Racha Island by Private Charter from Phuket

Racha Yai is where you go when you want the clearest water within day-trip range of Phuket. Visibility regularly hits 20 metres, the sand is blinding white, and the bays on the east side are sheltered enough to anchor comfortably even when the west coast is rough.

Racha Noi, the smaller and wilder sister island to the south, attracts divers chasing manta rays and whale sharks. Even if you are not diving, the snorkelling off the rocky shoreline is outstanding, with hard coral gardens and schools of fusiliers sweeping past.

Racha works perfectly as a day charter combined with a dolphin-spotting stop at Maiton on the way back. The fuel surcharge applies because of the distance, but the water quality makes it worth every baht.