Heya
Arriving for the first time in Ko Tao on Wednesday by Boat (thank you Dominic77) for a three week trip, any hints or suggestions from seasoned travellors on accomodation, resort and general local knowledge would be appreciated.
EG: as it is the Low season, is it really quiet? Best Dive school etc.
Cheers
Haha, no worries ;-)
Ko Tao is never really quiet in my experience, there are always plenty of people about even in so-called low season. But the dive schools will be hungry for business and you should be able to negotiate yourself a good deal. See if you can get a discount for the course, and definitely make sure you get free accommodation for at least 4 nights if you're doing a dive course.
Last time I was there, traveling with 2 others, we got free accommodation for 5 nights in Coral Grand resort, even though only one of us was diving with the onsite dive school Coral Grand Divers (recommended). Always ask for a discount or a better deal, especially as it's low season.
Probably, you'll be approached on the boat before you even set foot on the island, by dive school reps trying to sign you up for a course. Personally I would prefer to wander around and check out several dive schools, seeing which one you prefer, before committing to a course.
I would agree that you need to look around a few dive schools when you arrive. With over 50 dive schools on the island, you are spoiled for choice. Go into the shops, speak to the dive staff and get a general feel for the place. As for getting a discount off the price, that may be hard (even in low season) as the price for diving is already very low and not many places will budge on that. You should expect to pay 9000THB including 3/4 nights accommodation.
FYI, many resorts on Ko Tao are completely closed or limited to only a few rooms as the island has been completely out of water for the past month and has been bringing it in from the main land. This will greatly limit your options in terms of accommodations. Koh Phangan has water so you may be better off just heading there. You can easily do a dive course there as well.
Also, it is not the low season and in fact the Gulf islands are the best place to head this time of year, as the Andaman is in the middle of its monsoon season.
