Ko Tao is a small island famous worldwide for being a great place for scuba diving and snorkeling. From Ko Samui, the trip was 3h long with Songserm express boat (the cheapest company!). Agencies in Lamai sell the Songserm boat ticket plus the taxi ride to the port for Bh400, but checking a few agencies we easily got a discount and paid Bh330 (we could have paid Bh250 without the taxi ride). The air-conditioning on the boat was too low so it was freezing inside but as it was raining we could not stay outside. The sea was quite ruff when we left Ko Samui and it became very ruff after Ko Pha Ngan. It was a bit scary and very uncomfortable, so we were very happy when we finally arrived in Ko Tao :)
There are three main villages in Ko Tao: Ban Mae Hat, Ao Chalok Ban Kao and Ban Hat Sairee. The boats arrive in Ban Mae Hat which kept somehow its fishing village atmosphere even if there are many restaurants, coffee places and guesthouses for tourists. Ban Hat Sairee is a more trendy place with good pubs and great restaurants along the beach. Ao Chalok Ban Kao is smaller than the 2 previous villages, the bay is quite nice nut there are only a few restaurants and bars. We stayed in Ban Mae Hat to avoid paying the expensive taxi to get to other villages (100Bh each to the closest beach and more to go further) and every day we went to visit different parts of the island. Moreover Ban Mae Hat has very good restaurants for lunch/dinner and good bakeries for breakfast. We enjoyed having dinner at the very good Italian restaurant La Matta (the best pizzas we had since we left London) and having breakfast at Cappuccino, a French Bakery.
In Ko Tao, walking is the best way to discover the beautiful landscapes that the island has to offer, however it is quite challenging as the slopes are very steep and it's very hot during the day. Renting a motorbike is another way, however only a few roads are sealed and for most of the tracks that cross the island an off road bike is necessary.
We really enjoyed the coastal walk between Ban Mae Hat and Ao Chalok Ban Kao. The landscapes were very nice and the view from the Viewpoint Resort when we arrived at Ban Chalok Ban Kao bay was stunning. Before going for a swim at Ao Thian Ok beach we stopped at the New Heaven Resort and really liked the stunning view from its restaurant.
Another day we wanted to walk to the Two Views viewpoint via Ban Hat Sairee and then go to Tanote Bay for snorkeling. As we reached the viewpoint it started raining and within a few minutes it was pouring down. We managed to find a place to shelter, a bungalow set up for the workers of a nearby construction site. We waited for the rain to stop, but as it did not, we accepted a ride back to Ban Mae Sad that two workers offered us. The next day we tried again to complete the walk and we were successful. We went first to Ao Leuk a small but nice bay and then walked up to Tanote Bay. The road going down to Tanote Bay is very steep and we were wondering if we could walk back up! In Tanote bay we had a relaxing time and the snorkeling was very good. The reefs are very nice and there are lots of fishes. After we walked uuuuuuuup the very steep track to the Two Views viewpoint and really liked the views on Tanote Bay and on the three islands of Ko Nang Yuan nearby Ko Tao. Before going back to Ban Mae Hat we wanted to check out Ban Hat Sairee and while we were walking along the road a very nice Thai guy gave us a lift in the trailer attached on the side of his motorbike. We really liked Ban Hat Sairee as there is a nice "holiday atmosphere" with lots of trendy pubs and restaurants and nice bars along the beach.
For our last day in Ko Tao we decided to rent a scooter, for Bh200 we got a powerful one to make sure we could go up the very steep slopes being two on it. The scooter gave us the option to see more places in one day. In the morning we went to a nice viewpoint at the North end of Hat Sairee Beach, in the afternoon we returned to Tanote Bay and in the evening we went for a meal at a trendy pub in Ban Hat Sairee. The next day, before catching our boat in the afternoon we kept the scooter to check out another viewpoint at the North end of Hat Sairee Beach that we had missed out the previous day. The slope was so steep that we had to leave the scooter half way and finish the last bit of the road walking. But our efforts were worth it as the view on Hat Sairee Beach was very nice.
We had to leave Ko Tao even if we wished we could stay a bit longer as Laurence's visa was about to expire. We caught a boat to Chumphon from where we will catch a train to Bangkok. The cheapest option was an afternoon boat with Songserm express boat, Bh350 per person with Bh50 discount on the standard price. The trip was much better than the one from Ko Samui as the sea was not ruff and the nice weather allowed us to stay outside on the deck. Arriving in Chumpton the boat went up a river to reach the pier and we saw a lot of fishermen boats. At the pier a bus picked up the passengers to take them to the town center where we easily found a nice Guesthouse.
