Exploring Koh Tao and Koh Samui: A Journey from Bangkok to the Islands

February 2025

From Bangkok, we took a short one-hour flight to Koh Samui before hopping on a ferry to Koh Tao. Upon landing, we headed straight to the Lomprayah ferry counter to purchase our tickets and pay for the transfer to the private port. The system was a bit chaotic but functional; stickers were given to indicate our destination. At the port, despite already having tickets, we still had to check in. Luggage was loaded separately—hard cases wrapped in a blue tarp at the front of the boat, while backpacks were stacked inside. The ferry stopped first at Koh Pha Ngan (about 30 minutes) before reaching Koh Tao (just over an hour).

Koh Tao: 5 Nights of Diving and Discovery

Booking Accommodation

A word of advice—book your stay as soon as possible! We reserved a month in advance and still found limited options. Staying close to a diving school was a priority, as some start early and we are not morning people.

Cash is King

Koh Tao operates mostly on cash. We had to pay for our hotel in cash, and many restaurants and businesses did not accept cards. Some diving schools did take Wise transfers, which saved us. Another thing to note—on the islands, you cannot flush toilet paper, even in high-end hotels.

Our PADI Open Water Certification Experience

We chose Pimp My Dive, a smaller diving school that offered French-speaking instructors, though we completed our course in English. The day before, we visited the shop to sign papers and get fitted for wetsuits and fins, as we already had our own masks and snorkels.

• Day 1: A mix of excitement and anxiety as we started with basic gear explanations and swimming tests. We practiced breathing with the regulator while keeping our masks off—definitely not an easy task for us. The first dive was shallow (around 2m), and our instructor reassured us that the first day was the hardest.

  
  

• Day 2: More challenging as we had to repeat exercises at a depth of 12m. Having contact lenses made flooding the mask an extra challenge, and my husband’s beard made sealing the mask tricky. But we powered through!

  
  

• Day 3: Two dives at a maximum depth of 18m. By now, we felt more comfortable but still weren’t sure if diving was our thing. We look forward to a fun dive, in the near future, to reassess our stress and enjoyment levels.

  
  

By the end, we had completed our PADI Open Water Certification!

Getting Around & Island Life

Koh Tao is small—everything we needed was within a 10-minute walk, so we skipped renting a motorbike. Even our dive shop advised against it, as many tourists unfamiliar with left-hand driving end up with the infamous “Koh Tao tattoo” (scrapes from motorbike accidents).

Scuba diving is exhausting! After each dive, we were starving and then just wanted to nap. We didn’t get to explore much, but we learned that Koh Tao collects its water from rainwater storage, which explains why bottled water is the norm.

Important tip: Don’t fly immediately after diving!

Koh Samui: 5 Nights of Relaxation (and Rain)

After an intense diving experience, we were excited to unwind in Koh Samui. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate—lots of rain limited our beach time.

We stayed in the Chaweng area, which had both pros and cons:

• Pro: Lots of restaurants, spas, barber shops, and bars nearby.

• Con: The airport is close, so planes fly overhead frequently.

Activities & Experiences

• Muay Thai Class: A fun and energetic experience at our hotel.

• Macramé Keychain Workshop: Surprisingly peaceful and enjoyable.

• Fire Show on the Beach: A mesmerizing display that reminded me of teaching circus arts to kids.

• Central Samui Mall: Plenty of shops, restaurants, and a great grocery store (Top’s Market).

  
  
  
  

We considered visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary, but the weather was too unpredictable and very mixed reviews on if it's really ethical or not...

One thing we noticed—many people in Thailand use herbal inhalers, particularly a brand called Hong Thai. It became more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic and is used for its refreshing herbal scent. We finally bought some as well.

Final Thoughts

Koh Tao and Koh Samui offered two very different experiences. Koh Tao was all about diving and overcoming personal challenges, while Koh Samui was meant for relaxation, though rain put a damper on some plans. Would we dive again? We’re still deciding—but at least we now have our PADI certification!