Racha Island Phuket Thailand
For some old reason, Westerners call this beautiful island Racha and Thais call it Raya. Either way it is worth a day trip or, better still, a weekend away from the busy roads of Phuket. There’s good snorkelling here and Raya Divers if you want to learn to dive.

Raya has two main bays : Ao Patok where all the speed boats arrive and Ao Siam – a much quieter bay with superb walks and places to just be alone. Ao Patok is currently having a big, new resort built on it. The Racha- a high-class, eco-friendly set of bungalows. Opening mid 2004. Ao Patok has high tide swimming most of the day whereas Ao Siam is only swimable early morning or after 6pm.

Walk behind Ao Patok ( straight through the centre) and follow the sandy path to find Father Bungalows on the right and Raya Resort on AO Teau after that. Turn left at Father Bungalows abd keep on the path until you hit the beach and you’ll be just in time for a drink at the Reggae Bar there. The path literally ends right behind the bar. The chirpy owner, Max, will take care of you and explain where things are and where to get a decent lunch or dinner. At night Max usually has a BBQ going with freshly caught fish and perhaps a bit og fire throwing.

Next to the Reggae bar is Hippy Bar where Woot and Vicky will serve you a nice meal and further down the left hand side of the beach is the wonderful Bamboo Shack Restaurant. The lovely Thai couple who run it do a great masaman curry and are very welcoming. At the very end of the beach you’ll find Jungle and Sea View Bungalows up the hill. A bit precarious while walking at night but great views during the day.

Located around 12km south of Phuket, Raya is accessible via a variety of boats and day trips. If you want to do it yourself a speed boat from Rawai Beach or Chalong Bay will cost approx 1,000 baht per person or a longtail 1,500 baht for the whole boat. Some of the speedboats do special deals for 1,200 baht where you get a packed lunch and the use of snorkelling gear. Speed boats generally leave Raya for Phuket at 3pm daily. Crossing takes 40 min by speed boat and one hour 15 min by longtail.

Days Tours to Phang Nga Bay Thailand
Phang Nga Bay, to the east of Phuket, is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions of the world. But the impression you get of this wonderland depends largely on which tour you choose.

A James Bond Island tour wull cost very little and you won’t even have to look for one, it comes to you: most street touts and agencies will set you up with one straight away. Expect to pay about 400 baht. The trouble with these tours is that they take so long to get to the sights, stopping at a temple along the way and only allowing the visitor to alight at James Bond Island – a war zone of hawkers and cheap tat, and then for lunch at Koh Pannyi, a Muslim village on stilts. Okay, lunch at Koh Pannyi is delicious and the boat trip entertaining. For some, it’s an enjoyable and memorable day out, but what about trying some different?

If you’re travelling in a group there’s not much different in price but an awful lot more adventure if you take a taxi over to Bang Rong ( near the Gibbon Rehabilitation Center) and charter a longtail boat. For a full day its should cost 3,000-4,000 baht, max 6 people. With luck, your guide will procure some fresh seafood along the way. Speaking of food, why not a lunch cruise? June Bahtra Cruise will take you around the same area with a sumptuous meal and a lot of sight-seeing. This’ll set you back around 2,930 baht ( children 1,990 baht). The same company also offers a sunset cruise.

Finally, if you have your own transportation you might want to motor up to Takua Thung, a village up on the mainland on Route 4 towards Phang Nga Town. You can tour the mangrove swamps from there and even make a stop at Jame Bond Island if you wish.

There are five islands that make up the Surin Islands named Koh Surin Nua, Koh Surin Tai, Koh Ri, Koh Kai, and Koh Klang. The two main islands in the group are Koh Surin Nua (Northern Surin Island) and Koh Surin Tai (Southern Surin Island). The islands are about 55 kilometres away from the Thai coastline heading towards Burma and are famed for being one of Thailand’s most relaxed and beautiful travel destinations. They are also renowned for having some of the best diving and snorkelling opportunities in the kingdom – particularly in the waters between the two islands. Between the two islands there are ten bays of which Ao Mae Yai is probably the best known and Ao Luk the most visited.

Mu Koh Surin National Park, found some 60 km off the west coast of Phang Nga province, and 100 km north of the Similans, is an archipelago of 5 islands: Koh Surin Nuea, Koh Surin Tai, Koh Ri, Koh Khai, and Koh Klang. The excellent diving, snorkelling, hiking and game fishing are what most visitors come for, and those hoping to find a quiet refuge from the tourist traps and urban centres will be delighted with the islands’ lack of “development”. Those seeking convenience, comfort and 5-star service had best choose another destination – or travel there on a luxury liveaboard cruise.

The main island of Surin Nuea has several bays, the largest being Ao Mae Yai on the southwest, which features calm waters and safe anchorage. On the southeast side is Ao Luek, which has shallow corals and an abundance of marine life. Ao Mai Ngam is where the National Park’s office is found, as well as a 2-kilometre walking path. There’s good snorkelling and swimming here off its long beach. Ao Chak at the north of Surin Nuea is a beautiful bay of pristine coral reefs.

