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In Surat Thani province Thailand you will find a wonderful little island known as Koh Tao. Koh Tao in Thai means Turtle Island. The name of the island comes from both the shape of the island and the fact that it was once the home of numerous Hawnsbill turtles. These days it is a top Thailand tourism destination thanks to the great weather, diving and natural scenery. Below you will find a brief description of many of the top Koh Tao areas.

Sairee Beach – This is the most popular area on Koh Tao and is where the majority of tourists come and stay. The beach is over a mile long and is a great place to spend the day. In addition, there are many restaurants, shops, hotels and dive centers in the area so you will have no problems finding everything you need for your holiday.

Chalok Baan Khao – This area is becoming increasingly popular for those who want to stay on the land and do some hiking and rock climbing. The Chalok BaanKhao area is littered with huge boulders making it a really fun excursion. You can come here on your own to explore or you can join up with a tour group to make your day more relaxed.

Koh Tao Food and Drink – The island features lots of great little restaurants where you can enjoy Thai food prepared by locals, great fresh seafood and even international cuisine. And after the sun goes down you will have little trouble finding a nice beachside club or bar to chill out and relax in.

Accommodations – Koh Tao was once one of the places of choice for budget travelers and the best accommodations were the cheap beach bungalows where you could stay for less than $5 a night. With the increase in tourists these days are gone although there are still fairly cheap options available on the island. In addition, higher end resorts and hotels have been springing up so now there is some form of accommodation at all price levels from the basic bungalows with fans, beds and little else to the large resorts with restaurants, spas and all the other amenities you would expect to find on a resort property.

Getting to Koh Tao – The island does not have an airport so the only way to get here is by boat. This benefits the island because it keeps the number of tourists lower than they would be if accessing the island was easier. You can easily get a ferry from Phuket, but many people prefer not to spend the 2 hours on a boat that are necessary to reach Koh Tao.

photo credit: TJ Clarke

Thailand is a truly unique holiday destination and there are so many reasons to visit this stunningly beautiful, vibrant and fascinating country.

The climate is, to Britons at least, should be one of the main factors for visiting. Try and avoid the rainy season (June to October) and you should surely get some fantastic weather – perfect for sitting on a beach.

Thailand is full of islands and beaches and water sports including scuba diving, jet-skiing and kayaking are all well catered for. Trips to remote islands and reefs are also available which lovers of marine wildlife will find truly fascinating.

Thai food has gained in popularity in recent years in the west and justifiably so. However, tasting the real thing on the streets of Bangkok is a different experience entirely and has to be sampled.

There are many holidays to choose from throughout the world, but I’d wager that Thailand holidays are among the best and most memorable in the world.