KO TAO & KO NANG YUAN

Ko Tao, meaning ‘Turtle Island’, was all but uninhabited in the 1950s, though
you’d never know it nowadays.
Though  it’s growing and improving rapidly,  seemingly month-to-month, it is still small enough to be laid back and a bit cozy.
A large turtle in front of Crystal Dive near the Mae Haad town pier greets aspiring divers, and a road that doesn’t even go halfway around the beautifully hilly island keeps things close and personal.
In the late 1980s the first Samui based dive operators began running overnight live aboard trips to Ko Tao.
The popularity of the island as a dive destination  grew, as water clarity tends to be better here and the coral and marine diversity is good.
Realizing there was a wealth of untouched  beauty,  dive operations  began relocating to Ko Tao.

More than 3% of the divers in the world are now certified here annually, and courses at all levels are nearly always available.

Hillside bungalows in niche resorts and basic dive camps run the gamut of accommodation.
Virtually all have dive facilities and most have numerous classrooms.
Good restaurants abound,too.

Shops have first rate, new rental gear, and there’s even a full service dive supply store right off the ferry pier.  Nights are spent gathered for happy hour at a dive shop beach pub, followed by a review of the day’s dive adventures videoed  by  local shop professionals. Everywhere you look, something dive-related is happening. Many people spend the morning diving and then relax and watch the sun go down from a beautiful stretch of sand called Sairee  Beach.

Nearby and part of the scenic offering  of many of the island’s northern viewpoints is Ko Nang Yuan, a tiny island formation comprising  three landmasses connected by a central spit of sand.
Many nice, shallow dives and snorkeling spots are accessible from the island, which also has a hotel.
If you want to dive, this is the place to come.