There are possibly over a hundred beautiful islands and islets around Phuket but which one are the must-see ones? Here are some tips and tricks of how to select the best island tours that would guide you to the best experience of a lifetime!
6 Most Beautiful Islands Around Phuket
Koh Phi Phi Island Tour
Phi Phi Island is the superstar island that is a must-visit.You probably have seen its beauty through its appearance in one of the world’s famous movies starring Leonardo DiCaprio, ‘The Beach’. In fact, this archipelago consists of many great must-visit spots such as Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave. Let me confirm that the actual scenery is in fact just as beautiful as what people have seen in the film. If you get a chance to come to Phuket, don’t forget to check out this island tour! You just need to see it with your own eyes!
Koh Similan Island Tour
Similan Island is the most well-known for its crystal clear deep blue water and breath-taking scenery located 84 kilometers away from Phuket. How clear is it? It’s super clear that you are able to see the bottoms although it’s already 5-8 meters deep which is perfect for scuba diving. The water is so pretty that no matter how bad your photography skill is or even if you take a picture with your eyes closed, you can still get the perfect photo for your instagram. Please note that there will be a time period that Similan will be closed in order for its ecosystem to recover from the onslaught of tourism. However, you can do some research before your trip or check with the tour operator for the best experience.
Koh Maiton Island Tour
‘Maldives of Thailand’ is what people have been calling Maiton Island and there are reasons why it has gotten this name. It’s a private and peaceful island not too far away from Phuket with limited visits so it’s a perfect getaway from all the trouble of the world. Blue sky, crystal clear turquoise blue water, abundant marine life underneath and verdurous tropical warm forest make this island a true paradise which is truly a must-see once in one’s life. However, they only accept limited visitors each day. So, be sure that you book the tour early and I guarantee that you won’t miss out on the paradise opportunity!
Koh Racha Island Tour
There are two Racha Islands to consider; Racha Yai or Racha Noi. The most popular one is Racha Yai Island as it is best known for its diving, snorkeling and beach relaxing destination with plenty of a great variety of marine life and beautiful coral reef. There is a big luxurious resort and facilities that you can stay and enjoy Racha’s paradise as well. Racha Noi is around 11 kilometers away from Racha Yai and is an absolutely perfect place for scuba diving. Both islands are only 45 minutes away from Phuket touring with a speedboat. Paradise is near!
Coral Island Tours
This island is locally known as ‘Koh He’. It’s located only several kilometers away from Phuket coast. You might be wondering what Coral Island is famous for. Can you take a guess? I think you’re right! The island is surrounded by its impressive and colorful coral reefs and that’s the reason why it has gotten its name. There are several choices on how to get the paradise experience on this island; you can either book one day or half day tour by speedboat as well as long-tail boat. Or you can just stay on the island for as long as you would like as there is the one and only resort on the island waiting to serve you, Coral Island Resort.
Phang Nga BayTours
Phang Nga Bay has a different yet breath-taking scenery. It is characterized by limestone cliffs and rock formations which have been there for over a million years. It is best known for its superstar, James Bond Island, first found its way to the world’s recognition through ‘The Man with a Golden Gun’. Unarguably one of the most famous and well-known spots in the location which has been in the top 5 of most booked and most popular Phuket island tours of all time!
3 Beautiful Closest Islands to Phuket
What if I tell you that you don’t have to sail that far to discover the unforgettable paradise? Or maybe you are not really that into going on a long tour on boats? I promise you that you can still find the closest paradise around here. And these are some of the islands not too far from Phuket.
Coral Island Tour
Coral Island is a small island situated 9 kilometers away from Phuket. It takes only 10-15 minutes touring by speedboat and around 30 minutes sailing by long-tail boat. It’s one of the most popular islands around Phuket as it is close, affordable and convenient to travel. However, it is truly a paradise of Phuket, perfect for beach relaxing, snorkeling and escaping from it all.
Coconut Island Tour
Coconut Island is very famous for its beautiful nature and serene location. It is an island located only 2 kilometers away from Phuket. Getting to the island is in the blink of an eye. You can find a lot of coconut trees on the island and that’s why it has gotten its name. There is also a fisherman’s village that allows you to explore authentic ways of living of local people. And definitely, there are several beautiful beaches surrounding the island allowing you to enjoy every single moment! As this island is quite close to Phuket, there isn’t any tour that you can book from the tour operator but if you would love to explore this island, you can get on boats at Laem Hin Pier.
Bon Island Tour
Bon Island is a great and easily accessible getaway from all the chaos in Phuket. It is a small tiny island about 1.2 kilometers at its longest and 500 meters at its widest full of a great variety of wildlife and aquatic life off its coast making a good snorkelling spot that is so close to the main island. And don’t worry if you are hungry after an exciting island and snorkeling tour, there is a good local restaurant named ‘Bon Island Restaurant’ waiting to serve you freshly cooked Thai food to chase away all the tiredness.
The Most Quiet and Peaceful Island Getaway
If you are looking for peace or a quiet place to get away from whatever it is out there in the world. Or even if you just would love to spend heavenly days discovering and touring the more offbeat and peaceful islands. Here are a few best quiet islands that Phuket has to offer:
Maiton Island Tour
As I have mentioned earlier, Maiton is a small private island in which visits are limited. Therefore, it’s such a paradise for those who want to escape from all the chaos. It’s well known for the abundances of nature. Crystal clear water, home of over 400 species of fish and spectacular marine life create such a wonderful and peaceful getaway that has been visited by His Majesty The King of Bhutan. The island is located only 2.5 kilometer off the east coast of Phuket. This is one of the greatest island tours to avoid all the crowd!
