Phi Phi Island Day Trip

• Day Trip Tips
  
  
  • It isn’t necessary to book day trips ahead of time. We were there at one of the busiest times of year and were still able to book a trip one day in advance. Booking once your there allows you to shop around more and pick your day based on weather.
  
  
  • A day trip should cost between 2000 and 3000 baht per person.
  
  
  • Try not to bring much with you. We just brought our phones, sunscreen, and a small amount of cash to tip the crew. I didn’t bring my camera and was glad that I didn’t. We were constantly getting in and out of the boat and it would have been very hard to not either leave it unattended or potentially expose it to water and sand. The marina sells waterproof phone bags if you’re worried about getting your phone wet or sandy.
  
  
  • When deciding what to bring, check to see what your tour company provides. Some companies provide amenities like towels and snorkels while others do not or will charge you to borrow them.

Day three was the day of our trip to the Phi Phi Islands. We woke up a little late, but luckily our 7:45 shuttle to the marina was a running late too. It took about 45 minutes to get to the Royal Phuket Marina where we joined hoards of other tourists. We checked in with our outfitter, Sea Star, then perused the coffee and breakfast tables while we waited for our group to be called. I just ate a bunch of these awesome meringue-like cookies because when you’re on vacation you can eat cookies for breakfast, right?

Finally, after 30 minutes of waiting, our group was called and we walked down to the docks. At the boat we met our captain, Chris, and the rest of the crew. Chris briefed us on some basic safety information and our itinerary for the day and we were off. The first stop was Bamboo Island, a small island without any human settlement. Although the island has not been developed, it was still packed with tourists that had all come in on boats like ours. Despite the crowds, the beach and the surrounding water were pristine. We spent a while lounging then snorkeling before get back aboard for the next leg of the trip.

The next stop was Phi Phi Don for snorkeling. The boat dropped anchor in the bay where we were able to jump in and snorkel for a while. The water was perfectly clear so we were able to see the coral along the bottom and schools of small yellow fish darting about. The masks and snorkels provided with the tour weren’t bad. Fins were available to rent, but the water was calm and not too deep so I didn’t think they were necessary.

After Phi Phi Don was Monkey Bay. Tours used to take tourists to Monkey Beach, but that has mostly stopped due to people being bit by the monkeys. Our boat pulled up alongside a cliff where a few monkeys were hanging out. They didn’t look too interested in us but our captain warned us to watch our belongings. He said if one of the monkeys were to jump to the boat, it might try to grab a phone. Luckily none of the monkeys decided to try this. They just sat, judging us from their rocky perches. At this point, it was lunch time. We took another short ride to Ton Sai Bay where there was a buffet lunch waiting for us. Like all of the other stops, lunch was crowded. But the food was good and there was plenty of seating under the large pavilion.

After lunch was a quick stop at Viking Cave then Pileh Lagoon. At the lagoon we were able to swim for a while before heading to Maya Bay. This bay, made famous by the movie, “The Beach”, was beautiful but oversold in my opinion. It looked very similar to all of the other bays and cliffs that we passed, so most of its allure is due to its appearance in the movie. After spending most of our stop there attempting to get photos free of other tourists, we got back on our boat for the hour long trip back to the marina. Although some of the legs of the trip were quite long and across open water, I did not get seasick. This was a pleasant surprise for me – I could probably get motion sick riding a bike.

Overall, our day trip experience with Sea Star was very good. The group was a little large for my liking but that was my only complaint. The itinerary and amenities were exactly what we were looking for. The crew was hospitable and professional, making the whole trip go very smoothly.

After returning to the marina and making the hour long drive back to the hotel, we were exhausted. We forced ourselves to shower and walk across the street to Highway Curry for dinner. The food was decent, similar to Indian food you would find in the States, but it did the job.