Adventurous activities you need to do in Koh Tao

Koh Tao is a little island in the gulf of Thailand filled with fun, exciting and unique activities to do.

If you would like to make your stay in Koh Tao memorable and adventurous, here is a list of things that you could do.

Get your scuba diving certification

Koh Tao is one of the cheapest places in the world to learn how to scuba dive so why not go ahead and become a scuba diver here?

There are over 70 dive schools here so a bit of reserch needs to be done when choosing where to dive

I went with Scubadoo dive center for a couple of reasons, biggest one being that they offer all 6 dives in the ocean, whereas most diving schools have the first 2 dives in a swimming pool.

If you are a complete beginner, you will have to do the open water course and this costs 9500 Baht, includes 6 dives over 3 days and you will be SSI certified for up to 18m

If you would just like to try scuba diving out, you can do a basic diver course, which costs 3500 Baht

It’s the first day of the open water course, and if you enjoy it and would like to get certified you can do the remaining 2 days and pay the difference

So it’s basically a trial with no commitments

If you complete your open water course and would like another challenge, most dives schools also offer an advanced open water

It’s 2 days long, you get 5 dives and you certify up to 30 meters, the price for this course is 8900, and you can only do it after you have completed an open water course

Once certified, you can go out for fun dives, at any dive school in Koh Tao and they are an average of 1800 Baht for 2 fun dives.

I would definitely recommend diving here (scubadookohtao.com) as there is no swim test, the instructors are very friendly and it’s just positive vibes all around !

Take a Muay Thai class

Muay Thai means Thai boxing and it’s the national sport of Thailand

It’s a combat stand up striking sport which uses fists, elbows and knees and feet.

Taking a Muay Thai class in Thailand is a great experience and allows you to get an enjoyable workout, have fun, meet people and try something new.

I did it in 2 different schools in Koh Tao as a complete beginner and whilst I really enjoyed both, there are a few differences that I noticed:

MONSOON GYM

Great if it’s your first time doing anything like this as they split everyone in 2 groups: absolute beginner where you learn the basics of Muay Thai

and another group with everyone else who has done it before.

It was my first time ever and it was great to learn the basics with other people who have also never done this sport before

There is also an ice bath that you can use, although it was unavailable the day that I was there I think it would be an amazing way to end the sessions.

PANKOM MUAY THAI

Unlike Monsoon, Pankom is outdoor which feels good to be surrounded by nature and locals walking past however it can get really hot

The 1.5h training session is like a circuit so you get to try a bit of everything including 5-10min long 1 to 1 sessions with the teachers 2 or 3 times.

This one is good if you have done a beginner session before and you know the basics as Muay Thai, as there is a specific technique for everything.

The teachers here were also really funny and great to work with

WOrth it?

Absolutely! The beauty of travelling is being able to try new things that you wouldn’t be able to do as easily (and cheaply) back home

Both of these classes costed 300Baht for a 1.5h training session

By taking these classes as an absolute beginner you can try something new that you have never tried before,

and it is also a great way to meet new people.

These 2 places are 9 minutes away from eachother, and are both about a 5 min walk to Sairee beach

Therefore a dip in the water would definitely be a good idea, I did this with the other backpackers I met at the class

Flying trapeze class

This was again my first time doing anything like this and I found it to be very accomodating for complete beginners as well as the more advanced

I’m going to be honest… this was very scary for me and is not something I would recommend doing if you are terrified of heights.

The 1.5h class costs 1500 Baht and runs at 9am and 4pm, you can sign up through the website here and pay in cash when you arrive

It was definitely a step outside of my comfort zone and I’m so glad that I went for it

Your first flying trapeze class will consist of learning to hang upside down and towards the end you will also have the opportunity to get caught by a catcher

This is also another great way to meet people and something I loved here is how supportive everyone was

Yoga class

Mabye Muay Thai and Trapeze class is a bit too much for you and you need something more chill?

Well there is a yoga retreat close to Sairee Beach. You can choose to to stay here but you can also simply take the individual classes.

It’s called Blue Chitta, (bluechitta.com) and they have various yoga classes and workshop throughout the day

The classes are 300Bath and workshops are 600Baht

I did the Ice Bath and breathing workshop and it was AMAZING.

