Koh Tao is not the deserted island tropical paradise you might have been led to believe. It was but that was a pretty long time ago. These days we have 24 hour power, great internet connection, pretty good cell service, tattoo parlors, massage parlors, shops, a couple of “supermarkets”, banks & ATM’s everywhere, a few medical clinics, 7/11’s on every corner and possibly the best bars and restaurants anywhere in Thailand. Great food, great taste, excellent service & cheap too, but we’ll get to that a little later.
Koh Tao also hosts a variety of additional activities other than scuba diving. The island of course is surrounded by the most beautiful bays and beaches you can imagine, some are busy like Sairee and Nang Yuan, while others are deserted. Some are great for snorkeling or freediving with sharks and turtles, while some make awesome spots for boulder jumping. Pretty much all of them are accessibly by foot or kayak though you may want to keep an eye on the weather as afternoon storms can make any watersport a little challenging! But that’s when the wind picks up and the kite surfers head out!
Hiking around Koh Tao over the hill’s and through the jungle to get to incredible views of Koh Tao has become increasingly popular over recent years especially since Social Media hit the scene and people do what they can to get that perfect Instagram shot! Bring proper shoes, lots of water & a camera. Some viewpoints around Koh Tao haven’t become famous yet but they will! Its just a matter of time & Koh Tao will become very well known for its natural beauty. Oh wait!
If you want to get around yourselves and are looking for a safe and honest place to rent a motorbike or looking for information for onward travel when leaving Koh Tao then we definitely recommend Island Travel as your first point of call. Trusty helpful staff and everybody’s first point of call when it comes to Visa information or Visa extensions.
Did you know there was a Trapeze School here? Your chance to Tarzan through the air being towards the outstretched hands of your catcher and fall 10 meters below, safely of course as you are tied to a harness & winch & land on a huge acrobats net! An incredibly different experience and super popular with the kids if you are looking to keep the kids out of your hair for a few hours.
Another activity that seems to have really taken off recently is rock climbing. The team at Goodtimes have a selection of climbs from beginner to experienced all over the island. Climb to the top, check out the view, then abseil back down again. Another top spot for you Instagrammers out there!
And now lets talk food and drink.
Koh Tao is literally packed with excellent restaurants and bars and we are lucky enough to be literally in the heart of the some of the best places not only here in Koh Tao, but in Thailand too. With so many to choose from its hard to know where to go so we are going to make this easy for you and list our top 6 for the following categories.
Best Cafe’s for Breakfast on Koh Tao
- New Heaven Bakery- excellent fresh bread and coffee and amazing special every lunchtime
- Zest- the local’s hangout. Good food, great prices, excellent service & the community favorite.
- The Workshop- The best English Breakfast on the island.
- Milk & Honey- A Mediterranean Restaurant with authentic tastes, smells and flavors.
- Living Juices- Great juices and detox drinks and super healthy delicacies
- Coconut Monkey- A choice of everything in a great beachside location.
Best Restaurants on Koh Tao
- Barracuda- Seafood & really, really fine dining at a rooftop bar.
- Fizz- Koh Tao’s Number One sunset beach bar & restaurant. Great food, great atmosphere, amazing views at sunset.
- Whitening- Another popular spot for fine dining on Koh Tao.
- Charcoal Bay- Koh Tao’s newest Restaurant. Great food and beautiful surroundings.
- Chu Chu’s- The restaurant that saw most of us through Covid. Everyone loves Chu Chu’s. Excellent Thai food.
- Lazy Bar & Restaurant- Koh Tao’s home cooked kitchen. Pies, lasagna’s, pasta’s exactly as your mama made them.
Best Bars on Koh Tao
- The Local- great spot for live music, quiz nights, bingo & snorkel tests!
- Maya Bar- Beach bar, awesome sunset tunes & a great place for a party!
- Fish Bowl – The busiest spot on Koh Tao, every night, 365 nights a week!
- Choppers- Home of the Koh Tao pub crawl & the best Sports Bar on the island.
- Fizz- Excellent for sunsets & Funky Soul Nights on Fridays.
- Big Blue Bar- under construction!
