Hobby trips

Day trips only, by speedboat from Thap Lamu pier near Khao Lak, with a daily cap of 525 divers and 3,325 snorkellers, so book early. Island 4 (Ko Miang) is the usual snorkel and lunch stop, and Island 8 has the Sail Rock viewpoint.

Clear, sheltered bays that suit first-time divers and snorkellers, with day boats leaving from Chalong Pier each morning.

A sunken car ferry and a soft-coral pinnacle, usually dived together on a two-dive day trip from Phuket.

Shallow reefs around Phi Phi Leh and Bida Nok work well for snorkellers and divers on the same boat, and many trips combine both islands in one day.