On an atoll the tide is the real clock. Twice a day the lagoon fills and empties through the channels in the reef, carrying clear ocean water across the coral gardens.
The hour either side of high tide brings the best visibility on the house reef, while low tide uncovers the sandbanks and the tide pools along the eastern shore.
Every villa has a tide card on the desk, refreshed each evening by your host. Plan the snorkel for the morning high, the sandbank for the afternoon low, and leave the evening for the sunset sail.
