April and Regine recently returned from a trip to the Thai islands where they had the grueling task of checking on the tropical tours currently offered and looking for new guest opportunities. For April, there are days that she just has to pinch herself and ask “ is this really my job? ”
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I had one of those “pinch me” moments today while inspecting a day trip to the islands of Phang Nga Bay. We arrived at the Phuket marina at 9:30am and were greeted by the boat team and were offered coffee, tea and sea sickness pills, just in case. There were a few hundred people all gathered around and we were all given colored stickers to identify which group we were with — I’m not going to lie, I got a little nervous and felt a bit like cattle being herded. However, soon the big crowds were being ushered to their boats while us in the “red sticker” group relaxed and enjoyed the snacks in the lobby.
Our guide, Mr. Boy, stood up and gave us the run down on the days schedule and I was impressed with his English and his enthusiasm. I’m sure he gives that same speech every day, yet you could tell he really enjoyed what he was talking about and that he was excited for the day of touring ahead. Right then, I knew this was going to be a great trip. Guides truly do set the tone for a tour, and Mr. Boy had started the day off right.
Our group of about 40 made our way to the boat about an hour after the other crowds left. We were told they did this as they make the same stops as the other big tourist groups, but in arriving about an hour after them we get to explore these islands after those crowds have moved on. It was well planned and very noticeable improvement for our trip. We really did feel like the only boat in each of these locations – not an easy feat!
Our schedule included three stops – Monkey Island for snorkeling, Phi Phi Don for lunch and R & R time, Maya Bay (the island where the movie the Beach was filmed) for more snorkeling at a bay nearby and of course more R & R.
Each stop was more beautiful than the next and to me it was the epitome of a tropical beach escape. The water was so clear we felt like we were right on top of the coral, the fish were abundant and there were wild baby monkeys on the island. It was absolutely incredible. I’ll let the below pictures do more of the talking as I think they say it better than I ever could. Note – these pictures were snapped with my iPhone and not edited – no need for fancy photography when the location looks like this!
When we arrived back at the marina we were handed cold towels and popsicles – it was the perfect end to a perfect day. There are a lot of Phuket island tour options, but not a lot of options that do it so well. It was a great reminder of the value of booking a tour through Journeys Within, knowing you have a great guide to add to the experience and a team that knows the ins and outs to make sure the day is the best it could possibly be.