Koh Tao voted top island in Asia, despite safety concerns
The Thai island of Koh Tao has been voted ‘Best Island in Asia 2015’ on TripAdvisor despite a widely publicised tourist murder there last year.
Koh Tao is renowned for pristine beaches and superb scuba diving but last year media attention was focused on the murders of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in September.
Two men from Myanmar are currently in custody awaiting trial for the murders.
This and other recent suspicious deaths had raised concerns about tourist safety on Koh Tao and other islands in Southern Thailand.
Following the fallout, Thai authorities have considered a number of measures to improve safety, including banning some all-night beach parties, limiting bar opening hours and wristband trackers.
Globally Koh Tao also fared well, ranked as the fifth best in the world in the TripAdvisor’s 2015 Travellers’ Choice Awards.
The number one island was Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos.
In Europe, Santorini and Madeira made it to the top 10.
Here’s the full top 10 list:
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Maui, Hawaii
Roatan, Honduras
Santorini, Greece
Ko Tao, Thailand
Madeira, Portugal
Bali, Indonesia
Mauritius, Africa
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers