The Dearly Koh Tao Hostel-PADI 5 Star Dive Resort

The Dearly Koh Tao Hostel is a hostel in Chalok Baan Kao, Koh Tao, with an on-site PADI five-star dive centre. It offers mixed and female dormitories alongside private rooms, so you can choose a shared or more private stay. Room options include bunks, a double-or-twin room and a suite; balconies and air conditioning feature across the accommodation, while bathroom arrangements vary between shared and private. Dorm rooms have lockers and bedside power sockets, and the Superior Suite adds a private bathroom, a daybed and mountain views.

Facilities include a swimming pool, a rooftop relaxation area and a common lounge with a flat-screen television, books and a computer. A refrigerator is available for shared use, and food and drink are served on site. Free WiFi is available throughout. Chalok Baan Kao is a village setting surrounded by local community and jungle, where wildlife sounds are expected. The hostel is also within walking distance of nearby beaches and restaurants, with the island’s ferry pier at Mae Haad a short ride away.

Accommodation ranges from single bunks in mixed and female dormitories to a double-or-twin room, a triple room and the Superior Suite. The included options span 13–37 m². Balconies and air conditioning are common across the rooms, while mountain views feature in most room details. Bathroom arrangements vary: dormitories and the Basic Double or Twin and Basic Triple rooms use shared facilities, while the Superior Suite has a private bathroom.

Dormitory rooms have lockers or individual storage, bedside sockets and linen; descriptions for several rooms also note personal reading lights. The private suite adds a daybed, a seating area and a flat-screen television, with a balcony overlooking the mountains. Some rooms are on the upper floors, which are reached by stairs. Air conditioning in the dormitory rooms operates overnight, from 17:00 to 11:30.

The shared spaces at The Dearly Koh Tao Hostel include a lounge with a television, board games and a sun terrace furnished for outdoor use. A tour desk is available, alongside lockers and luggage storage; daily housekeeping is also provided. The property has a restaurant and an on-site coffee house, and a shuttle service is available.

Guests can take part in diving, snorkelling, fishing and billiards. Room and bathroom essentials include towels, linen, a hairdryer, a shower, toilet paper, a drying rack and sockets beside the bed. Free WiFi is available throughout. Outdoor furniture, balconies and terraces provide places to sit outside. Non-smoking rooms and air conditioning are available. There is no on-site parking, and upper floors are accessible by stairs only.

Chalok Baan Kao is Koh Tao’s quieter southern village, with a bay, dive businesses, local restaurants and jungle-covered slopes. The Dearly Koh Tao Hostel is among the local community rather than isolated from it, and wildlife sounds are expected. Chalok Baan Kao Beach is 500 m away; Rain Hill Restaurant and The V.Nizza are each 50 m away. Shark Bay Beach is 650 m from the hostel.

Boats are the way to reach Koh Tao, which has no airport. Ferries arrive at Mae Haad Pier, 1.9 km from the hostel; Lomprayah Koh Tao Pier is 1.6 km away. Pick-up truck taxis connect the pier with Chalok Baan Kao, and a shuttle service is available at the hostel. There is no on-site parking. Scooters are used for island journeys, but roads down to east-coast coves such as Tanote Bay and Ao Leuk are steep.

The south bay makes nearby beaches and diving the main draws. Ao Thian is 750 m away, Sun Suwan Viewpoint is 900 m away, Freedom Beach is 1 km away and Ao Leuk is 1.2 km away. Shark Bay is known for shallow-water encounters with blacktip reef sharks and turtles. The on-site PADI dive centre connects visitors with Koh Tao’s diving scene, which includes more than 25 dive sites. From November to March the south and west coasts are generally the calmer side of the island; November is also typically the roughest month for sea crossings.