UPDATED September 1, 2023—Welcome to our guide on island hopping Phuket, Thailand! Located in the Andaman Sea, Phuket is known for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters and breathtaking natural beauty.
One of the best ways to experience all Phuket has to offer is island hopping. Each island has unique character and charm, from peaceful coves and secluded bays to bustling markets and vibrant nightlife.
In this article, we’ll show you how we planned our island hopping adventures, including which islands we visited, how we got there and what we did once we arrived. So grab your reef-friendly sunscreen, and let’s start island hopping, Phuket!
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Yes, you can island hop from Phuket. And the convenient ferries to Phi Phi islands, James Bond Island and elsewhere make it easy to do so.
In this article, we’ll help you plan island hopping in Thailand. You’ll get the inside scoop from seven travel bloggers who recently visited Phuket for TBEX, The Travel Bloggers Exchange.
Afterward, many of us went island hopping. Read on to learn how these experts did it!
1.) Island Hopping Phuket: Karon Beach to James Bond Island
“As a big fan of 007, I knew I had to visit the iconic James Bond Island while visiting Phuket, Thailand,” says travel blogger Feuza Reis.
“We were at Karon Beach, and there were tour stands all over. So I asked the waitress for her top pick and went with her recommendation.
“The boat trip, consisting of five island stops, plus lunch and transportation, cost about $42 each.
“Since high tide kept us off the first island, we continued to Khao Phing Kan, the famous James Bond Island,” continues Feuza.
“It’s known as James Bond Island because British moviemakers filmed scenes from The Man with the Golden Gun here. The magnificent upside-down rock is so different that it felt like we were in a movie.
“Steps led through lush greenery to intriguing caves. We had fun doing 007 poses while scoping out the island at several photo spots.
Hop to the next island: Ko Panyi at Phang Nga Bay
“Our next stop was at a Muslim village in Phang Nga Bay called Ko Panyi, where we ate lunch.
“Their structures are built on stilts and sit out over the water. These so-called floating villages were colorful, and the lunch was yummy.
“We stayed here for about an hour, then headed out again. The tour guide would always tell us how long until our next stop and how long we would have on each island, which helped us stay on track.
“Next up, we headed out to do the canoe tour, which was my favorite part of the whole trip,” revealed Feuza.
“The canoeing occurred at Phang Nga Bay, which was gorgeous and peaceful. Then we returned to the first island and were greeted by cute monkeys.
“Before getting off the speedboat, they gave us hard hats, and I had no idea why. Little did I know we would be heading inside a cave where we had to duck low with water up to our ankles.
“It reminded me of this ’80s movie where this teacher gets kidnapped by guys in clown masks, and she and her students have to swim under caves.
“Anyhow, it was exciting and adventurous.
“On the other side was this pretty nature-loving section filled with mud and species of the island,” the blogger describes.
Panya Beach island hopping Phuket
“Our last stop was at Panya Beach at Naka Island. Here we could purchase some yummy drinks and snacks, hang out at the beach and swim.
“Overall, this is a fun-filled trip for this midlife traveler who isn’t so adventurous, and I still loved it.”
Feuza Reis is a mid-budget travel blogger and SEO speaker. She loves slow travel and finding old coffee shops and bars.
2.) Take a Long-tail Boat to Maya Bay for Island Hopping Phuket
“An absolute must-do and my personal favourite boating experience around Phuket was hiring a long-tail boat for the day to visit Maya Bay,” says Australian and UK travel blogger Tracy Collins.
“Maya Bay and its stunning beach were reopened in 2022 after being closed by the Thai government for nearly four years. Famous for being THAT beach in the film of the same name, getting to Maya Bay is best achieved by long-tail boat,” reveals the creator at Tracy’s Travels in Time.
Hire a long-tail boat (with its owner)
“Hiring a long-tail boat (with its owner) to sail you around these beautiful islands is surely one of those bucket list experiences that everyone dreams of.
“Just ensure you head to Maya Bay first before the crowds arrive. Boats are no longer allowed to pull up to the beach, so expect an interesting disembarkment onto a floating pontoon before a short walk across boardwalks to the back of the bay,” she reports.
“After soaking in the beauty of the bay, head back to your long tail boat for further adventures exploring the paradise of Phi Phi islands.”
Tracy Collins writes about travel at Tracy’s Travels in Time.
3.) Island Hopping with La Moet Phuket Makes It Easy for You
“I always have the best time on board La Moet Phuket. It’s my boat of choice for my family’s boating adventures,” reveals travel blogger Jenny Littlewood, who lives in Phuket.
“Their Sun and Sunset tour on Phuket’s Andaman Sea is one of my absolute favourites,” says Jenny, who goes by Little Wren on Instagram and her website Littlewanderingwren.
“La Moet is spacious, comfortable and with lots of comfy cushions! I love the relaxing cruise gliding through the sparkling turquoise waters in search of a perfect secluded cove to swim and snorkel,” Jenny recommends about island hopping Phuket.
4.) Family-style Food Should Be Part of Your Island Hopping Phuket Tour
“We have great memories of the food while island hopping Phuket to Kahung Island,” says travel writer Carla Rupp. “When we arrived by boat at Kahung Island, travel bloggers piled around tables in the island’s restaurant with our big appetites. Family-style bowls of Thai food were a welcome sight. Snorkeling and swimming at several spots along the way had left us famished.
“‘I remember everything being very fresh,’ recalls YouTuber Dan Zeek when we chatted recently. We raved about the food, remembering our friend Stacey Wittig,” continues Carla.
