Hong by Starlight Kayaking Tour

We did lots of different trips during our recent holiday and this trip was one of the best we did. Great transfers from the hotel and the whole day was very well organised. All the staff on the trip and especially our guide were excellent and friendly and genuinely seemed like they wanted us to all enjoy ourselves and learn about the culture. My guide was fantastic and so experienced and knowledgable. He got me through the bat cave which was a feat in itself!! The food they provided was some of the best Thai food we ate and seeing the bioluminescent plankton at the end was a memorable moment! Doing this trip gives you the opportunity to experience and see parts of Thailand that you wouldn’t be able to on your own and without the expertise of the local guides…. Book this you won’t regret it!

This was our second trip with this company. We love it! The staff is great and make it so fun and the food on the boat is some of the best we’ve had. It was fun to see some of the same staff that we saw a couple of years ago. I would highly recommend going. It was a highlight of both of our trips to Phuket. A do not miss in my opinion!

I have no gripe with the tour operator who has also been inconvenienced. The rearranged tour was absolutely stunning so don't be put off by this review. Best not book through Viator - go direct. I booked this trip twice, the first time I made an error so cancelled it months ago. I then corrected my error and rebooked. After months of not hearing from Viator, I get a message ( on the eve of my rebooked trip ) saying my trip was cancelled. I replied asking why but got another one word response saying "cancelled". I made alternative arrangements, but then the pick-up of my trip arrived as it was the original cancelled booking that the message referred to apparently. Why would you resurrect a cancelled trip and send a cancelled message on the eve of the rebooked trip causing total confusion ? Doubtless I will struggle to get a refund as we couldn't go as we had already made alternative plans. Not the first time I have had problems with Viator, I should have learned from previous experience. Needless to say I will not be using them again. Having emailed Viator I expected a quick response - foolish expectations.

Absolutely amazing!! Best thing I’ve done since being in Thailand. I can’t recommend this enough. We all had the best time. Mr T and the guides are exceptional and so knowledgeable. It really was a magical day that I will remember forever. Wouldn’t change any of it. The day is perfect and really well run. You don’t feel crammed into the boat and have lots of space to move around and sight see. The food was sooo good aswell. Really really loved it. Don’t think you can beat this trip.

We decided on this trip due to the good reviews + the advice to avoid the crowded James Bond Island-trips. ...and what a good decision it turned out to be! We were picked up at the hotel, and were taken to the pick-up point further north on Phuket. Drive took 70-80 minutes due to heavy traffic which we were not prepared for. Time had probably gone faste if we had been prepared. The boat and crew was great. The food cooked onboard was really amazing. Will describe and spend most of review on 2 main events: the kayaking and Loy Krathong. The kayaking: There were 2 main sites for kayaking. We were all assigned a guide who also steered and operated the kayak (we actually thought we had to paddle ourselves - just as well...). We had the guide Saman designated to us. A smiling and very professional guide. Pro-tip: ask for him - well worth it as you'll learn. Saman speaks English very well. He is very experienced which meant that he knew exactly where and when to position the kayak to get the best views. He is a retired fisherman and has very good knowledge about Thailand history and local Phuket history. He also knows about the plants, trees and wildlife in and around the caves. He made us feel very safe and could explain everything we saw and experienced. Btw, he has trained many of the other guides at John Gray and other kayaking-cruise companies. It was with some anticipation we entered the kayak, and the first cave. It had to be timed with the waves. and the tide, but Saman expertly got us through the very narrow and intricate caves and canals. Which led us to beautiful lagoons where the water was shallow and the mood was quit and serene. Amazing to experience and expertly narrated and explained by Saman. Loy Krathong: The cermony of thanking the water was the second highlight. We were told the background and history of this ritual and took part in preparing the beautiful vessel to be offered. So, after dark, we re-entered the kayaks and paddled to a suitable place to light the candles, say our prayers and launch the vessel of thanks. A beautiul and moving ritual which was made even more meaningful when doing it with my wife. This trip was one of the highlight of our vacation to beautiful Phuket, and made even better because of the kind and steady guidance of Saman. Highly recommended!