Koh Tao was my first island of the trip and I am so happy it was! After a few days of traveling with super packed days, it was nice to arrive to an island that had such a calm space. I felt like I walked into a yoga studio!
This is the ideal island for relaxation, mediation, and recreation. People are friendly but super to themselves. I highly recommend this island for those who love to scuba dive, want a private romantic getaway, or want a quite space to do yoga.
What To Do:
* Explore the island
This took me a good majority of time here in Koh Tao and I highly recommend you allow yourself some time to properly explore the island. The best way to get around the island is with a scooter - you can rent one for super cheap (be prepared to give them your passport in exchange for the scooter rental).
* Massages
Make sure to schedule in some pampering time for yourself. Massages in Thailand are SO cheap it's unreal! So if you are anything like me, I am sure you will find yourself making it a daily routine (or sometimes multiple times a day) because you know, vacationing can be tough... ;)
* Shopping
Not a must but if buying souvenirs and memorabilia bring you pure joy and havingness then you will totally understand why this also became nearly a daily routine for me as well. *P.S. All the islands have similar items but I found that Koh Tao was a bit cheaper than the other islands - especially in comparison to the more commercial islands like Koh Phi Phi.
* Temples
There are a few little temples you can see while exploring the island.
* Beaches
Being that we began our island tour in Koh Tao we wanted to start building our base coat of sun, so we spent a day beach hoping!
* Scuba diving
YESSSSSSSSSSS. This is a MUST! It was SO incredible!
The island has a few companies to choose from, all of them being VERY similar. Just walk into any of their offices and find which company has options that best fit what you are looking for. We only had one more day in Koh Tao (almost extended for another couple days so we could get certified) so we just did a day training course. But the day training course is nothing to make less of - it was fricken awesome and honestly it was just the right gradient for me.
What To Expect:
• Rent a scooter for best option of transportation .
• Book your activities when you first arrive (I found it much easier and affordable this way the booking in advance online).
• ATMs here are fine to use however, I wouldn't make it a daily thing. We withdrew quite a bit to last us a few days.
• Book activities through your hotel (sometimes they are cheaper and include transportation when you book through them).
• Bring your own sunscreen. It's way more affordable then purchasing it there.
Where To Stay:
The Montra Resort
Love this hotel. Nice rooms, lovely pool area. Really loved the location of this hotel. The wifi wasn’t very good at all from our room however, if you more around the hotel you can find better connection. 4 star hotel. Breakfast included.
xoxo
Mariah McAlpin
@mariahmcalpin
