Koh Phai Beach

Timing is the whole game here. Get to this small island behind Koh Larn early and you get clear jade water, a clean stretch of sand and enough quiet to hear yourself think. Arrive mid-morning, after the tour groups have unloaded, and it's a different place entirely. That's not a knock on the island. It's just how it works, and it's the single most useful thing to know before you go.

A shared boat runs around 30 baht per person, which is hard to argue with. Private charters are the other route, and operators like Manta Marina will do a full day. The catch with private boats is that they all pile into the same stretch, so if you're not among the first to arrive you'll be wedged between other groups. Walk a bit further along than the landing point and you'll usually find room. Bring a mask if you have one, because the water is clear enough to see fish without much effort. It's still calmer than Koh Larn on any given day.