Again, my first time doing anything like this.

I found it crazy how much your breathing can affect you as I started to feel sleepy after some of the breathing exercises.

And the ice bath was definitely a challenge, I managed to make it to 5 minutes the second time round

and the teacher was always so supportive helping me with my breathing and giving continuous encouragement

Again, this was a fantastic way to meet like minded people, I also ended up paying 300Bath to join the vegan buffet dinner that they had on that evening.

Visit freedom beach and hike to John-Suwan view point

Freedom beach is a small scenic beach located in the south coast of Koh Tao with clear water and beautiful views

Entrance fee is 50Baht, this includes entrance to Freedom beach, Taatoh Beach and the viewpoint

It also includes parking (as this is a beach resort), sunbeds at freedom beach, and showers

The beach is a beautiful place to relax but if you are planning to go for a swim I recommend taking water shoes or sandals as I got a few cuts from the sharp rocks and a few crab bites

To get to the viewpoint from the beach is about a 15 minute hike, I would recommend doing this for sunset as the views were amazing

You should also wear a good pair of shoes or sandals for this (I wore my Teva hurricane sandals)

Because towards the end there is a bit of a climb with ropes to help you and it gets very rocky.

However the views are 100% worth the struggle to get up there, oh and make sure you bring plenty of mosquito repellant with you!!

Take part in a snorkelling tour

Koh Tao is full of beautiful snorkeling spots however they are located all around the island.

The easiest way to get to see all of them is by doing a snorkeling tour.

A lot of the time you will be able to book these through your hostel, the biggest companies are oxygen tours and diamond tour.

I did mine through oxygen tour, the morning tour was 550 Baht and I think it was completely worth the money

as it includes 5 stops, snorkels, pickup and drop off, insurance, lunch, water and hot drinks, and also underwater photography.

However there are also extra charges: you will have to pay 250Baht entrance fees for the first location, and if you would like to rent fins that would be an additional 200 Baht, but they are both optional.

THIS IS WHAT YOUR DAY WILL LOOK LIKE

(For the oxygentour morning snorkel trip around Koh Tao and Nang Yuan Island)

• Between 9-9.40 am you will get picked up from your hostel, tour starts at 10am
• STOP 1– Nang Yuan Island, these are 3 islands connected by 2 beaches. You will spend 2 hours here so you can snorkel, sunbathe and also do a viewpoint hike to Koh Nang with beautiful views at the top
• TO NOTE: you are not allowed to take fins or water shoes in with you as they are trying to preserve the corals. You are also not allowed plastic water bottles, however you can take reusable ones or there are places to buy water in here.

• STOP 2– Snorkeling around Mangobay, you get 30minutes here and you can see lots of cute fishes and colorful corals
• STOP 3- Hinwong bay, Did I mention that the boat has a jumping platform and 2 slides? Well here and stop 4 are deep enough to jump and slide so you can have fun with these or snorkel for 30 minutes… or both!!!

• STOP 4- Aow Leuk bay– here you will get 30 minutes again to swim in crystal clear water and explore the fishes or have fun jumping off the boat
• STOP 5- Shark Bay– this was my absolute favorite spot because if you’re lucky enough you get to see turtles and we got really lucky. Seeing the VERY BIG turtles whilst snorkeling was such a unique and beautiful experience!

Rent a motobike and go beaches and to a snorkelling spot

If you don’t want to go from place to place to go snorkelling, you can pick one place and spend more time there

My big recommendation is Tanote Bay, located on the east coast of Koh Tao

This because the beach is beautiful and the bay is surrounded by big hills, big rocks in and outside of the water, has beautiful reefs and you can also see a lot of different fishes

You can rent snorkels here, there will be a sign saying snorkel rental at the restaurant on your left as you walk in.

It costs 100Baht and you will need to return it by 6pm, if not you will have to pay for another day.

You will also have to leave a deposit of either 1000Baht, a form of ID or keys.

The easiest way to get here is by moto bike which you can rent in Koh Tao for 24h for as cheap as 200Baht for 24h, usually you will have to leave a deposit of either a passport or 4000Baht.

However beware that like a lot of the bays on this island, the road down to get to the bay is very steep so do not ride a motobike here if you are not confident