When I first arrived in Thailand, we spent the first few nights based in Ao Nang, in the Krabi region on the famous Phang Nga Bay. It was beautiful, what with sunsets from Ao Nang Beach and the day we spent exploring Hong Island. But we were eager to get to the islands - one of the many "Ko"s that are are limitless in number and based all along the long coastal regions of Thailand.
And so, from Ao Nang, we took a long bus across the Krabi peninsula and boarded a ferry to the tiny little Ko Tao, far and away our favourite spot of the entire trip. We could easily have spent a month on this darling little spot in the Gulf of Thailand.
Ko Tao, and the little island jutting off the northwestern tip, Ko Nang Yuan, are renowned for having some of the clearest and best underwater habitats in the region. It's the reason that plenty of people flock to Ko Tao to complete their PADI scuba diving certifications.
While we didn't have time for a full scuba diving course, we did make time to do a snorkel tour circumnavigating Ko Tao. We booked the day before at one of the many tour companies dotted along the beach in Sairee, where we were based.
TIP! I recommend paying a little extra for the "premium" tour. We paid 1200 Thai baht each (about €30) for this package and my gosh was it worth it in every way.
Snorkeling Day Tour Around Ko Tao
We toured with Oxygen Tours and had a wonderful day out. The premium tour leaves an hour earlier than all the other tours which means you'll get uninterrupted time to yourself to explore each of the five spots on the itinerary before the other groups show up. Plus, longtail boats ferry people between Ko Tao and Ko Nang Yuan, so it gets extra packed during the daytime.
Also included was unlimited tea, coffee and water, plus snacks, a delicious cooked lunch (including a yummy veggie option), beach towels, snorkel gear and even underwater photography by our guides.
We stopped at five beautiful spots all around Ko Tao. The water was warm and clear, the corals colourful and the fish in abundance. It was magical.
Check out all my favourite places to snorkel around the globe!
Japanese Garden
Ko Nang Yuan
Mango Bay
Aow Leuk Bay
Shark Bay
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Hi! I’m Jana, a British-Dutch-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
