Thailand, Asia
Phuket sits in the middle of two boat-trip catalogues. Phi Phi and Phang Nga are the famous day-tour names, James Bond Island is the marketing handle, and the Big Buddha cultural circuit fills the inland half-day.
| Where | Getting there | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi Islands | About 1 hr each way by speedboat tour | The Maya Bay limestone scenery and snorkeling at Bamboo Island and Pileh Lagoon. Crowded with boats. Smaller-boat operators help. An overnight on Phi Phi Don gets you the islands without the day-tour rush. |
| Phang Nga Bay (James Bond Island) | Half-day or full-day boat tour from Phuket marinas | The karst landscape and James Bond Island, with kayak through caves on the better tours. The kayak portion is what makes it work over a pure boat circuit. |
| Big Buddha and the cultural day | Hired driver for the day, roughly 6 hr door-to-door | Big Buddha, Wat Chalong, Old Phuket Town, and Promthep Cape combined into one driver day. The half-day most Phuket trips skip and the one that pays off most. |
| Khao Sok National Park | About 3 hr each way, best as a 1- or 2-night stretch | The rainforest reserve on the mainland with the Cheow Lan lake floating bungalows. Better as a 1-night trip than a single-day excursion. |
| Krabi and Railay | About 2 hr by speedboat | The mainland coast with the limestone cliffs at Railay Beach and the four-island tour. Krabi has its own guide for the longer stay. |