Thailand is as renowned for its white sieve through your fingers sand as it is its glowing turquoise waves. So, of course on our travels we were sure to dedicate a lot of time to both treasures as we tread the southern islands.

The beaches and bays dotted in secret locations across Thailand are almost too surreal to comprehend as real life visions. The larger than life rocks guard the sands and cause the boats to swerve gently around them in the ocean. Truly other-worldly, it’s often the world below the glistening water that draws so many curious travellers to Thailand – snorkel and flippers in hand.

Koh Nang Yuan

Earlier this year, I accidently found myself speeding toward Koh Nang Yuan in a rocking speedboat, bouncing across the glistening blue ocean in the wrong direction to the most perfect place. I’d been staying at Koh Samui, and had arranged a boat trip from the island to a nearby national park. As it turns out our hotel had instead booked us onto the company’s sister tour which was heading for Koh Nang Yuan. With no pre-collected idea of where we were going (I had never heard of Koh Nang Yuan) I was luckily enough to stumble upon the most mesmerising island, completely by accident.

If you are planning on exploring Koh Samui or Koh Tao, add Koh Nang Yan to your bucket list. A short boat trip from either island will take you to this beautiful slice of paradise, and you will count your magic starfish that you didn’t pass it by. Snorkelling is a must in Koh Nang Yuan, with the crystal clear, calm waters providing a perfect looking-glass to the under-water world. You could leave your snorkel collecting sand on the island-connecting beach, and still catch a clear glimpse of the colourful fish exploring their waters.

Koh Tao

Koh Tao is well-known as an ideal snorkelling haven. The small island’s glistening waters are perfect to catch sightings of the vibrant fish that fling around the equally colourful coral. Our visit to Koh Tao involved jumping off our boat into much deeper water than we dared swim out to from the shallow waters in Koh Nang Yuan. As we were based in Koh Sumui (an hour and a half boat ride away) we were able to tick another island (well, the blue outskirts) off our bucket list unexpectedly.

Lee definitely proved himself to be significantly better at tracking fish than myself. There were plenty don’t get me wrong, I just seemed to spend more of my time emptying my snorkel and chocking on sea water (very smooth). The photographs speak for themselves in this department, where you can see Lee the fish whisperer in action.

Maya Beach

Arguably one of the most renowned bays in all of Thailand, this popular spot brings travellers from all across the globe to this perfect hidden treasure, equipped with beach towels, cameras and snorkels in tow. If you’d rather spend your time under the sea chasing the cast of nemo than soaking up the sun on a bed of flour, head into the warm waters and you’re sure to find yourself swimming over waving neon coral and alongside a school of bite-size sea creatures.

If you decide to head to Maya Beach from the nearby Phucket or Krabi, head off early as Maya Beach can get overcrowded with selfie-stick wielding tourists. Arrive in the early hours of the morning and you’re sure to experience the most breath-taking views as you pop up out of the clear waters, and equally so as you submerge into the calm of the underwater world.