Hat Sai Kaew, Koh Samet

Hat Sai Kaew - crystal sand beach - is the longest and busiest beach on Koh Samet, running about a kilometre along the north-east shore, a short walk from the Na Dan pier where the ferries land.

The sand is the reason for the name and for the island's history: it is fine white quartz, and Samet was quarried for glass sand before it became a national park. It squeaks underfoot, which is the detail everyone tests on arrival. The beach shelves gently, the water is calm through the dry season, and a continuous run of restaurants and resorts backs it.

It is the liveliest part of the island by some distance, with fire shows on the sand at night. The quieter bays - Ao Phai, Ao Wong Duean, Ao Wai - run down the same coast to the south.