Tarutao

It's not as well-known as even Ko Tao. Such that when friends asked me where I went, I always have to explain that it is in the far south, just a few kilometres north of Langkawi.

Because it's less troden by tourists, it is very tranquil and serene, with amazing secluded beaches that rank very high on my growing list of beautiful beaches.

The whole Tarutao National Park is made up of several islands, the main one being Tarutao itself, and Adang, where the only accommodation is operated by the national park office (which ensures that these two islands are not fallen to over development). The other island is Lipeh, which is directly opposite Ko Adang, and somewhat lies outside the national park boundary, and has the potential to be the next ko phi phi, with lots of chalets, restaurants, boats, foreigners and rubbish...
The rest of the islands in the area are mostly secluded and visited by day-trippers on snorkelling and diving trips.

Tarutao and Adang are very good places for a laid-back holiday. My favourite is Adang, such that I spend most of the week on this little island. Nice and quiet beach, with rather good corals and many fishes just off the shore. Friendly park rangers and serene environment. Well, nice place, but will probably go into more details next time.