Panya Beach

You can't drive here, and that's the point. Getting to this beach means arriving by boat, which filters out the crowds before you've even landed. There's a floating pier for boarding and getting off, so it's an easy stop rather than a wade-through-the-shallows scramble. Most people come as part of a James Bond Island day trip, break for a couple of hours of swimming and lying about, then carry on.

The sand is soft and white, the water is clean and calm. It isn't the postcard turquoise you get at Phuket's poster beaches, so adjust your expectations and you won't be disappointed. After a storm you may find debris washed up on the sand. Loungers are there to rent, there are bars playing music where you can sit with a cold beer, and food, toilets, showers and a small market are all close by. Jet skis and parasailing run for anyone who can't sit still. Families do well here, mostly because the water stays calm and nobody's fighting for space.