Rawai

Rawai Seafood Market is a row of ice tables: buy prawns, crab, squid or whole fish by weight, then hand it to a cooking stall behind for a small fee. It is busiest and freshest from about 4 to 6pm, when the boats come in. Many stalls are Muslim-run; ask about halal at the stall.

Beside it is the Urak Lawoi village, the sea people who have fished this coast for centuries.

Nai Harn is the beach residents actually use at the weekend: a freshwater lagoon behind it, hills on both sides, and deep water rather than a shore break. Parking fills early on Saturday and Sunday.

Ya Nui is a small cove below the windmill, with rocks at both ends and snorkelling straight off the beach. Ao Sane, past Nai Harn, is more rock than sand and has the best shore snorkelling on the south coast; reef shoes help.

Promthep Cape is the island’s famous sunset, free and open around the clock. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early or you will park far down the hill.