Koh Tao is world famous for its clear waters. So it’s not surprising there are plenty of great Koh Tao snorkeling tours out there.

Turtle Island, AKA Koh Tao, is an island in Thailand famous for its scuba diving sites along with its relatively inexpensive scuba certification. But for those who don’t want to dive underwater for extended periods of time (if you’re thinking about it though, you should definitely give it a go!), seeing fantastic marine life from the water’s surface is easily accomplished here.

While I hired snorkel gear on the island more than once, the best snorkeling trip on Koh Tao was organized through my hostel.

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Summer Hostel lies around a 1km walk from Sairee Beach. While it sits away from the thumping nightclubs hosting pub crawls, it is a lively and welcoming place to relax. On top of that, the staff was incredibly helpful in any way they could. A full day snorkel tour, circling the island for 500 Baht ($20 AUD) with an extra 100 Baht ($4 AUD) entrance fee to the final stop, Nang Yuan Island.

All up, the Koh Tao snorkeling trip included five stops dotted around this beautiful island.

 

Snorkeling Trip on Koh Tao Island Stops

STOP ONE – SHARK BAY

As the name suggests, Black Tip Reef Sharks frequent this bay and that’s why it is a popular snorkel spot. Upon jumping into the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand, I realized there weren’t as many sharks as I had hoped.

In fact, only 3 or 4 people from the entire group (around 25 or so) saw them at all. I was lucky enough to see one in the distance, where the light started to filter and visibility began to fade into a dark abyss. The shark I saw must’ve been incredibly shy – as soon as I noticed it, it disappeared just as sudden.

If seeing sharks is what you’re after, I suggest scuba diving. Some companies allow you to take part in a “try dive” where you don’t need a certification. And trust me, you don’t need to be deep to see amazing creatures of the sea! Check out my posts on Diving Koh Tao and Phi Phi Island. If you get the chance, don’t pass up this amazing activity!

 

STOP TWO – AOW LEAK BAY

This second, unassuming stop was surprising as I didn’t know what lurked beneath the surface. The amount of life, that was totally invisible from the surface, was staggering once I jumped in and immersed in their world. There were hundreds of fish, all different colours, shapes and sizes. Some even taking the appearance of an underwater rainbow as they swam by.

If you’re keen for a little thrill seeking, this is one of the spots you’re allowed to jump in from the top of the two-story boat as the water is deep enough here to ensure you’re nowhere near the bottom seabed. While it doesn’t look that high, once you start falling you might think a little differently!

 

STOP THREE – HIN WONG BAY

The amount of marine life only seemed to be multiplying from one Koh Tao snorkel site to the next! Hin Wong Bay is known for its immensely-sized of schools of fish. Hundreds, if not thousands of fish gather in what at first appeared to be just a shadow. Only when the sun shone down causing a reflection off the scales of one fish did I realise that I was looking at a massive school, not a gloomy obscure shadow cast from a boat above.

To get a little closer, or even swim through these giant schools of fish, you will need to be able to dive a little with your snorkel. It’s a lot easier than it seems, especially with the addition of the flippers some of the deck hands were offering. As you dive down, remember to equalize your ears. The further you descend, the pressure builds around you, and any air trapped in your ears is unable to escape. By constantly equalizing your ears on your way down BEFORE you feel discomfort is the best way to dive with ease.

For tips how to equalize, check out the “tips” section below.

 

STOP FOUR – MANGO BAY

Mango Bay was the final spot on this amazing Koh Tao snorkelling trip, and it was incredible with its stunning visibility. Once again, the marine life here was staggering. So many fish the visibility was great! It was even more interesting when I returned to Koh Tao to complete my diving certificate. The contrast between swimming along the surface, to diving at depth with the beautiful creatures was interesting.

While I love snorkelling and recommend it to everyone breathing underwater is a whole different world!

 

STOP FIVE – NANG YUAN ISLAND

This picturesque island just off the island of Koh Tao is one of the most well-known images of Koh Tao. You can snorkel around its shores as well, but this little island has much more to offer. Plus take it from me – low tide can make navigating coral reef shelves difficult!

