One of the quintessential outdoor activities to do in Phuket is to visit the picturesque islands nearby in the Andaman Sea. After much research and sieving through tons of tour providers, I landed on Simba Sea Trips due to their overwhelmingly stellar reviews and the fact that they pride themselves on having the smallest tour group sizes. With that said, their fees are insanely high (which kept me from committing for a while) but I figured I might as well pay for quality and a much better shot at a good experience since my husband and I were only planning to do this once anyway.
Making a reservation on their direct website is simple. You can either pay the full amount or place a 25% deposit online and pay the remaining amount when you arrive at the Royal Phuket Marina meeting point. If you opt to pay this remainder in cash like we did, you can receive a refund of the 2% booking fee that was charged during the online transaction.
- Inclusions:
- Phi Phi islands sunrise tour
- Round trip shared transfers from Phuket accommodation
- Snacks, fruits, soft drinks, coffee, tea and water
- Light breakfast and buffet lunch
- Dry bags, snorkelling equipment, floating aids and life jackets
- National park fees
- Accident insurance (limited)
- Spent: THB9350 (for 2 adults)
- Contents of this review
The day before the tour, we received an email with details of our pick-up time (which was 5am!) and what to bring along. On the morning itself, we expected to be picked up in a shuttle bus but it turned out to be a very comfortable private car for just the two of us 😀 From our accommodation at Mövenpick Myth Hotel, it was a 20-minute drive to the Royal Phuket Marina as the roads were completely clear at that hour.
We were the first to arrive at CoCo Club Pool Cafe overlooking the pier, where their office is situated. Breakfast offerings were surprisingly varied given our small group size, comprising bananas, hard-boiled eggs, bread and spreads, yoghurt, cereal, coffee, tea and juice. They also had a jar of pills for seasickness if you need any.
Once all participants were present (10 adults and 1 child that day), our main guide, Momo, cheerily introduced herself and welcomed us before checking if we had any dietary preferences.
Our boat that day was Simba 7, with Mr. Yai as the captain and Mr. Vit as his assistant. The boat had plenty of space, with rows of sheltered seats at the back and two unsheltered seats in the front. There was also a tiny toilet on board located next to where the captain sat. Iced canned drinks and water were available as well, but they only provide reusable cups as they aim to reduce plastic use (bring your own water bottles to fill up if you prefer).
Momo gave us a short briefing on the list of places we were headed to and handed each of us a dry bag to store our belongings. We then set off at 6am, just as planned!
Once we were out in open sea, we stopped for a while to take photos with the glorious rising sun as our backdrop. Sitting on the left side of the boat is great for taking those sunrise shots but once the sun is fully up, it does get quite glaring.
In general, the boat ride was pleasantly smooth and stable that we even managed to nap for a bit on the journey to our first stop. However, it did become ever so slightly more bumpy the further out to sea we went, especially around midday.
Our first stop, Maya Bay, was about a 70-minute ride away. Momo shared that boats are not permitted to drop anchor at the beachfront of Maya Bay. In fact, the corals and sea life here were so devastated that the government closed it off to the public to help the eco-system heal. It was only recently in January 2022 that it reopened, after four years of recovery work.
As such, we docked at the pier round the back and followed the boardwalk through lush greenery to get to the famed beach. Along the way, we spotted free-roaming animals like cats and chickens. The national park entrance fee for tourists is THB400 per adult and THB200 per child, but this was already included in the tour package payment (:
As we approached our destination, the tree canopies receded to reveal the majestic sight that is Maya Bay! This was where the famous movie, The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed. We had about an hour to spend here, and because we were so early, there were barely any crowds to contend with.
It is a pity that visitors aren’t allowed to swim here, in line with government rules, so the closest we could get to the waters was roughly shin-deep. They seem quite strict with this given that there was a dedicated personnel who didn’t hesitate to blow his whistle and yell at people if they waded a little too far out.
Momo helped a few of us take couple photos and videos, and she truly did it like a pro. She even directed us and choreographed our actions for the shots. We also got to see a baby blacktip reef shark thanks to her sharp eyes!
