Koh Phangan

Haad Rin occupies the island's southern tip and is really two back-to-back beaches: Haad Rin Nok, the wide 'sunrise' beach facing east, and the calmer Haad Rin Nai on the sunset side. By day the sunrise beach is a genuinely lovely curve of white sand with clear, shallow water that is fine for swimming and easy for children in the morning. This is also the stage for the famous Full Moon Party, held once a month around the full moon, when the beach fills with music stages and huge crowds through the night. Families and light sleepers should simply check the lunar calendar and visit on any other night, when the strip is quiet and the beachfront cafes are relaxed. The little peninsula town behind the beach has plenty of food, pharmacies and ferry connections. Outside the party dates it works well as a laid-back, well-connected base.

Tucked into the island's remote north coast, Bottle Beach is the reward for a little effort. There is no road in: you either hop on a longtail boat from Chaloklum fishing village or tackle a hot, rough jungle trail over the headland on foot. Either way you arrive at a broad crescent of soft sand backed by steep green hills, with clear water and a scattering of simple bungalow operations and beach kitchens. Because access is limited, it never gets crowded, and it keeps a proper castaway feeling that the busier south has lost. Snorkelling is decent around the rocks at each end. Bring cash, as there are no ATMs, and check the last boat time if you are only visiting for the day. Some travellers stay a night or two to fully unwind. It is one of the best beaches on the island, and well worth the awkward journey to reach it.

Than Sadet is the island's most historic natural site, a series of cascades and rock pools tumbling through jungle on the east coast inside a national park. Its name loosely means 'royal stream', and the reason is carved into the boulders: three Thai kings, Rama the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh, visited over the years and left their royal initials in the rock, marks you can still find today. That royal connection makes it a respected, almost sacred spot rather than just a swimming hole. You can cool off in the clear pools between the tiers, scramble along the boulders, and picnic in the shade. The flow is strongest just after the rainy season, from around November, and can slow to a trickle late in the dry months. Reaching it means a steep, winding road best suited to confident scooter riders, or a longtail boat from the coast. Combine it with the nearby Thong Nai Pan bays.

Thong Nai Pan is a pair of golden bays on the quiet northeast coast, and for many the prettiest corner of the island. Thong Nai Pan Yai, the larger southern bay, has a small village, easy-going resorts and a sociable but never rowdy beach. Thong Nai Pan Noi, just over the headland, is smaller, smarter and home to some of Phangan's most upmarket retreats. Both offer soft sand, clear swimming water and calm, family-friendly conditions for much of the year. The pay-off for the beauty is the journey: the road in from the west was notoriously steep and potholed for years, and though it has improved, many visitors still prefer a taxi-boat or songthaew over a scooter. Once there you can happily do nothing, or hike to nearby viewpoints and waterfalls. It rewards travellers who want a serene base away from Haad Rin's noise, with enough dining to keep you fed without leaving.

Koh Ma is a tiny islet off the northwest coast, linked to Mae Haad beach by a pale sandbar that you can walk across at low tide, one of the island's signature views. The waters around it form Phangan's best snorkelling, a protected reef with reasonable coral and plenty of reef fish, small enough to explore in a single visit. Enter from Mae Haad and drift around the island's edges, where the coral is healthiest; a guide or boat trip can take you to the better outer patches. The sandbar itself is photogenic and shallow, good for families and non-swimmers to wade and float. Because it is a marine conservation area, avoid standing on or touching the coral, and skip harsh sunscreen chemicals near the reef. Visibility is best in the calm, dry stretches of the year. There are a few beach bars at Mae Haad for a post-snorkel drink and the sunset.

For the big-picture view, Khao Ra is the island's highest peak at over six hundred metres, reached by a jungle trail through the interior. It is a proper little hike, muddy and steep in stretches, and hiring a local guide is wise since the path can be hard to follow; the reward is a sweeping panorama over the forested island out to Koh Samui and Koh Tao on a clear day. If that sounds too strenuous, easier viewpoints deliver almost as much. The Domsila Viewpoint on the way to Than Sadet involves a short scramble to layered rock ledges, and the photo viewpoint above Haad Rin looks down over both of its beaches at once. Early morning offers the clearest air and the coolest climb, before the haze and heat build. Whichever you choose, wear grippy shoes, carry water, and start early. These high points are the best way to grasp how green and hilly Phangan really is.