ISLAND HOPPING IN PARADISE: PHUKET, THAILAND
During our 2013 Easter break we really needed a family getaway. Stephen was in the middle of writing his honours thesis and I was about to start the final leg of my primary school teaching practicum. We decided that Phuket, Thailand would be our getaway destination and during our stay we spent a full day of island hopping. This was our experience.
Phi Phi Island
Phi Phi Island is Thailand's most famous island. It's been in movies (Leonardo DiCaprio's The Beach) and is usually the topic of conversation for all who have travelled to Thailand. Every local will tell you that Phi Phi island is a must see - and the hype did not disappoint. As we approached the island we could see the island rise from the sea, sheer cliffs towered overhead as we made out a beach-fronted jungle and once we stepped foot into the tropical water we did not want to leave!
phi phi island
phi phi island boy boat
James Bond Island
Also known as Phang Nga, you may have seen it's iconic limestone rock in the James Bond film The Man with The Golden Gun. After taking many photos we wandered around the island looking at the interesting stalls selling souvenirs, drinks and shells before ending our visit by exploring the islands bat-filled caves.
james bong island
monkey phuket 2
phuket market
Koh Panyee
For lunch we visited the floating fishing village of Koh Panyee, built on top of stilts. The village was very secluded, with a population of only 1685 people, yet surrounded by beautiful sea and limestone formations. We recommend you head to the back of the restaurant and into the floating maze of houses and shops. It was fascinating to see a whole town floating on the ocean, we had never seen anything like it.
floating island in phuket
Canoe & Sea Kayak Break
Before heading off to our last beautiful island our tour took us to a nice spot for us to snorkel and sea kayak. We snorkelled in the clear, blue waters and viewed hundreds of colourful coral. I remember Stephen and myself commenting on how beautiful the surrounds and fish were, the ocean was clearer than our experience at the Great Barrier Reef.
A picture of a girl snorkelling in Phuket
We sea kayaked and marvelled at the strange and beautiful limestone scenery containing caves, tunnels and interior lagoons.
kayaking in phuket
NaKa Island
Last stop was Na Ka Island where we relaxed, drank cocktails and went for a jet ski around the island.
relaxing in phuket
We booked our island hopping tour through this link.
Price: AU$110 per person for the Phang Nga Bay 4-in-1 Tour. Included visiting 3 islands, seafood lunch, kayaking. Jet skiing was at an additional cost.
