Ko Tao

The longest sand on the west coast, with dive shops and guesthouses strung along the footpath behind it. Facing west, it gets the sunset straight over open sea. At low tide the water in front turns shallow and coral is easy to tread on; wear shoes in.

The pier village, where the island's bank branches, pharmacies and travel agents gather. Taxi drivers wait where the jetty ends; settle the fare first and then get in. It is only busy when the morning and afternoon boats come in, and sleepy between them.

Three islets tied together by one sandbar, walkable when the water is low. The land belongs to a resort, so landing costs a fee, and plastic water bottles may not come ashore. From the rock hill to the south you see water lapping each flank of the bar.

A boulder hill out on the southern point; from its top Chalok Baan Kao bay and Shark Bay split away on either side. The last stretch is a scramble over big rocks using your hands. There is a small charge at the trailhead, and trainers beat sandals.

A southeast-facing bay where, true to the name, blacktip reef sharks and sea turtles cruise the shallow bottom. Sharks are easiest to find early in the morning, when few people are in. The path down crosses a resort, which some days charges a pass fee.

A small east-coast cove where people leap off a tall boulder into the water. The road in is a very steep dirt track, so first-time scooter riders should take a pickup taxi. Fish crowd round the rocks; bring a mask.

A southeast bay where coral starts a few strides off the sand. Many days its water beats the west coast for clarity, and it stays fairly quiet in the afternoon too. The final descent is concreted but extremely steep, so go easy on the brakes.

A deep bay at the northern tip, closed in by rocky hills that keep out most wind. Getting down by road is hard, so most people come by longtail or on a snorkel trip boat. The calm water makes for easy floating above the coral.

An east-side bay with no sand at all, only big granite boulders along the waterline. You enter by ladders fixed to the rock and it is deep right away, so weak swimmers should give it a miss. One cafe up on the rocks serves as the way in.

An underwater granite peak northwest of the island, its top well below the surface, so only certified divers go down. Big schools of fish gather, and in some seasons whale sharks pass through. Out in open water, boats time their departure to the current.

A sandy notch among boulders at the southwest tip, reached by a path behind a resort from Chalok Baan Kao. Someone collects a few baht at the start, and coral runs out from the rocks for snorkelling. The John-Suwan trailhead is next door; do both.

A round, shallow bay in the south, calm enough for dive schools to hold first lessons offshore. At low tide a broad sandbar appears and you can walk far out, though swimming then is hard. With fewer hotels and bars than Sairee, its nights are quiet.

Two little beaches sharing one stretch of west shore below Mae Haad, split by rocks. Walk about 30 minutes through the woods from Mae Haad or call a taxi boat; the path is narrow and hilly, so pack light. Facing west, it suits a float at sunset.

A rock pinnacle mid-sea between Ko Tao and Ko Pha Ngan, famous for a chimney-like passage running vertically through it. Its top breaks the surface, and underwater barracuda and trevally circle it. The boat ride is over an hour, with two dives per day.

A US-built Second World War landing support ship that served the Thai navy and was scuttled off Sairee in 2011 as an artificial reef. It sits upright at around 30m, its deck guns still in place. Advanced-course divers come to practise deep dives.