Koh Poda, Krabi

The boats land on the main beach on the east side, facing Ao Nang, a long strip of soft white sand backed by palms and pines, with the mainland's karst towers across the water. Just off the beach stands a small rock islet, the sail-shaped stack the Tourism Authority describes and the one in every photo of the island. The water is clear and shallow, good for swimming and for children, and the shade under the trees is where people set up for the day.

There's nothing built beyond what the national park runs, toilets and cold showers near the landing, a ranger station and a few stalls selling water, fruit, snacks and souvenirs. No hotels, no restaurant, no ATM, and mobile signal is patchy. Bring cash for the fee and the stalls. Rangers are strict about litter, and about alcohol on the beach, so leave the cooler of beer behind.

Walk round to the west side and there's a quieter cove, the one listed as Secret Beach on Poda Island, which the tour boats mostly skip. Snorkeling is best off the rocky ends of the main beach, where the coral is patchy but there are fish. A rash guard helps if there are jellyfish about.

To spend a whole day on Koh Poda, take the shared longtail. The ticket booths on Ao Nang Beach sell seats to Koh Poda alone for about ฿300 return, and a boat leaves once six people sign up, so in high season you'll rarely wait long in the morning. It takes 15 to 20 minutes, and the boats come back around 16:00. Agree your pickup time with the boatman before he leaves you.

A private longtail costs more and lets you pick the hours, which is the way to have the beach at 08:00 or stay into the late afternoon. Skippers on Ao Nang Beach and at the Railay East floating pier sell them, often as the four-island loop, and the price is agreed on the beach.

Most visitors see Koh Poda as one stop on the 4 Islands tour, Krabi's classic first boat day. It usually visits Koh Poda for a swim, with lunch here or at Koh Tup depending on the operator, Chicken Island for its rock profile and the snorkeling, Koh Tup, where at low water a sandbar rises out of the sea at Thale Waek and you can walk between the islands, and Phra Nang beach on the Railay peninsula. Longtail versions cost ฿750 to ฿1,000 and speedboats ฿1,000 to ฿1,200, plus the park fee, and departure times move with the tide, so the same tour leaves at different hours on different days.

On the tour you get about an hour on Koh Poda, in the middle of the day when the beach is busiest. If the island is the reason you're going, the shared longtail is the better buy. If you want the sandbar too, take the tour.

Yes, if you go early or stay late. It's one of the prettiest beaches near Ao Nang, it's 15 minutes away and a day there costs little, and with the morning to yourself it's the island from the postcards. At midday in high season, with the tour boats lined up along the shore, it's crowded, and there's little to do beyond swim, snorkel and sit in the shade.

If you have one boat day, the 4 Islands tour covers Koh Poda and the sandbar for a first look, and Hong Island is the better scenery for a second. My Hong Island guide compares the two.