Ready, Steady, Koh!

Near Phuket, and on Thailand’s Andaman Sea, are the group of islands known as Koh Phi Phi, which shot to fame with Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie ‘The Beach’. Framed in dense jungle, lined with hotels and marked by a vibrant nightlife, Koh Phi Phi Don is the biggest of these islands. Equally popular is the more serene Koh Phi Phi Leh, with gorgeous coral reefs and towering cliffs. When it isn’t hosting its roisterous Full Moon Parties—or its Half Moon and Black Moon cousins—Koh Pha Ngan, located 70 kilometres away from the mainland, offers beautiful moments of calm with its granite hills and invigorating waterfalls. More white sands and laid-back beach shacks await in the other islands, including Koh Samui, with its luxury resorts, and Koh Lipe, which includes the popular Pattaya beach.