When you think of Thailand, you think of those picturesque beaches, clean clear waters and the temples. We discuss our 7 day trip to Thailand in this post but this is a deeper dive on what ended up being one of the highlights of our time in Phuket: Phi Phi Island Tour!
We booked a tour with Sea Angel (3,400 baht/adult base price) , and they picked us up from our hotel in Patong around 8:30 AM and drove us to their private pier. They offered a breakfast buffet there, but since we had already eaten at the hotel, we skipped it.
One thing I want to emphasize early is this: come prepared.
Bring your own hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, water bottle, and beach shoes with rubber bottoms. When you arrive, they strongly encourage you to buy these items if you don’t have them. At first, it honestly feels like an upsell, but after going through the day, I can say it is genuinely necessary. The sun is intense, the surfaces are rough, and the beach shoes especially make a big difference. We ended up buying a hat, shoes, and water there, and in hindsight, it was absolutely worth it.
First Stop: Monkey Island
The first boat ride was about 45 minutes to Monkey Island.
This stop is more of a flyby. You stay on the boat and observe the monkeys from the water. You don’t actually get off onto the island. It was still interesting to see them in their natural environment, but it’s more of a short sightseeing moment than a full stop.
Phi Phi Don Island: Beach Time and Lunch
Next, we arrived at Phi Phi Don Island, where we had time to relax on the beach.
This is also where Sea Angel has their private restaurant. The lunch buffet was surprisingly good, and there were plenty of vegetarian options, including Indian food. Everything was well organized, and there was something for everyone.
Some people chose to do snorkeling here, while others, like us, spent time enjoying the beach and taking in the scenery.
Private Long Tail Boat Experience — Highly Recommended
One of the best decisions we made was booking the private long tail boat add-on. We paid 3,800 baht extra for the long tail boat.
These are the classic wooden boats you see in photos of Thailand, and the experience felt much more personal and relaxed compared to the larger speedboat. It allowed us to explore the area at our own pace and really take in the surroundings.
If you are considering it, I would absolutely recommend adding this to your tour.
Maya Bay: The Most Iconic Stop
From there, we went to Maya Bay, which is easily one of the most famous beaches in the world. As you may already know, its even more famous because the movie “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed here.
Yes, it is crowded, but it is extremely well managed. The number of people entering is controlled, and the process is organized so it never feels chaotic.
When you walk into the bay, you are greeted with dramatic limestone cliffs rising out of turquoise water. It genuinely feels unreal. It reminded me of the landscapes from the Avatar movie. The views are incredible, and it is one of those places that looks just as beautiful in person as it does in photos. When you get to the beach, just enjoy the views, don’t worry about the photos, trust us.. you will find break from the crowd to get photos in the beautiful background. One important thing to remember is that swimming or being in the water is not allowed, the government has strict restrictions in place to be able to protect the natural habitat.
Returning to the Pier and Ending the Day
After Maya Bay, we headed to the Ko Khai island where Sea Angel team had prepared snacks for everyone. This island and all activities are managed by the locals so there is a lot of competition and many people trying to sell their services. You can still breakaway and find quiet places on the beach. It is great to purchase food and drinks here as it helps the local businesses. We relaxed there and watched the sunset. Then we headed back to the Sea Angel pier.
Their photographer had been taking photos throughout the day, and we had the option to purchase them. We ended up buying a couple as souvenirs, then they drove us back to our hotel.
Final Thoughts and Tips for This Tour
If you are visiting Phuket, a Phi Phi Islands tour is absolutely worth doing. Sea Angel was well organized, professional, and the entire day ran smoothly. We are not paid by them so this is an unbiased review. We couldn’t find many reviews or information about them but we can confidently say they are a big operation and their tour, tour guides are 10/10.
A few important tips:
- Bring your own hat, sunscreen, and water
- Wear or bring beach shoes with rubber bottoms
- Consider upgrading to a private long tail boat
- Be prepared for a full day. It starts early and ends in the evening, bring comfortable footwear. we just wore our beach shoes all day.
- The scenery is worth every second
This day felt like stepping into the Thailand you see in postcards and movies.
