Phi Phi Islands Snorkeling Tour

Don’t bother! You’ll spend 5+ hours in the ferry and only 45 minutes in the water. The equipment they provide will be faulty and useless, and the lunch provided is nasty. There really is no experience to be had with this tour. And they made us head back at 2:00p, when I was expecting to spend the day on Phi Phi. I didn’t even get to see the island outside of the crappy hotel where they served us lunch. I wish I didn’t waste my day riding in a stinky ferry, because that’s what this excursion consisted of. Save your money and organize a couple days in Phi Phi on your own.

I regret for not choosing other tours and having wasted one previous day during our Phuket visit with this tour. 1) the night before the tour, the tour operator asked us to pay hotel transportation fee or they will cancel the tour. At that time we were not able to book an alternative for the next day so we had to bite the bullet. Had they contacted us sooner we would have avoided this disastrous tour. 2) the ferry is shared by tons of people from different tours and transits. We were constantly transferring ferries/boats like a herd of cattle. Most of the time was wasted on loading/unloading a ton of passengers and their luggages. 3) We were basically taken to the phi phi island, ate a lunch there and then taken back to Phuket. The maya bay visit was a brief one minute stop over from afar which is laughable. 4) no tour guide. I don’t even know who to speak to. 5) our paid hotel transfer was also the worst. The driver detoured to patong beach at peak hour to pick up his kid and we were stuck in traffic jam for an hour at patong beach when we were starving. It was eight when we arrived at our hotel. 6) we were given 25 minutes to visit the Phi Phi town. Considering the loading/unloading, we would only have 15 minutes and each person was charged 20THB to enter the town. Why stop by the town when we obviously had not enough time and not give the time to the more worthy places? Is it because each passenger needs to pay 20THB to enter the town? I recommend anyone to run from this tour as it will surely be your worst experience of your Phuket vacation.

I opted for the Phi Phi Cruiser to have a better overview and it was the right choice. The smaller boats were sailing in the proximity and the islands and the majority had a roof, so the views were probably not the best. On the Phi Phi Cruiser one had a great panoramic view from the upper deck, with no obstacles in front or above. Soft drinks, coffee and snacks were available on the lower deck. Lunch at Phi Phi Hotel on Phi Phi Don, with traditional Thai dishes. Plenty of employees at the Rassada Harbour and on the ferry to guide us through the boarding process and the programme upon arriving at Phi Phi Don.

A good option if you want to see around Phi Phi without going on a speed boat. It is a long day, but the ferry is comfortable, clean with a good selection of drinks and snacks. Beautiful views and a relaxing journey (we had good weather). The long tail boat then collects you to take you to Maya Island and some snorkeling spots. The kids loved the long tail boat even when it got a bit bumpy. Very busy area, and you don't get to look at anywhere for too long with only a short amount of time to snorkel - but it's still worth it. Lunch was excellent. Staff went out of their way to be helpful.

The all thing was just an experience, really ! I was truly amazed how friendly and professional everyone was.