If you're coming from the south, you can take a
ferry from Surat Thani (around 3 hours) on the mainland,
or from Ko Samui (1.5 hours) or Ko Pha Ngan (1 hour).
If you're taking a boat from Surat Thani, one possibility
might be an overnight ferry - depart around 23:00
and arrive in the morning, about 06:00 (subject
to changes). It's advisable to arrive early to grab
a mattress as most are formerly cargo boats, so
facilities are basic.
If you're coming from the north, you can catch
a ferry from Chumphon. Numerous agents sell tickets
for a variety of boats of varying size and speed.
The fastest takes about 90 minutes, the slowest
almost 5 hours.
You can also day trip on diving charters from Ko
Samui. Many have high speed boats that can make
the trip to Koh Tao in about an hour.
Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran is probably the
fastest and most comfortable way to get to Ko Tao.
They run twice a day from Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan
and Chumphon. They also have online booking - useful
for checking availability at peak times and all
their boats have air conditioning and movies for
all passengers.
Getting around
There is only one road on the entire island. There
are usually plenty of taxi cars available on both
Sairee village and Mae Haad.
You can rent bicycles and motorcycles at a few
places on Sairee Beach, Mae Haad, and Chalok. Be
careful if you rent a motorbike as the dirt roads
can get dangerous.
How to get here
