Snorkelling is often referred to as the lazy man's sport. Floating on your belly, face in the ocean and flippers moving gently if at all, you relax and enjoy what in many places can be a truly unforgettable visual experience. It doesn't involve any of the equipment that diving requires and you often don't even need to take a boat to reach your snorkelling site, with many of the world's best sites close to the shore. 

There are many arguments online that attempt to provide a list of the top snorkelling sites in the world. Take a look at this Lonely Planet Thorn Tree thread or this rather pretty slide show from Forbes as examples of how much opinions vary on this topic. Despite these differences there are a few places that are consistently regarded as having some of the world's best snorkelling.

1. Red Sea - wherever you choose to stay on the Red Sea coast you are likely to be have very easy access to some excellent snorkelling. The underwater magic starts close to the shore even in the tourist hotspot of Sharm el Sheikh, while smaller resorts such as Nuweiba are considered to have some of the best snorkelling in the region. 

2. Seychelles - it's an expensive place to come for snorkelling and you'll be sharing your holiday with countless honeymoon couples - ok if you're a honeymoon couple yourself of course. With crystal clear warm water, coral only a few metres from the shore and fish bumping into your feet as soon as you step into the water this really is an easy way to enjoy the spectacular underwater world. 

3. Australia - snorkelling or diving in Queensland are high of the list of popular activities on a trip to Australia and the Great Barrier Reef certainly needs no introduction. If you join the thousands who take a boat from Cairns or any of the other resorts along the Queensland coast to explore the reef you won't be disappointed whether you choose to snorkel or dive. The other side of Australia is also worth a look with the little known Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia a great place to snorkel among the easily accessible reef. It's also considered the best place to swim with whale sharks, the world's largest fish.  

4. Hawaii - there are so many great locations to choose from and on any of the islands you can find the perfect place to don your mask and head into the warm water. My favourite memory of snorkelling off the coast of Maui was seeing several turtles swimming very close to us as we paddled close to our boat. 

5. Galapagos Islands - most visitors come to the Galapagos Islands to experience the unique flora and fauna on the islands themselves, but the underwater treasures of the islands are every bit as spectacular. Snorkelling in the Galapagos offers the chance to see golden rays, eagle rays and Galapagos sharks, as well as the chance of spotting a hammerhead shark.

Where is your favourite snorkelling site in the world and what makes it so special?