Surin Nuea is also home to a community of around 150 Moken, or “sea gypsies”, who have settled there on a semi-permanent basis for several decades. The Moken spend much of their lives on their boats, called “kabang”. They survive mainly through the gathering of shellfish and other marine life from the reefs and mudflats rather than fishing – their practise of collecting shells, snails and other marine resources for sale is technically illegal due to Surin’s national park status, but according to a UNESCO report, “The Moken [of the Surin islands] tend to escape the attention of both the Local Administration and the central government since their population size is considered negligible and their situation too complicated.”

Illegal fishing activities of commercial fishing boats – and to some extent the careless practises of some snorkellers and pleasure boaters – pose a greater threat to the islands’ ecology than the Moken.

The second most visited island is Koh Surin Tai, which draws snorkellers to its main bay, Ao Tao, on the east side. Koh Ri, Koh Klang and Koh Khai (also called Koh Torilla) each feature areas of unspoilt reefs, with healthy live coral being particularly abundant off Koh Khai.

The major drawcard for divers to the area is the famed Richelieu Rock, a coral-covered pinnacle, which for reasons still unknown attracts a fair number of whale sharks.

Getting to the Surin Islands
Rough seas make travel to the Surins difficult during the southwest monsoon months of May-October, and sometimes impossible. Khura Buri Pier, some 125 kilometres north of Phang Nga Town, is the nearest launching point to the Surins, where ferryboats regularly make the 4-hour trip from November-April. Boats may also be arranged from Amphoe Kapoe Pier in Ranong Province, with trips taking about 7 hours. Note: Like all national parks in Thailand, there’s an entry fee of 200 baht for foreign visitors.

The most hassle-free and often cost-effective way to reach the Surins is by arranging a tour that departs from Phuket. Most dive and game fishing operators in Phuket can arrange liveaboards, or you can book a trip by speedboat here. Day tours feature visits to several different snorkeling locations plus lunch at the national park headquarters. The speedboats used take only an hour to reach the islands.

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SIMILAN ISLAND , A group of  9 small islands 50 kms.  off the west coast of Phang-Nga in the Andaman Sea.  The National Park covers an area of 80,000 rai.  Skin Diving Magazine rated them among the ten loveliest places on Earth, because of the great natural beauty found on the islands themselves and also because of the extensive surrounding coral gardens beneath the waves.  The islands are undeveloped and unspoiled; numerous species of fish, crustaceans, and other forms of sea-life abound; water clarity and diving are excellent.  Similan is corrupted from the Malay Sembilan and means nine.  From north to south in order the islands are: Koh Bon, Koh Ba Ngu, Koh Similan, Koh Pahyoo, Koh Miang (two islands), Koh Pahyan, Koh Payahng andKoh Hu Yong.

Koh Ba Ngu  is also called Hua Gah Lok or Skull Island.  Beneath the waters, a field of grass and coral appear to be growing in a deep valley.  Schools of fish are everywhere.

Koh Similan  is the largest island. It has a long curving bay, and beneath the waters coral reefs remain pristine.  The beach is composed of fine grain sand.  Diving to look at the fishes and corals is strongly recommended.  At the island’s northend are bizarrely shaped big boulders; one looks like a soldier’s boot, another is shaped like a sailboat.  Here also is an excellent view.

Koh Miang is actually two islands connected and forms the second largest land mass in the group after Koh Similan. The National Park Office is here, and there is a fine beach where visitors can stay.

KohHu Yong has the Similans longest white sandy beach.  From November till February sea turtles come up to lay eggs and their tracks may be seen in the sand.

Travel to the Similans is easy from either Phang-Nga or Phuket.  Chartered boats leave from Lap Lamu Pier in Tai Meuang District of Phang-Nga and take about 3 hours to reach the islands.  Here is also the office of National Park located.  Alternatively, trips to the Similans can be arranged in Phuket.  A boat trip from Patong Beach takes 4 hours.  Divers, however, go to the islands on boats that leave from Patong Beach and also take 4 hours by diving companies.  Moreover, visitors can leave from Chalong Bay on scuba diving excursions.  These leave in the evenings and take about 7 hours.  A typical dive trip lasts 4 nights and 3 days, and includes 10 dives.  Prices range from 9,000 to 25,000 baht, depending on the level of luxury, and include food, and accommodations.  The Similans are regarded as mainly “deep water” diving.

For those wishing to stay a shorttime on the Similans: basic accommodations are available at the National Park Office on Koh Miang and can be reserved by contacting: the Similan Islands National Park Office, Moo 1, Tambon Lam Kaen, Tai Meuang District, Phang-Nga.  Tel. (076)411913-4.
The best time to visit the Similan islands is from December through April, March being the best month, when the winds are lowest and the water clearest.

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