Upon disembarking from our boat, the extra entrance fee of 100 Baht is collected here and every plastic water bottle is removed and discarded. I get the whole “no plastic” thing, but when plastic bottles and straws are purchased on the island, it makes me question how much they really thought that policy through… definitely room for improvement! But I digress…

A 20-minute hike up a rocky path leads to a popular view of this little sandbar, crescent-shaped island. It gets quite busy, but waiting your turn at the top gives a beautiful photo-op and a view of the entire island. Some sections are uneven and rocky, while mosquitoes run rampant under the tiny jungle’s canopy. It’s well worth it though!

 

Koh Tao Snorkelling Trip – Information

This tour was offered through Summer Hostel, and I noticed very similar tours throughout my time on Koh Tao. Finding and booking one shouldn’t pose an issue.

The cost of the tour was 500 Baht ($16.50 USD), and an extra 100 Baht ($3.30 USD) fee for entrance to Nang Yuan Island – remember your plastic bottles will be taken from you and hopefully recycled – so if they’re still full, leave them on the boat.

You can book your snorkel tour on Koh Tao before you even leave your home.

As a general tip, the small island of Koh Tao is known for power outages. This causes some food to go off and therefore certain foods should be avoided at all costs. While out on the boat for the entire day, the island had no power. I had a prawn curry that night. Let’s just say I didn’t enjoy my next 24 hours.

 

Koh Tao Snorkelling Trip – Tips

Lunch and beverages were included in the tour price – including these little jam cookies! I had at least 50 of them! They were so tasty!

With little shade, and the sun reflecting from the water literally ALL day, sunburn is incredibly easy, especially for those of us who burn easily – myself included! Water resistant sun cream is recommended!

Try on your mask before you leave on the boat in the morning, there are a few spares in the boat but don’t want to depend on it

 

Generic Snorkelling Tips:

The two best ways to equalize your ears:

1) Block your nose, and slowly force air into your nasal passage. This must be one gradually if done suddenly, can cause damage to your ears.
2) Pretend to chew/wiggle your jaw as you swallow.
I found both can be effective and can be done simultaneously.

If your ears begin to hurt, or you feel discomfort, this is a sign you should have equalized (released the air from your ears) a little sooner. If you forget to equalize, or for some reason can’t (having a cold causes issues with sinuses and thus being able to equalize effectively) DON’T force it. You could rupture a dear drum! Surfacing is the best way to release the pressure, and you can give it another try as soon as you’ve caught your breath.

 

How to clear water from a snorkel mask while underwater:

While I’ve snorkeled a lot over the years, learning to clear my mask from that pesky leaking water, while underwater, isn’t something I learned until I learned how to dive. This method of clearing goggles works at any depth – even 30 meters under the surface. It is super handy and allows you to enjoy the experience even more.

With the tips of your index and middle finger, press both top corners of your mask. This will create a gap along the bottom edge of your goggles. Now exhale through your nose, a constant stream of solid bubbles. Then gently press your mask back on your face. It takes a little bit of practice, but it works and once you have it down it is very easy to do!

 

How to stop your mask fogging up:

This is done by spitting on the inside of your goggle lenses before you enter the water (and washing it out before you put them on). It kinda sounds weird, but it works! Give the goggles a little scrub with your finger to make sure your saliva covers all the surface.

If it continues to fog up, this could be due to new goggles, as they come with a film on the inside of the lenses. The best way to remove this is lather toothpaste on the inside for a minute or two, then washing them out. Once again, sounds a little strange, but totally works!

 

For more activities on Koh Tao, hiking to the island’s lighthouse is a great – and exhausting – activity. Phi Phi Island is another stunning island with diving and plenty of other activities to do on the island.

Where to stay on Koh Tao

Seeing Koh Tao is a really popular tourist attraction in Thailand, there are plenty of hostels and hotels on the island to suit your budget and what you’re looking for.

 

Koh Tao Snorkeling Trip – Highlights

-Swimming through hundreds of fish in a dark, misty cloud-like formation of a school was..well kinda scary! But incredible nonetheless!
-Nang Yuan Island is a tiny, stunning island with a lot to offer in such a small space.
-Them jam cookies!!!! I feel like I haven’t stressed the importance of these cookies enough

 

Have you visited the island of Koh Tao? What did you think? Tried snorkeling and/or scuba diving? As always, any comments, questions, concerns are welcome! Drop me a comment below! 

 

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