Aow Leuk, Koh Tao

You ride a quick pickup from Mae Haad or Sairee, and you drop into a pocket bay with coral gardens close to shore. You enter from soft sand, then you fin over parrotfish, clams, and staghorn patches in clear water that holds up well in May. You rent a mask and fins from the small beachfront shacks, and you grab a simple Thai lunch without leaving the cove. You time swims at first light for the calmest surface, and you exit before any afternoon chop. You skip stepping on coral, you float above the bommies, and you carry out any trash. You finish the day with a taxi to Tanote or Sai Daeng for new angles, then you return for sunset on the rocks.