Assava Dive Resort

Assava Dive Resort is a PADI Career Development Center and eco-certified resort nestled in Chalok Baan Kao Bay on Koh Tao's quieter southern coast, combining upscale accommodation with a dive center that holds both PADI Eco Center and Green Fins membership credentials. This triple certification — CDC, Eco Center, and Green Fins — represents the highest combination of professional and environmental standards available in the PADI system, and very few dive operations worldwide hold all three simultaneously.

The resort property overlooks the sheltered bay from elevated tropical gardens, with a swimming pool that doubles as a confined water training facility and provides panoramic views across the water. Accommodation ranges from comfortable standard rooms to premium sea-view suites, all maintained to a standard that distinguishes Assava from the more basic hostel-style options common elsewhere on the island.

The PADI CDC status enables the full professional training pathway through to instructor level. Conservation-focused specialties including Coral Reef Conservation, AWARE Specialist, and Underwater Naturalist reflect the center's environmental commitment, while standard recreational courses from Discover Scuba to Divemaster maintain rigorous quality standards. All operations follow Green Fins guidelines for minimizing diver impact on marine ecosystems.

Chalok Bay's sheltered waters and accessible house reef provide ideal conditions for training dives and snorkeling, with regular sightings of green turtles, blacktip reef sharks, and dense schools of reef fish. Daily boat trips reach Koh Tao's deeper offshore sites. The southern bay location offers a distinctly more peaceful atmosphere than the busier Sairee and Mae Haad areas, making Assava particularly appealing to couples, families, and divers seeking a resort-level experience rather than a backpacker vibe.