Koh Lipe

Thailand's southernmost inhabited island sits inside Tarutao National Marine Park, just 10 km from the Malaysian border. Undisturbed by liveaboard traffic, the reefs here have some of the healthiest coral gardens in the country. Staghorn and tabletop acropora dominate the shallows, while deeper slopes yield bumphead parrotfish, turtles, and occasional whale sharks between December and March.