of the area used
to be full of sea turtles though now the
turtles have moved on to other breeding
grounds. At the initial stage, the Koh Tao
was not used for habitation. It was only
in the year 1899 when his majesty, King
Chulalongkorn visited Koh tao and from then,
the island became a place of great human
habitation. From the year 1933 onwards,
the place has been used as a political prison.
In the eighties the first travellers
discovered the hidden paradise of Koh Tao
and their special "backpacker-network"
quickly made it widely known and transformed
it into a popular tourist destination. During
the past ten years the reputation of Turtle
Island's natural beauty, especially its
marine life and coral reefs has spread the
world over and the number of tourist accordingly
have increased. It soon became one of the
major dive sites in Thailand, attracting
beginners and professionals alike. The local
businesses expanded immediately to catch
up with the needs of the new clientele.
The island today, though still remaining
an absolute paradise, caters for all tastes
and budget.
Today Koh Tao is one of the top destinations
in Thailand for scuba diving and is very
popular with people learning to scuba dive.
The dive sites around Koh Tao are numerous
& are frequently dived by diving schools
from both Koh Phangan and samui. Koh Tao
features over 20 dive sites, including the
famous Sail Rock. The island has clear blue
waters with good visibility. Visitors can
expect good weather for diving all year
around except for the November-December
rainy season.
The island has many reefs from about
2 to 20 metres deep. Other dives feature
pinnacles at a depth of 30 metres. Notable
fish around the islands are manta rays,
Spanish mackerel, filefish, coral shrimpfish
and batfish. There are over 30 dive schools
and diving operators, as well as numerous
action and adventure options such as wake
boarding, kayaking and jungle trekking,
to participate in. For the Thai people,
it is just known as a tourist attraction
featuring beautiful dive sites off its shores.
To foreigners, this island has for a long
time been famous as a diving paradise. International
divers know that the underwater world of
Koh Tao is second to none. However, diving
conditions have deteriorated tremendously
over time because of large crowds of divers
and the uncontrolled environmental development
of the island.
Koh Tao is increasingly becoming a destination
for game fishermen on a budget. Species
targeted include marlin, sailfish, king
mackerel, and cobia. Koh Tao is also turning
its hand to the environmental side of the
equation. Koh Tao today has thus emerged
as one of the exotic destinations for diving
added to its wonderful scenic beauty.
The Koh Tao island
is located about 70km east off the coast
of Thailand, between Suratthani and Chumphon.
The island derives this name from the word
turtle which means turtle island, as in
the past, the vast waters of the area used
to be full of sea turtles though now the
turtles have moved on to other breeding
grounds. At the initial stage, the Koh Tao
was not used for habitation. It was only
in the year 1899 when his majesty, King
Chulalongkorn visited Koh tao and from then,
the island became a place of great human
habitation. From the year 1933 onwards,
the place has been used as a political prison.
In the eighties the first travellers
discovered the hidden paradise of Koh Tao
and their special "backpacker-network"
quickly made it widely known and transformed
it into a popular tourist destination. During
the past ten years the reputation of Turtle
Island's natural beauty, especially its
marine life and coral reefs has spread the
world over and the number of tourist accordingly
have increased. It soon became one of the
major dive sites in Thailand, attracting
beginners and professionals alike. The local
businesses expanded immediately to catch
up with the needs of the new clientele.
The island today, though still remaining
an absolute paradise, caters for all tastes
and budget.
