Things to Do in Ant Atoll

Lagoon drift-snorkel between coral heads

Slip in at the eastern pass and let the incoming tide waft you over lettuce corals that glow neon orange when the sun pierces through. Schools of fusiliers part around your mask. You'll hear the popcorn crackle of feeding parrotfish. The water is body-temperature, so you lose track of time until a white-tip reef shark cruises underneath like a silent subway train.

Kayak to the outer reef at sunrise

Paddle east while the lagoon is still glass. The only ripstreaks come from your blade and the occasional turtle snout breaking surface. As the sun lifts, the reef wall becomes a living watercolor - blues you didn't know existed. You'll taste salt spray and feel the first warm breeze replace the night-cool air.

Camp on Andehniki islet

Pitch under a breadfruit canopy where the sand is still white because so few boats stop. At night the only light is bioluminescence in the wash and the orange glow of your small fire. You'll smell smoke mixing with frangipani and hear fruit bats quarrelling overhead like rusty hinges.

Spearfishing with handlines on the leeward edge

Free-dive four meters, hand-line wrapped around your wrist, while unicornfish hover like skeptical ghosts. The increase pushes you gently into soft coral. You feel it brush your knee like a cat's tail. When a snapper takes the bait, the line sings against the plastic spool and your own pulse thunders in your ears.

Full-moon stand-up paddle through the inner mangrove channels

The moon lays a silver runway across the lagoon so bright you don't need a headlamp. Mangrove roots tickle your board and baby black-tips dart away like skipping stones. Every stroke disturbs clouds of phosphorescence that swirl around your ankles like spilled glitter.

Andehniki islet - sand-spit camping under casuarinas, stars reflected in wet sand

Laiap islet - raised coral platforms good for tents when the spring tide pushes

Rohi islet - small grove of beach heliotrope that smells of vanilla at dusk

Kehpara islet - flattest ground, where most guides drop gear first

Na islet - eastern windward side, rougher but you'll have the sunrise to yourself

On the boat - some operators let you sleep on deck under a tarp. Engine box stays warm