“My YouTuber son Jason Rupp and I were lucky to have a freshly made vegetarian platter that all of us shared at our table. There were dishes to suit all tastes: delicious coconut curry, fresh shrimp, an array of fruit, fresh calamari, fish with a yummy sauce and more.
Family-style meal draws fellow travelers together
“We loved our meal, and the servers were wonderful, bringing out new things. The family-style meal was perfect for drawing us all together as we passed the food and had fun conversations like ‘family’ and best travel friends.”
Carla Rupp travels around the world, capturing images and writing about her adventures.
Instagram @carlarupp
5.) Don’t Miss SUP While Island Hopping Phuket
“After our meal while island hopping Phuket and its surroundings, my mom Carla and I went into the water. It felt so amazingly good—the cleanest, most beautiful water,” describes Jason Rupp, vblogger and TBEX regular. They had hopped from Phuket to Kahung Beach on Coral Island.
“Our friend Dan Zeek grabbed a lounging chair to admire the scenery and catch some sun. Soon I noticed someone come out of the water with a stand-up paddle board, and I wanted to do that!
Paddle boarding as part of island hopping Phuket
“It is always my dream to paddleboard anywhere in the world that I can. So the staff helped me with the board, and I managed to go out in the water with it and stand up on it.
“I paddled as I stood up. It is such a thrill to stand on the board. Just the beauty of Kahung Island and Phuket is awesome! I loved it.
“It is a challenge to stand up. Eventually, I fell into the water.
“My mom noticed a double kayak, so we did that activity until it was time to leave. I hope we can go back there someday: Nikorn Marine Tour did a great job taking care of us.”
Jason Rupp is a vblogger on YouTube with over 571K subscribers.
Instagram @dontmisstheplane_jasonrupp
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6.) Dolphin Watching While Island Hopping Phuket
“Everyone knows about Phi Phi and James Bond Islands near Phuket, but the lesser-known islands are where you are more likely to find dolphins.
“During our time in Phuket, we visited small islands in search of the beautiful yet elusive mammals. Dolphins pods are known to frequent the bays at small islands like Mai Ton, Thai Tai and Coral Islands,” reveals world traveler Kevin Flint.
Island hopping Phuket
“To get to these islands, we used companies like Nikon Marine in Phuket. There are a lot of tour operators based on the east and west coast sides of the island.
“They offer anything from sailing catamarans to large 45+ foot power boats to yachts and more. They also have the snorkeling equipment you need, plus some offer inflatable slides for easy and fun access to the water.
If you want to add more adventure to your dolphin hunt, we recommend going with a company that offers scuba diving. But, even if you don’t find the dolphins, the aquatic life on the coral reef of these islands will impress you.”
7.) Island Hopping Phuket With Nikorn Marine
“For island hopping Phuket, I’d recommend Nikorn Marine. I sailed out of Phuket with them on two occasions. Once on a motorized catamaran to Papakang Maiton Island and later on a powerboat to Kahung Beach,” explains travel writer Stacey Wittig.
“The catamaran had more space for dancing and dining. The powerboat hopped us to islands and snorkeling spots at a faster pace.
“If I had to choose between the two, I would pick the speedboat to Kahung Island because of the restaurant, chilling on the beach and water sports found on the island. Carla and Jason described that so well in their sections above,” the travel expert says.
“The catamaran had a sunset dinner on board, but I preferred lunch at the Kahung Beach restaurant. Both were fun island hopping Phuket that took me to places I would never have seen without the boat excursions.”
Nikorn island hopping tours leave from Chalong Pier in Phuket.
Stacey Wittig is a travel journalist who writes as UNSTOPPABLE Stacey.
FAQ Best Island Hopping Phuket
Island hopping in Phuket is soooooo worth it! The cost to rent a boat with a captain is very inexpensive compared to prices here in the US. You can even book a tour on some of your trusted sites like Viator.
The more costly part of your trip is your flight to Thailand. However, if you use my secrets to find cheap flights and are flexible on your times, island hopping Phuket is quite affordable.
Island hopping Phuket is so easy! We simply asked the front desk person to sign us up!
However, we wanted to be the first boat out, and those were already filled. So we had to beg her to find a friend or cousin to take us out early. We were fortunate that she found someone.
To avoid that problem, book a tour on some of your trusted sites like Viator.
Currently, you can book a highly-rated, day-long island-hopping Phuket tour for $50 to $180 USD. If you’d like an overnight or custom luxury tour, expect to pay up to $1400 USD. It’s easy to check all your options at favorite online sites like Viator.
Check the amenities offered for each tour. How much it costs to go island hopping in Phuket depends on the boat type and amenities offered, like snorkeling, scuba, lunch or more.
Yes, you can get to other islands from Phuket. From Phuket, we took the ferry to Phi Phi Leh. The next day, our boatsman picked us up at the beach next to our hotel and went to other Phi Phi Islands, Pileh Lagoon, Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach and Maya Bay.
Most hotels and resorts can arrange transportation to the the harbor. Tip: I suggest arranging your accommodations near the harbor so it takes less time in traffic.
The islands near Phuket include Koh Phi Phi, Kahung Island, Koh Lanta and Similan Island. See the descriptions above!
Hi, I’m Stacey
UNSTOPPABLE Stacey Travel is a travel blog focused on immersive travel that highlights food, wine and the spirituality of place. I also occasionally write about life as a Camino de Santiago pilgrim. I hope you enjoy what I post here. Feel free to leave comments! Read more…
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2 thoughts on “The Best Island Hopping Phuket: How to Do It Right”
Thank you for these great tips! We are heading to Phuket for the first time later this year – I will be referring back to this article!
Thanks for your comments! Let us know how your trip to Phuket went!