There are plenty of shops/stalls offering various boat trips to Phi Phi, James Bond Island etc along Kata Street. And we booked ours from the stall above. So there is no worry that you will not find one. But do bear in mind that you will probably have to do the booking 2 to 3 days in advance as some scheduling is involved on their end.
There are 2 choices for trips to Phi Phi Island - the speedboat tour or the cruise tour. We decided to go for the speedboat option as it covers more locations and we will be able to have sometime to relax at different beaches. As the number of people onboard is lesser, the guide will also be able to pay more attention to everyone. Naturally, these advantages comes with a price tag. I can't remember how much we paid though (approximately 60 to 70 SGD per person).
The tour companies will provided return transfer from your hotel to the gathering location. For us, as we were staying at the far end of the island (Kata), we were the first one onboard the van. After which, we picked up 3 to 4 other couples from Karon. Personally, I had a great journey as the everyone were really friendly and we had a great time chit chatting with each other throughout the journey. This is the kind of fun that you wouldn't enjoy if you took on private tours.
At the gathering point
At the gathering points, we were split into 2 groups according to the boats which we will be following.
Before we embark on our boat trip, the guide did a brief introduction of the places where we will be visiting and all the safety information that we have to take note of.
They also provide rental of flippers at a cheap price (why not?)
Before boarding, they will request to take a photograph of you and the reason will be revealed at the end of this post.
We were seated right next to the motors (it gets really smokey and smelly) during the journey. So the smell of diesel is unbearable to you, you may want to consider sitting near the front of the boat.
Here is our guide, Eddie with the rest of our travel mates. He thinks he looks like Eddie Murphy and Leonardo DiCaprio which cracks us up quite a little. Throughout the entire journey, he has done a really good job of continuously hydrating us and feeding us with loads of cold cut fruits.
After the longest time of looking at the blue sea, we have reached our first destination!
Notice the change in the colour of sea water?
This is one of the popular scenic areas which we did not stop at, although we saw a number of other tour groups who stopped by here to allow their guests to have a dip.
More clear turquoise water ahead! Loves <3
And here is our second destination - Maya Bay.
This small stretch of beach is the filming location for 'The Beach' starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
It is really pretty, with clear turquoise waters and fine white sand. But this place somehow feels overly populated and it spoils the mood for relaxation.
There is a toilet about 150 to 200m walk from the beach. The toilet is definitely not the best that you can expect, so please go there with an open mind. The above photo is taken along the way to the toilet.
And off to our next destination -Monkey Island.
As the name suggests - there are a lot of monkeys (and houseflies)! Perhaps a better name could be monkey and houseflies island! :)
We were each given some fruits to feed the monkeys.
After leaving the island, we were given a chance to snorkel in the waters fully armed with snorkeling gear and a life jacket. It is a really interesting experience as this is the first time I see fishes swimming all around me! The tour guides gave everyone some bread to feed the fishes. As a safety precaution, do be careful when you swim close to the motor blades of the speedboat. They can be pretty sharp.
We stopped for lunch at one of the islands.
Here is our buffet lunch menu.
Lunch is simple, although not particularly appetizing. But it was compensated by the great views.
After lunch, Eddie brought us to another island, where we will spend the rest of the afternoon before returning home. We rented beach chairs there and had a nap while waiting for Eddie to bring us for a snorkeling trip to see the sharks in the waters just off the shores. Some of the locals played beach soccer with the tourist while the rest relax under the sun.
The corals off the shores of this island have all died due to the tsunami that happened in 2004. So it is pretty depressing while swimming past white rock like corals.
The snorkeling trip to see the sharks was a pretty tiring one as you have to snorkel for half an hour or so to reach the deeper sea. Due to the low visibility, papa and mama did not spot any although a couple of people in the group did. But it was all good as papa and mama did burn off some fats while exercising.
Here s our snorkeling gears.
Here is the underwater camera which we bought. We found out that all our precious photos taken while snorkeling are exposed as the underwater casing was not locked properly.
And with this, we ended our Phi Phi boat trip.
Back at the harbor.
Remember, at the start of this trip they took a photo of everyone? Here is the answer:
They are selling souvenirs - plates with your picture on it. Papa and mama felt really bad that they thought that the plates cannot be recycled as our face are printed on it. But after we looked at the plate carefully back in the resort, it turns out that the photos are actually stick-ons and the plates are fully recyclable. Oh wells! The plate is still sitting on papa's shelf, collecting dust at this very moment.
Next: Kata Street + Eat
Back to Main: Phuket - Kata
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