Additionally, Momo and her team provided picnic mats, snacks and beverages for us to enjoy. There was banana cake, sticky rice with either custard or jackfruit, as well as hot water for coffee and tea. The snacks were yummy!
After we got back on the boat, Momo presented us with a pretty fruit platter that looked so thoughtfully cut and plated (:
Our next stop was Pileh Lagoon, which was only a minute or two away. We dropped anchor at the furthest point in the lagoon and had about 30 minutes to swim and cool off. The waters here aren’t ideal for snorkelling though as it is too deep to be able to see anything.
My husband climbed onto the roof of the boat to take some drone shots, and subsequently proceeded to jump off into the water along with some other participants in our party.
We were then brought to two nearby spots that were more suitable for snorkelling – the first was right at the entrance to Pileh Lagoon and the second was slightly further out just round the bend. The corals here were much larger and had deeper colours than those we saw in the Maldives, even the fish were really colourful too! I’d never seen fish that resembled paddle-pop ice cream before 😛 They also seem less afraid of humans as I was swimming amongst them without them panicking. Only when I reach out my hand would they then dash away. However, the waters were slightly murkier and weren’t as clear as the waters in the Maldives. We felt tiny stings on our skin while swimming as well and Momo explained that those were likely bites from sea lice, which are generally not harmful.
Mr. Vit pretty much gave us a private snorkelling tour, showing us around and pointing out cool sightings like a sea snake and a clownfish on the seabed. The latter snorkelling location is apparently a prime area to spot turtles and sharks! Alas, it wasn’t our lucky day. Mr. Vit was persistent in helping us catch up with some adult sharks but they were just too fast for us to get a good glimpse. He also taught us a hand gesture (rubbing your fingers together like you have food to offer) that would summon the fish to gather around you, and it actually worked!
After all that snorkelling, we headed back to the boat and were served more snacks (veggie wraps and chocolate-covered puffs).
In-between our two snorkelling spots, we cruised past Viking Cave as Momo shared some interesting facts about it. It is a natural limestone cave known for its ancient wall paintings and is a major collection point for bird’s nests, a valuable ingredient used in Chinese delicacies.
Monkey Beach was another island we had to admire from a distance as the monkeys living there can sometimes be rather aggressive. With that said, our boat was able to get really close to the island so we could get a better view of those primate inhabitants.
Our last stop was Coconut Island located about an hour away in the direction of our starting point. By this time (around 11am), the waters were rather choppy so the boat ride was more frequently bumpy, though still manageable for us.
We were given more time to relax and refresh ourselves here. I took a dip in the clear turquoise waters that brought me back to our awesome experience in the Maldives ❤ It was so enjoyable as the waters were warm and calm, there were fish swimming close by, plus the sand was incredibly soft and not rocky. In the meantime, my husband flew his drone for some gorgeous aerial shots.
There was a restaurant and bar further inland selling light bites, snacks and beverages. We bought some biscuits and chips (THB50 per snack) to munch on while soaking in the views.
The tour ended with lunch back at CoCo Club Pool Cafe. It was a cosy buffet spread with local dishes, nothing spectacular but they all tasted home-cooked and comforting. Once we finished lunch at about 2pm, the staff showed us to our private ride and waved goodbye as we headed back to our hotel.
My overall rating of the experience: 5 out of 5 stars. It was a well-organized and comfortable half-day tour where we got to explore the various sites of interest without the crowds! The boat itself was roomy and the ride was mostly smooth except around midday when the waters were more choppy. There are a number of opportunities to swim and snorkel (equipment is provided) throughout the tour but you can opt out and chill on the boat or beach instead. Momo and her team were super friendly and enthusiastic, sharing all the best spots for photos and snorkelling, and having fun along with us too. They also took very good care of us, ensuring that we were always hydrated and checking in on us regularly to make sure we were okay. All in all, despite the hefty price tag, we felt it was worth it for such a solid, personalized experience!
If this post helped you in some way and you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d be incredibly grateful (:
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