Blue Diamond Resort

Set directly on Mae Haad Bay, Blue Diamond Resort is a straightforward base for a diving holiday on Koh Tao: Thai-style rooms and bungalows, a private beach area, a sea-facing restaurant and an outdoor pool. It suits you if you want the water close at hand and the practical parts of island life within walking distance.

The feel is more beach resort than secluded hideaway. You can sit by the sea, use the garden and sun terrace, or walk towards Mae Haad for food and drinks when the day is done. There is also a tour desk for island trips, which is useful when one day off the boat starts looking like a good idea.

You are in Mae Haad, Koh Tao, Surat Thani, Thailand, with direct access to Mae Haad Bay Beach. Mae Haad Pier is about a five-minute walk away, making the resort particularly handy if you are arriving by ferry or would rather not add another transfer to the journey.

The island's other beaches are within reach: Jansom Bay is about 0.4 miles away, Sairee Beach about 0.8 miles, and Sai Nuan Beach about 1 mile. Around the resort, you have bars and restaurants within a short walk, including Whitening Bar & Restaurant Mae Haad, Sunrise Koh Tao and Nagomi Kohtao. Samui International Airport is about 39 miles away and Chumphon Airport about 53 miles away; the final leg involves the ferry, with the Koh Samui crossing taking about two hours.

The choice is mainly about how much room you want around the diving bags, and whether you prefer garden, pool or sea views. Couples can keep things simple with a double room or bungalow, while the larger Family Room works better when four people need to share without turning every unpacking session into a minor expedition. There is also a six-adult family bungalow for bigger groups, with three king-size beds.

Every room or bungalow has air conditioning, a fridge, a personal safe, cable TV and either a balcony or terrace facing the garden or sea. That fridge matters when you come back hot, salty and ready for cold water; the air conditioning matters a little more once the day's heat has followed you indoors. WiFi is free throughout the resort, and a seating area gives you somewhere to leave the bed for reading, sorting photos or simply doing nothing with conviction.

The resort uses a mix of bungalows and rooms, so the atmosphere depends on the category you book. The Deluxe Double Room with Pool Access is the obvious pick if stepping straight towards the water appeals, while a garden-view bungalow gives you a more traditional Thai-style room with outdoor space. Check the individual room card carefully for the bed arrangement and bathroom details, particularly for family bookings.

The sea-side restaurant serves Thai and European food in an open-air setting. That gives you two useful directions after diving: stay with familiar European dishes, or make the meal part of the trip and order something properly Thai while looking out over the bay.

Breakfast comes in continental, Asian and American styles, with a buffet option. The restaurant is the clearly identified dining spot at the resort, while Mae Haad's bars and restaurants are close enough to provide a change of scene without requiring a full evening mission. Room service is also available for the nights when dinner on the terrace sounds better than putting shoes back on.

The outdoor pool and the private beach area cover the main post-dive requirement: somewhere to cool down without organising another excursion. There is a sun terrace and a garden as well, so you can choose between poolside lounging, a patch of shade or the sea immediately in front of the resort. Snorkelling and other water sports are available on the beach for days when a full dive feels like unnecessary paperwork.

When you want to leave the resort, the tour desk can arrange day trips to nearby islands. Hiking and cultural excursions offer a change from boats and fins, while John-Suwan Viewpoint, Wat Koh Tao and the island's beaches provide options for a land day. For an evening out, Sairee Beach is known for live music and beach bars, bringing a livelier finish than a quiet meal by the water.

Scuba Birds Co, Ltd, the hotel's own dive centre, affiliated with PADI. With the dive centre on site, you can move from breakfast to the day's diving without arranging a separate transfer across the island. That is the useful difference here: less travelling before the first dive, and less faffing about when you return.

The centre is a PADI 5 Star IDC Center, with nitrox and night diving available. The hotel's diving information also places Shark Bay and Hin Wong Bay within the island's accessible choice of sites, while the resort's beach gives snorkellers something immediate to do. The centre's page is where you can check the full programme and current arrangements.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 20:00, and check-out is by 11:00. Mae Haad Pier is about a five-minute walk from the resort, with ferry links including the crossing from Koh Samui; the hotel is therefore easy to reach once you arrive on Koh Tao. Free parking is available on site if you are travelling with a vehicle.

WiFi is free across the resort, and the tour desk can help arrange island excursions. Children of any age are welcome, although children aged four and over are charged as adults at the property. The accommodation policies vary by room category, so read the conditions attached to the option you choose rather than assuming every bungalow follows the same rules.

One practical caveat deserves a place in the booking decision: nearby construction work may affect some rooms with noise. If you are a light sleeper, ask about the room location before settling on a category. It is a small line in the holiday plan, but a noisy morning is harder to ignore than a missing postcard sunset.