Ban's diving center exceeded all expectations we initially had. The service and staff were brilliant and resort had all the facilities we would ever need.Our instructor were incredible at teaching and had even better characters.the diving course were genuinely the best experiences of my life.Thank you Ban's for make all possible

We had a terrible experience with bans.
First we arrived at the harbor and we didn't see anyone to welcome us, when they were supposed to have someone waiting for us... so we took a taxi. When we arrived we complained about it and all the person at the reception could do is scoll at us!
the accomodations is nothing like the description on their website... all oldish and crap aircon.
And the diving.... man, this is a factory, design to cater for divers' cattle.
I arrived at the diveshop 20mn early and noone talked to me until we actually borded the boat. On the second day, our instructor Didn't even do a briefing.... hum.
At least I know I won't be going back.

My boyfriend chose this resort as a surprise Christmas present for me. He was mainly looking at PADI schools and destinations that had great reputation and Ban´s came up on the list.
We stayed in one of the villas at the top of the resort and while it was more expensive than all other villas it was definitely worth it. If you are looking for a cheaper stay, the resort has all sorts of options for all sorts of pockets.
I did my PADI Open Water at the resort and it was extremely organized and professional, while my boyfriend (who has been diving for a while) went on a couple of trips with the groups of more professional divers.
The resort has everything you need: there are multiple massage places, there are lots of different restaurants on the beach and there are some sort of activities organized almost every night. The food is great and drinks come in a bucket, so if you are looking for both romance and also a bit of fun, this place is for you.
The resort is full of young people who are doing their Open Water or simply enjoying the diving. People who come to Ban's are open minded, have a travel bug in them and ready to tell you stories about their travel. Nobody is rude or obnoxious and expects special treatment.
Also one thing I have to mention: this resort does not have the unpleasant realities you see at the other places in Thailand: there is no prostitution or people constantly bothering you to buy things from them. We were told that this was the vision of the late owner of the resort and his daughters keep the place clean off all unpleasant things.
I would definitely recommend this place if you are young at heart, want to learn diving or coming in a group of experienced divers.

We stayed at Ban'd diving resort for a week in August 2011. We arrived at Koh Tao after a rocky night boat, to find a lift waiting to take us to the resort. It is a very busy place, so we had to wait a few minutes to check in, but staff were very helpful and friendly.
We had a room with AC for 3 of us. Although basic, we had a hot shower, cool room and great location.
All 3 of us completed our Open Water PADI certificate when there, and we always felt safe when diving. We did not intend to do this when we planned to go, but quickly caught the diving bug!
The resort is in a great location, right on the beach. When we were there in August, it was mainly groups of young people on travelling holidays staying there, and there were events going on every night in the bar. There are many types of rooms at Ban's, from dorms to more luxury rooms for people on a bigger budget!
Would love to go back soon!!