Ibrahim Jabbari
The island of Koh Tao is a wonderful place to go diving. Over thousands of islands can be found off the mainland, but this particular island remains many tourists’ top choice for exploring under the sea. With cheap dive shops galore, experienced divers and newbies alike flock to the smallest of the three islands in the Samui Archipelago. One of the most noteworthy of them is all Sail Rock, also known as Hin Bai. The site itself is about a 90-minute boat ride from the island, but the end destination is well worth the scenic journey. Divers actually see the rock rising out of the Gulf of Thailand when approaching, as it sits some eight meters out of the water. The deep dive site goes over 40 meters below the surface in some areas. Because it is so far away from the island, the marine life here is both vast and unique, seemingly unaffected by the tourists who make their way to Koh Tao. The rock’s cave-like make-up, also known as the chimney, is a great challenge for experienced divers, as well. At about five meters deep, divers can enter and descend to about eight meters while inside the rock.
