Three tufted islets joined by a white sandbar just off Ko Tao, with coral gardens beginning practically at the waterline — Japanese Gardens, the pick of them, is a five-minute swim of parrotfish, angelfish and the occasional blacktip reef shark. Day boats pour in mid-morning, so stay on Ko Tao and catch the first longtail across, then climb the famous viewpoint before the heat builds. February to May brings the calmest, clearest water.
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