The haadtien beach resort kohtoh thailand
OTHER ISLAND ACTIVITIES
Koh Tao is reknowed for diving. More PADI open water courses are carried out on Koh Tao than anywhere else in Thailand. This is mainly due to the diverse and safe marine environment around the island . During 2010 the resort will be building a PADI dive centre, but in the meantime reception can arrange contact with a number of local and reputable operators, who will pick you up and drop you back to the resort after your trips. All manner of dives can be carried out in Koh Tao, from beginners taking there PADI Open Water Courses, to Dive Master Courses, night diving, Nitrox, and wreck diving. http://www.asiadivesite.com/thailand-dive-sites/koh-tao/
Koh Tao has miles of virtually deserted dirt tracks which can be explored with a mountain bike. Being a small mountainous island, don’t be surprised if your route encounters some fairly steep hills, so for this reason please ensure you always carry enough water to quench your thirst. Several places on the island rent out mountain bikes for as little as 150 baht per day.
Koh Tao has some of the most amazingly tranquil spots for yoga. There are several yoga centres on the island in a variety of settings from mountain retreats to deserted sandy beaches. Most common styles of yoga are practised. If you have a specific requirements please ask at reception and we will contact the appropriate centre.
Koh Tao is a great place to hike as the routes are short, the views are amazing and you will always find something new and unexpected. There is a mountain chain running down the spine of the island and the highest point is 379m, so although the hikes can be testing, they offer wonderful overall vistas of the island as a whole. Many of the hikes are also enhanced by Koh Tao’s wide variety of resident and migratory birds. Sea eagles, Ospreys, Pied Harriers, Chinese Sparrowhawks, and Black Bazas can all be seen throughout the year circling around the rocky outcrops of the island. Several outfits on the island offer nature walks and early morning bird watching if you fancy learning more about the natural wildlife of this beautiful island.
Koh Tao contains of hundreds of natural granite boulders and rock faces, from high granite cliffs plummeting into the crystal clear blue sea, to vegetation - covered hidden gems in the island interior. The island has several excellent outfits who run daily courses and trips to these sites, so if you cannot quite bring yourself to extert all that energy getting to the top of one of koh tao's peaks for the magical view, then simply get taken to the top, and then have the adrenalin rush of abseiling or rappelling down!
Koh Tao’s roads are 50% paved and 50% unpaved. Even those that are paved are not exactly smooth and pothole free! So the best and most widely chosen form of rented transport is motorcross or quad bikes. Koh Tao has miles and miles of dirt tracks to explore, and renting a quad bike is a great way to get to those inaccessible parts of the island. There are numerous outlets near the port who rent out these vehicles. Please do remember that no vehicles are allowed in the resort, but we do have a parking area close to the reception for guests vehicles.
Thai food is always popular and this has in turn led to several schools that offer cooking classes. This is a real hands-on experience where you will do everything from going to the local market to buy the ingredients to cleaning, splicing & dicing and of course the cooking itself…
Koh Tao is fairly unique in that it is made up of hundreds of granite boulders, both above and below water. Thereby making it a fantastic island for bouldering, which is basically as it sounds, climbing up and around these boulders, and exploring the stunning scenery on the way. Bouldering is a perfect way to explore the hidden gems of Koh Tao, with many courses and guided trips available for both novice and experienced climber. Naturally with such amazing and accessible rock structures, rock climbing on Koh Tao is also popular, with several excellent operators, running daily climbs or more structured courses, which teach the knowledge and skill sets needed to be a confident climber anywhere in the world.
Although not the mecca for the sport that Bangkok or one of the other major Thai cities are, the locals are still very keen on this sport and the matches that occur every three weeks or so draw huge crowds. If you are interested in watching a fight then please ask at reception. Alternatively if you prefer something a little more strenuous, we can put you in touch with some of the local clubs and you can have a go yourself.