TANOTE BAY KOH TAO – The Complete Guide

Tanote Bay is one of the beautiful Koh Tao beaches with some of the best snorkel spots of the island. Surrounded by lush green hills, beautiful coral and large boulders, this beach has many things to offer. Located on the east coast, you can watch a beautiful sunrise from the beach. And because of a huge rock formation a little away from the shore, Tanote Bay is also well known as the best rock jumping spot on Koh Tao. Read in this complete guide everything you need to know about Tanote Bay! Book here your snorkel tour to Tanote Bay and other hidden bays in Koh Tao. 

Best Koh Tao tours

If you want to explore Koh Tao then it is highly recommended to book your tour in advance. Choose your favorite tours here and secure your booking! All of these tours include air conditioned transport with hotel pick up and drop off, certified guides and sometimes also lunch and the entrance fees. You can reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund.

• Thai Cooking Class Koh Tao. Rainy afternoon or just interested to learn Thai cooking? Then this activity is for you! In a small group you will learn how to cook Thai from a local expert. After cooking the dishes you will enjoy them and leftovers can be taken home.
• Half Day fishing experience Koh Tao. Enjoy this private half day fishing tour around the waters of Koh Tao. Learn how to catch fish and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
• PADI 4 day diving course Koh Tao. Get PADI certified during this 4 day scuba diving course. All lesson material, dives, equipment and the official certificate are included.
• Half day snorkeling trip to hidden bays of Koh Tao. Start your morning at 8AM with snorkeling in some of the hidden bays of Koh Tao. You will visit Freedom Bay, Shark Bay, Aow Leuk Bay and Tao Thong Bay during this half day snorkel tour.
• Private Photo Session with Local Photographer in Koh Tao. The perfect way to capture your solo trip, honeymoon, family vacation or couples photoshoot with 100% money back satisfaction guarantee on Koh Tao.
• One day diving experience Koh Tao. If you don’t have your PADI certificate but you want to go diving in Koh Tao, then this is the tour for you. During this one time scuba diving experience you will explore the underwater world of Koh Tao at 12 meters depth.
• Koh Nang Yuan snorkel day trip by speedboat. Explore the best snorkel spots around Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan during this half day snorkel trip. You can see many tropical fishes, turtles and maybe even black tip sharks!

How to get to Tanote Bay

Tanote Bay Koh Tao is located on the eastern coastline of the island just down the hill from Love Koh Tao Viewpoint. It is only a 15 minute drive away from the main tourist area of the island, Sairee beach. The road to Tanote Bay is decent and there are no parking or entrance fees. Tanote Bay is only a short 2-minute walk from the car park.

What to expect at Tanote Bay

Tanote bay is very diverse and has something to offer for everyone! We went to Tanote Bay to watch the sunrise, and that was just magical, see our pictures. The beach was so quiet and only a few people were around to take an early morning dip and enjoy the sunrise as well. The sand is super soft and there are enough spots to spread out your towel and relax on the beach. There are a few beachside restaurants and resorts along Tanote Bay beach. Enough choice to get something to eat and drink without having to leave the beach. And if you need to make use of the toilet, no worries, there are options! 

Things to do on Tanote Bay

As said before, Tanote Bay is very diverse. Of course you can go to this beach to relax and take a swim. But Tanote Bay is also perfect to go snorkeling with a variety of marine life, beautiful corals and tropical fish just a few steps into the water. You can also book a scuba diving tour on this beach. And for the daredevils there is even a cliff jump! You have to swim to the rock and with is a metal chain on the front side you can climb up the rock to the top. Once you’re at the top, there is only one way down!

Tanote Bay is also the perfect spot on Koh Tao to watch the sunrise. It’s really worth it to head out early in the morning as you will have the beach almost for yourself. This gives such a relaxing feeling and is the perfect start of the day in our opinion!

Sunrise from Tanote Bay. You can see the cliff jump spot further in the sea!

Koh Tao weather

The climate on Koh Tao is hot and humid for most of the year. The rainiest months are October, November and December, so avoid these months. The best moment to come to the Koh Tao is from January to April but the island is also enjoyable during the months of March until August. At this time of the year Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao have the best weather of all Thai islands.

Where to stay on Koh Tao

Luxury

The Place Luxury Boutique Villas

The Place Luxury Boutique Villas offers amazing one-bedroom villas in Koh Tao with an incredible view on the ocean located on the west coast of the island. We stayed at The Place for 2 nights and had the best time! You have complete privacy with your own dining area at the spacious terrace. A fully-equipped kitchen with a wide-range of cooking equipment. The air-conditioned bedroom offers a direct access to the outdoor infinity pool with an amazing view on the mountain and sea wit sunset view. The bathroom is beautiful with details of plants and the living room includes a flat screen TV and a DVD player for entertainment. Breakfast is not included but you can order at local restaurants and get it delivered to your door! This villa has so much privacy, we havent experienced before!

Prices start around €245 per night

Mid Budget

Simple Life Cliff View Resort Koh Tao

Simple Life Cliff View Resort is located at the southern tip of Koh Tao’s Sairee Beach and offers luxury studios, 1 and 2 bedroom suites. The rooms with view on the swimming pool start around €65 per night wile the more luxury rooms with breathtaking view of Sairee Beach and the ocean start around €198 per night. This 3 star beach resort offers a private beach area, free Wifi and room service The cascading swimming pool runs through the centre of the resort and their restaurant serves fantastic Thai and international cuisine. A continental breakfast is daily available at the resort.

Prices start around €65 for the pool view rooms up to €198 per night for the sea view rooms.

Budget

The Ozo Koh Tao

Here you will enjoy a peaceful hillside location located in the south of the island. The cozy, comfortably furnished rooms offer a living space of 32 – 40 square meters and are equipped with all the necessities for a relaxing stay. The amenities available in the rooms include air conditioning, refrigerator, TV, safe, hot shower, tea and coffee making facilities, free WiFi Internet and a private balcony or terrace from where you can enjoy views of the pool and mountains. Some of the rooms also have a kitchenette with a microwave. The outdoor pool with sun loungers makes it perfect for a lazy afternoon. We stayed for a few days at the Ozo and it was a great budget deal!

Prices start around €33

Of course there are also even cheaper accommodations on Koh Tao, like hostels and guesthouses where you can stay for around €10 per night. Have a look at booking.com to find your perfect spot!

More Koh Tao travel inspiration

I hope you enjoyed this complete guide about Tanote Bay Koh Tao.

For more Koh Tao travel inspiration, head over to these blog posts:

15 best things to do on Koh Tao

10 best Koh Tao beaches

Freedom Beach – The Complete Guide

Sairee Bay – The Complete Guide

Shark Bay Koh Tao – The Complete Guide

Koh Nang Yuan – The Complete Guide

For all best tips about Koh Phangan, head over to these blog posts:

Best things to do in Koh Phangan

The best beaches of Koh Phangan

Bottle Beach – The Complete Guide

Leela Beach – The Complete Guide

Secret Beach – The Complete Guide

Mae Haad Beach & Koh Ma island – The Complete Guide

Thong Sala Night Market – The Complete Guide

Is your plan to travel to Koh Samui? Then read this blog for all the best things to do in Koh Samui