Private Speed Boat

The Phi Phi Islands are among the most spectacular in Thailand, and on a private speedboat the day runs at your pace: your group and your captain decide how long to stay at each stop, within the 6 hours on the water. MAYA BAY Made famous by the film "The Beach", Maya Bay is a curved white sand beach closed in by towering limestone cliffs. To protect the recovering reef, boats are no longer allowed inside the bay and swimming is not permitted. Your speedboat drops you at the floating pier in Loh Sama Bay on the other side of Phi Phi Leh, and you walk a short boardwalk through the forest to the beach. The national park limits how many visitors are on the beach at once and how long they stay, so expect company. Maya Bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September to let nature recover; on those dates the rest of the route runs as normal. PILEH LAGOON An emerald lagoon enclosed by sheer limestone walls on Phi Phi Leh. Boats can enter, and this is the main swimming stop of the day: the water is calm, clear and deep green. It is popular with every boat in the area, so your captain will try to time the visit for a quieter moment. VIKING CAVE A tall sea cave in the cliffs of Phi Phi Leh, named after old paintings of boats on its walls. Swiftlets nest inside, and local collectors still harvest the edible nests from bamboo scaffolding. Visitors cannot enter the cave: you see it from the boat as you cruise past. MONKEY BEACH A small beach on Phi Phi Don where wild long-tailed macaques come down to the shore. Watch them from the boat or from a distance on the sand. Please do not feed or touch them, and keep food and bags closed: they grab belongings and can bite. BAMBOO ISLAND A low, flat island north of Phi Phi Don with fine white sand and clear shallow water, good for a last swim and some snorkeling off the beach before heading back to Phuket. It belongs to the same national park and is often busy around midday. Landing is not possible when the sea is rough. Stops and their order depend on the weather, sea conditions, tides and national park rules on the day. Your captain will always choose the safest plan.

Phang Nga Bay is one of the natural wonders of Southeast Asia: hundreds of limestone islands rising from calm green water, riddled with sea caves and hidden lagoons. On a private speedboat you choose how long to stay at each stop, within the 6 hours on the water. JAMES BOND ISLAND (KO TAPU) Ko Tapu ("Nail Island" in Thai) is the spike of rock that became famous in the 1974 James Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun". Boats land at the small beach of Khao Phing Kan next to it, and you see Ko Tapu from the shore: boats are not allowed to go close to the rock. It is the busiest stop in the bay, and an early start usually means fewer people. SEA CAVES AND HIDDEN LAGOONS Islands such as Ko Panak and Ko Hong hide lagoons (hong in Thai) inside their walls, open to the sky and reached through low sea caves. A speedboat cannot go inside: the lagoons are entered by sea canoe with a local paddler, and only at the right tide. Sea canoeing is not included in the charter price, so tell us when booking if you would like it arranged. Without it, you still cruise along the cliffs and past the cave entrances. KOH PANYEE, THE FLOATING VILLAGE Built on stilts at the foot of a huge rock, Koh Panyee is a Muslim fishing village of around 2,000 people whose families have lived on the water for generations. Most of the village stands over the sea on wooden and concrete platforms. Walk through the lanes and small shops, see the famous floating football pitch, and have lunch at one of the waterfront seafood restaurants if you wish (paid directly). Please dress modestly in the village. The order of stops depends on the tide, weather and national park rules on the day. Your captain will always choose the safest plan.

The 4 Islands route takes in four different stops off the coast of Krabi, each with its own character: white sand, snorkeling, a sandbar you can walk at low tide and some of the most dramatic cliffs in Thailand. The crossing from Phuket takes around an hour each way depending on the sea, and on a private speedboat the rest of the day is spent at the islands, not waiting for other guests. PODA ISLAND (KOH PODA) A wooded island with a long white sand beach and a tall limestone pinnacle standing in the sea just off the shore. Swim off the beach and snorkel around the rocks, where small reef fish gather. It is a popular stop for boats from Ao Nang, so expect other visitors. CHICKEN ISLAND (KOH GAI) Named for the limestone pinnacle at one end of the island that looks like the head and neck of a chicken. Boats usually stop off the island for snorkeling in the clear water around the rocks. TUP ISLAND AND THE SANDBAR Koh Tup is a group of small limestone islets. Around low tide a sandbar called Talay Waek (the "separated sea") appears and links them, so you can walk between the islets through shallow turquoise water. The sandbar is only exposed around low tide, so whether you can walk it depends on the tide on your date. PHRA NANG BEACH A beach of fine pale sand at the foot of tall limestone cliffs at Railay, often listed among the most beautiful beaches in Thailand. At one end is Phra Nang Cave, a shrine to a sea princess filled with offerings left by local fishermen for good luck. Depending on the sea and local rules, your captain may drop you at nearby Railay West, a short walk away. It is busiest in the middle of the day. Stops and their order depend on the weather, sea conditions, tides and national park rules on the day. Your captain will always choose the safest plan.

The Hong Islands (hong means "room" in Thai, for the enclosed lagoons inside the limestone) lie off the coast of Krabi, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket. This route is usually quieter than Phi Phi and combines an enclosed lagoon, white sand beaches and clear water. HONG ISLAND LAGOON (KOH HONG) The star of this route. Koh Hong hides a lagoon surrounded by towering limestone walls, open to the sky and reached through a narrow channel. Boats can drift inside when the tide is high enough; at very low tide the lagoon can only be seen from its entrance. Swimming and snorkeling in the lagoon depend on the tide and on what the park rangers allow on the day. HONG ISLAND BEACH AND VIEWPOINT Koh Hong also has a white sand beach with clear water for swimming and some snorkeling around the rocks. If you are fit, a steep metal staircase of about 400 steps leads up to a viewpoint over the islands. LADING ISLAND (KOH LAO LADING) A small beach tucked between steep limestone cliffs, with clear, shallow water that is good for swimming. It is a popular stop for day-trip boats from Krabi, so you will rarely have it to yourselves. PAKBIA ISLAND (KOH PAKBIA) A small island in the north of the Hong group with a sandy beach and calm water, a relaxed place for a last swim and some snorkeling off the rocks before heading back to Phuket. Stops and their order depend on the weather, sea conditions, tides and national park rules on the day. Your captain will always choose the safest plan.