Koh Tao Trail

With Komoot, Simon planned a hike of approximately seven kilometers through the southern part of the island. Some sections and waypoints had already been mapped by other users, allowing us to navigate effectively. In the end, we created a route with only around 100 meters of elevation gain – and, above all, without the sweat-inducing mountain crossing that had previously required a lot from us. Unfortunately, many of the smaller paths on Koh Tao are not marked on Google Maps.

Just before eight in the morning, we set off from our accommodation to a viewpoint near Sai Nuan Beach. I had already found a geocache there the day before. Simon took advantage of the beautiful spot today to capture nature shots with his camera for his new YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@natural-escape-ocean?si=9XQHv6cSBakYj1MS ).

On our way, we passed an extremely interesting abandoned place: the Bamboo Huts. This is a large resort with numerous bungalows and pools nestled against the steep slopes. The facility is now empty and increasingly falling into disrepair. It was fascinating to observe how nature gradually reclaims what humanity once created.

Next, our path led us to the pier and along the narrow main road, which was overflowing with scooters and tourists.

Our destination was the Buddhist temple Wat Koh Tao, also known as Wat Koh Charoen Santi Dhamma. This magnificent structure marked the turning point of our hike.

From there, we made our way back to our accommodation along the busy main road. On the way back, we stocked up on a variety of snacks and drinks, as we likely wouldn't pass any minimarts quickly on Koh Tao.

We were particularly surprised to encounter two young women along the way, who were also hiking a similar route. For a change, we were not the only hikers on the island.

Overall, it was a beautiful tour through the forest and along several beaches. The sections on the roads were less idyllic, but they were hard to avoid if you wanted to bypass the mountains.

Yet, as wonderful as the day had already been – it was significantly surpassed during the subsequent snorkeling. We were fortunate enough to observe a sea turtle. Enthusiastically, we watched as it searched for food among the rocks at the seabed, surrounded by numerous fish. With its flippers, it pushed aside stones and dead corals or held onto some to crack them open. It only swam briefly to the surface once to take a breath before continuing its search for food. A video of this encounter can also be found on Simon's channel.

Snorkeling in front of the Tao Thong Villa 2 is an experience every time. The biodiversity there is impressive. In addition to countless colorful fish, we have spotted a reef shark twice and observed some large triggerfish.

We are excited to see what will swim our way in the coming days.