Coral Island (morning 5 hrs)

Salt spray kisses your face as The Admiral cuts through Phuket's turquoise waters, her twin hulls dancing across the Andaman Sea toward paradise. This Admiral SA 40ft catamaran works well in these waters – stable enough for your morning coffee, spacious enough for fifteen friends to sprawl across her nets without bumping elbows.

Five hours feels like stolen time when you're anchored off Coral Island / Banana Beach (Koh Hey), where powder-soft sand squeaks beneath bare feet and fish flash like living jewels in crystal-clear shallows. The snorkeling here is pretty cool for Thailand – visibility stretches twenty meters on good days, revealing coral gardens that look hand-painted by some ocean artist.

Morning departures mean beating the crowds to this slice of heaven. While tour boats arrive later like floating cities, you'll already be floating in bath-warm waters, watching hermit crabs scuttle across virgin beaches. The Admiral's shallow draft lets us anchor closer to shore than most vessels – a super chill way to see Thailand without the usual tourist circus.

Fair warning: Koh Hey keeps things simple. No beach bars or massage parlors here, just pure tropical bliss. Pack your sunscreen, bring your appetite for adventure, and prepare for those Instagram shots that'll make your friends seriously jealous. Because Thailand deserves to be seen from the sea.