MarcoGT

Hi all,

planning a two weeks trip to Thailand.
Idea is to stay 4 nights in BKK and then fly to Koh Tao.

I think the best way (of course more expensive) to reach Koh Tao from BKK is to fly to Koh Samui and then take a ferry to Koh Tao, am I right?

Could you please give me some resorts name in Koh Tao with private beach? Of course a "nice" beach with possibility of snorkeling and so on.
I have seen that almost none of them offer "all inclusive" like in Maldives; why? Because there are restaurants on the island?

Thanks
Marco

whackyjacky

Time to Google away and rethink KT as your destination unless you love to check out crime scenes.

eponymous_coward

A less expensive way is a flight DMK to URT or NST, and bus and ferry to Koh Tao, using Nok Air or Air Asia. Same basic deal.

Koh Tao is not much like a "private atoll" in the Maldives, though. I'm not sure any of the Thai resort islands are that way. If you're expecting that kind of environment, you may be disappointed. I would guess someplace like Amanpuri might be closest to what you are looking for.

I have an expat friend based out of Chiang Mai who dives at Koh Tao all the time. He doesn't seem to think it's a particularly crime-ridden hell hole that everyone should be frightened of (and he's from LA and certainly knew what Compton is).

But he's also not the type who would go to MLE to be cloistered from any of the locals living there, with a bunch of Western tourists spending loads of cash for their vacation. He's mostly there to dive and is fine with pretty simple accommodation and being able to brush up on his Thai talking to the locals.

dsquared37

I believe you meant URT for the underlined code.

whackyjacky

The island is still run by the same corrupt, mafia, headmen, & police as during the murders. I wouldn't give this vile group 1 satang of mine. KT is still rife with drugs and the associated crime problems. There have been a couple other sketchy deaths there since the Hanna & David fiasco as well. Why anyone would want to dive in the Gulf of Thailand when you could more cheaply fly into HKT & dive in the Andamans is beyond me anyway. Try the Silmilans. LINK: http://www.phuket.com/island/similans.htm#

eponymous_coward

Yes, very much so.

I suppose you'd have to ask my friend. He seems pretty happy there when he goes and has recommended the place to me. He's also a twelve-stepper, so he's not going to get drunk or stoned out of his mind, just diving and relaxing in a hammock, maybe a tattoo every now and then. He's a long term expat and reasonably fluent in Thai so I doubt a lot of wool's being pulled over his eyes.

-shrug-

whackyjacky

Your friend will tell you that the clarity levels in the Gulf don't compare to the Andaman. Diver's get up early and go to bed early & miss most of the bullsh*t going on on KT. Still, any diver will tell you that the diving is way better on the other side of the Peninsula.

eponymous_coward

Funny thing is he's not a fan of Phuket, for much the same reasons you cite for Koh Tao; corrupt, party culture (plus Phuket is much more touristed out).

-shrug-

whackyjacky

Patong is to be avoided. It's a certified sh*thole. I've hated it since the tsunami. It's a big island though and most of the rest of it ain't so bad. I suggest that the OP go N from HKT across the bridge to Phang Nga not into Patong.

Lenny Lednev

I would recommend to go to Koh Phangan and stay at Santhiya Resort and Spa -- its on the best beach on the island, there is snorkeling around the island itself and you can always take a day trip to Koh Tao. It's also closer than Koh Tao.

forumpersona999

+1 I dive out of Koh Phangan 3 times a year. With the exception of the corner of the island around Haad Rin which is the epicenter of the Full Moon Party, it's a very nice laid back place. Dive trips to Sail Rock launch daily out of Chaloklum village on the northern end of the island.

Fern Smith at The Dive Inn runs a reliable operation.

transpac

This place:

http://www.theplacekohtao.com/

seems to have won some award as a luxury/romantic resort.


Four Thai beaches voted best in Asia and a hotel in Koh Tao best in the world for romance and services.

Travellers around the world have voted four Thai beaches onto TripAdvisor’s top ten list of the best beaches in Asia.

They also voted a small hotel in Koh Tao, Surat Thani province as winner in four categories to its 2015 Travelers’ Choice.

The rankings for best beaches were determined by the quantity and quality of traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over a twelve-month period.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/fou...mance-services

RTW1

Yeah... just don't piss of the local mafia. Might get you killed.
Not much chance of that though if you do it in luxury.

TravelinSperry

Ko Tao is not unsafe. One murder does not make an island unsafe... the place is filled with Western Tourists (many Israelis, Brits and others from Northern Europe looking to escape the cold).

I dove Ko Tao for years (first in 2001). It started as a laid back backpacker island and the diving there used to be excellent. It had a school of sharks and the dive spots are close (no super long boat rides) as in the Andamans. Since it started as a backpacker place... there weren't (and still aren't) many high end luxury spots. The place was more about chilling beachside in a hut and diving, diving, diving and relaxing in a hammock on the beach. Then sharing a beer after.

The snorkeling is not that good on Ko Tao (the reef nowadays is quite dead). Most of the color is gone. Due to 2 issues... there was a warming a few years back which bleached the coral and due to the cheapness of the Baht, many first time divers go here to get their certificates. In fact, Ban's Diving is one of the top 3 open-water PADI cert places in the world. New divers don't have good buoyancy and as such smash the reef inadvertently with fins and other parts of their body, killing it. Over the years this has taken its toll. Now the sharks are gone, there are a few turtles and eels left... and there are some killer giant triggerfish there. In fact, I'm more worried about the giant triggerfish when diving than crime. They are insane and aggressive (due to stupid divemasters annoying them year over year) and so now they protect their territory quite aggressively.

The beach isn't pristine like the Maldives, it's smallish. Personally if you are going solely for snorkeling (not diving) and looking to relax on a luxury beach solo I'd say Ko Tao is not for you. It's mostly for divers... and for the social scene. Which nowadays is huge. It's become more of a party island than a laid back island and as such draws a different sort of backpacker now. It's still hard to get to (requires a ferry from Samui) and so it does keep away the midwestern tourist stereotype.

Sairee beach is where the majority of tourists stay. So I suppose you could go to the SE or North part of the islands to get away from the madness and find a more remote hotel. You could also stay on Nang Yuan Island (right across from Sairee). The ferry will drop you there if you have a hotel ressie. Thipwimarn Resort at the very top of Sairee beach is more remote than the others (due to its location). You could stay there and feel a bit more private I suppose.

If you go, yes, fly to Samui and then take the high speed catamaran over. But based on what you're looking for you may be somewhat disappointed imo.

MarcoGT

I had a look at Santhiya Resort in Koh Phanghan and it seems what we are looking for...isn't it?

Thanks