Handpicked experience · Phuket
★ 4.4Phuket, Thailand
Whether you get a speedboat or a ferry changes the whole day, a badly fitting mask ruins it, and the fish swarming you are behaving that way for a reason.
Enjoy swim or snorkeling at Phi Phi area on the fresh day.
Explore the Phi Phi Islands, the set of Hollywood movie "The Beach"
Discover colorful marine life and coral reefs at Phi Phi.
Take in mezmerizing landscapes of Phi Phi and Bamboo Island.
Cruising beneath limestone cliffs between Phuket and the archipelago
Swimming and shoreline walking on Phi Phi Don
Sheltered water and easy shore entry at Bamboo Island
Several stops over shallow reef during the day
Limestone rising straight out of deep green water on all sides
A nine-hour trip from Phuket to the Phi Phi archipelago and Bamboo Island, with cruising past the limestone cliffs, several snorkelling stops in shallow water and beach time on white sand.
The transfer may be a speedboat or a ferry, and the difference is not cosmetic. A speedboat crosses in a fraction of the time but pounds over chop, which is punishing if you are prone to seasickness or have a bad back. A ferry takes far longer and is enormously more stable, with room to move around. Neither is better in the abstract, and the trip you book states which of the two it uses rather than leaving you to find out in open water.
The most common way to ruin a snorkelling day is a mask that does not fit, which is why bringing your own is worth the luggage space. A mask seals against skin, so anything between the silicone and your face breaks the seal: a strap of hair caught under the edge, or a moustache along the upper lip. Test the fit by holding the mask to your face without the strap and breathing in gently through your nose — a mask that fits will stay put on its own. One that drops off will leak all day, and no amount of tightening fixes it. Over-tightening actually makes leaks worse by deforming the skirt.
At the busier stops you will be met by clouds of black-and-white striped fish that swarm the moment anyone enters. These are sergeant majors, and they behave that way because they have been fed by visitors for years. Feeding reef fish skews the population toward a few aggressive species and starves the algae-grazers that keep coral clear, which is why it is discouraged and, in protected waters, prohibited. Bread does nothing good for a reef.
Underwater visibility here runs on the monsoon. From roughly November to April the northeast monsoon brings settled, dry conditions and the clearest water of the year. From May to October the southwest monsoon pushes swell and sediment across these reefs, and visibility drops sharply — the trip still runs, but the snorkelling is a different proposition.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen or a rash guard; a full day of reflected glare burns faster than the same sun on land. Carry small notes for the conservation charges collected at the islands. Towels are not provided, and dry bags are worth having for anything that must not get wet.
Open it to pick a date and work out the price.
What the fare covers, and what to budget for separately.
The practical detail, and the answers people actually ask for.
It depends on the operator, and the two make very different days. A speedboat is far quicker but pounds over chop; a ferry is slow and much more stable. The sailing you book states which of the two it uses.
If you have one that fits, yes. Fit decides whether you enjoy the water, and rental sizes are limited.
Hold it to your face without the strap and breathe in gently through your nose. A mask that fits stays on by itself. One that falls away will leak all day.
Because over-tightening deforms the silicone skirt and makes the seal worse. The seal comes from the fit against your skin, not from strap tension.
Sergeant majors, behaving that way because visitors have fed them for years. Feeding skews the reef toward a few aggressive species and starves the algae-grazers that keep coral clear.
No. It is discouraged everywhere here and prohibited in protected waters, and bread does a reef no good at all.
Roughly November to April, under the northeast monsoon. From May to October swell and sediment cut visibility sharply, though the trip still runs.
No. Bring your own, along with a dry bag for anything that must stay dry.