The world's dive school — more open-water certificates issued here than anywhere else on Earth
Koh Tao is a small granite island in the Gulf of Thailand whose combination of warm clear water, abundant marine life, and cut-price dive courses has made it the scuba training capital of the world. The northwest coast around Mae Haad and Sairee Beach has the highest concentration of dive shops anywhere; a beginner PADI open-water course here costs a fraction of what it does elsewhere. Beyond diving, the island has excellent snorkelling over healthy coral gardens, viewpoint hikes with sweeping Gulf views, and a laid-back backpacker nightlife scene entirely different in character from rowdier…
Koh Tao ('Turtle Island') was largely uninhabited until the 1980s, used mainly by Thai fishermen and as a temporary prison for political detainees in the mid-20th century. The first dive operations opened around 1987, and the island's low operating costs relative to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan attracted budget-conscious travellers seeking certification. By the 2000s it had become the world's most popular dive training destination by volume, with over 100 dive schools operating at its peak.