Coconut Island Tour
Coconut island is very close to Phuket. Yet, they’re incredibly different. Phuket is full of lights, buildings, infrastructure, shops, hotels and restaurants. On the contrary, Coconut Island is full of nature and simplicity. Beautiful beaches, water, trees and authentic local life await for you to come and visit. Once again, there is no official tour available to this island. However, you can create your best offbeat and peaceful experience by booking your stay at any hotels on the island and get on boats at Laem Hin Pier.
2 Far-Away Islands but Definitely Worth Going
We cannot deny that the best view comes from the hardest climb. Likewise, sometimes the most beautiful and unspoiled islands come after the longest ride. These are somewhat islands quite far away from Phuket but if you get a chance to be there on either of these island tours, believe me, it would absolutely be worth the journey!
Surin Island Tour
There is so much waiting to captivate you on this wonderful island. Even though Mu Koh Surin National Park might be the farthest away island tour available from Phuket but trust me, it does worth going! This island consists of two main islands which are Surin Nuea and Surin Tai. Both are incredibly well-known for the most beautiful spots for diving and snorkeling. Wild marine animals are often seen as these islands are well-maintained and taken care of. You can also experience and explore the local life of Sea Morgan which have been living there over a hundred years.
Rok Island Tour
Rok Island is a truly amazing spot for exploring the underwater world with your own naked eyes. It is an untouched paradise on Earth that still remains waiting for you to be mesmerized with a stunning panoramic scenery of incredibly stunning white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise water. Although, it is quite far away from Phuket. Yet, there are many excellent tours available that you can easily book for a day. Once you are there, you will surely be enchanted by this unseen heaven. You have my word!
The Most Important Thing to Consider Before Booking a Tour
There are probably thousands of islands hopping programmes available for your selection but what is the most important criteria that you really do need to consider before booking an excellent Phuket Island Tour? For me, as a local who has been in the industry for quite a while. I really do suggest you NOT to look at just the figures or the price. The figures might fool you! What everyone should do is that we have to look deeply into the details of what level of services they are providing. As most of the time, what you see on the outside looks pretty much the same but what makes the differences and what determines the quality of your experience are in the inside. Here are some questions to ask before booking a tour for the best experience.
8 Questions to Ask Before Booking a Phuket Island Tour – For the Best Travel Experience
1. Is it all-inclusive or will you have to pay any additional fees?
Sometimes tour prices are low because they exclude some fees that you will have to pay. For example, when you book one of an island tour anywhere in Phuket that would visit some national parks on the island. The national park fee might be excluded from the overall price. So, do make sure to ask : what is not included? Therefore, you can plan your budget well and not miss out on any parts of the tour.
2. Is food provided? What kind of food are they serving?
Most tours provide food for their clients. And most of the time, you will be eating on one of the islands. However, before booking a tour, you can look at food details of what they are offering. Some more expensive tours serve better quality food and that would really make so much of a difference on your experience. In addition, if you have time, you can try out local Phuket food that might as well be available for your selection. Our foods are yummy!
3. Is the tour guide provided? Who is your guide?
Tour guides are sometimes exclusive. If that’s the case, make sure you do some research on destinations that you will go for the best experience. You might do some homework on what you can expect on each island that you’re going to visit. However, having a tour guide does make a lot of difference. Especially, if the tour guides are born and raised in Phuket because you know, they know what they are talking about.
4. What weather can you expect?
In a tropical part of the world, rain is sometimes unpredictable. Especially here in Phuket, there is a monsoon season where there might be storms, strong waves and rain. Therefore, feel free to ask the tour company whether it is the best time for your islands trip.
5. Where does the tour pick up and drop off?
This seems like an uncomplicated topic but trust me, sometimes it could turn out to be incredibly confusing not only here in Phuket but actually anywhere in the world. And if you cannot find your driver, you might really miss the tour. So, please make sure you talk to the tour operator clearly and take some time to look at the map and don’t forget to contact them if you’re unsure of anything. You don’t want to waste any of your time, money and most importantly, your favorite islands!
6. How much time is spent in each place?
It wouldn’t be such a great experience if you would have to complain of having been rushed through a place or your most loved islands you really want to see and absorb. So before you book any island tours from Phuket, it’s best to do a little research if there are specific stops on the tour that are important to you and make sure you get to see what you want to see, not more or less.
7. What size is the group?
When you have no choice but to sail away from Phuket by boat, the size of your group creates a lot of differences in your total experience. Make sure the tour is not too crowded or you will be packed on a boat with too many people. Imagine if that’s the case, you might feel uncomfortable and won’t be enjoying your islands getaway that much, right?
8. Is the tour well-reviewed?
Customer reviews are extremely helpful. Learning from what people have to say about the tour programme or even their experiences on each island provides a big picture of how your own experience is going to turn out and things that you can expect. Bad reviews also allow you to see what could go wrong so you can be prepared for the unexpected even before going off Phuket coast.
