Last time, I gave an overview of My Top 3 Activities for an Off Beat Thailand Adventure. This time, we’re diving down into the details of my hands-down favourite experience of the whole trip: exploring Phang Nga Bay by kayak.
Disclaimer: This was a customised tour, so the itinerary is slightly different from the tour packages available. However, most of these experiences are still offered one way or another by John Gray’s Sea Canoe. I summarise some of the options in “booking this experience” below.
I made a one way trip from Phuket to Krabi through the hidden gems of Phang Nga Bay, but don’t worry about getting stranded on the other side, tours typically operate as a round trip out of Phuket. Stay anywhere on Phuket Island and John Gray’s Sea Canoe will pick you up and return you to your accommodation.
Day 1: Phuket to Ko Yao Noi
Caves, secluded islands and floating lanterns
We departed from Phuket by boat to visit our first islets and hongs – secret “rooms” in the middle of the islets, accessible only through caves at low tide. We leave the boat behind in our fleet of bright yellow kayaks, and one by one, paddle against the current rushing out of the cave mouth and into the gloom. Some caves are low and short, and you can see the light at the other end. Others are long and cavernous, winding through to the heart of the islet. There is enough light from the head torches to see how high the roof is above us.
The cave opens up to light, revealing the hong beyond – a little bay completely surrounded by towering limestone cliffs. Lush green vegetation defy gravity, growing out of the sheer rock face. In some hongs, long tailed macaques (monkeys) scamper along the walls.
Having explored a few hongs, it’s back to the boat and on to our next destination. We dropped anchor next to a beautiful, secluded island. Where there had been a few other groups exploring the hongs with us, this time we had the whole island to ourselves. We went for a paddle around the island, cresting and riding down the swells. If that sounds daunting to you, don’t be! Many of the kayaks are doubles, so if you’re less experienced you can paddle with a friend. If you’d rather just sit back and enjoy the view, you can even do so with one of the guides paddling for you.
We finished the day nestled back in the protective curve of the island. Our guides strung up four inflatable canoes behind the boat for us to play on. With a backdrop of limestone karst and turqoise waters, we took turns running across the make-shift bridge to see who could make it to the end. Flailing arms aside, I’m pleased to say that I was the first to make it to the end, and on my first attempt!
Other games included facing off and rocking the canoe to see who could stay standing the longest. I took a gander at backflips off the canoe, and one of our friendly guides, nicknamed “Tiger”, upped the ante by having us launch off his back.
A light rain began to fall while we were playing, but far from dampening spirits, it added to the surrealism. It tasted like a sweet balm to the saltiness of the ocean. What could be a more beautiful way to end a day than having fun with friends in a picturesque spot with no one else around?
And here, I was wrong. It wasn’t over when dusk fell. While dinner was being prepared for us, we were shown how to make our own krathongs, or floating baskets. These krathongs are traditionally released on a river or pond during the Loi Krathong festival at the full moon in November. In the words of our guides, they’re meant as thanks and apologies to the water for its provision and for people hurting it.
A krathong begins with a slice of a banana tree trunk as the buoyant base. We were taught how to fold banana leaves and attach them to the trunk slice to form the sides of the “basket”. You then get to express your creativity here in decorating your krathong with flowers. My favourite part was making little birds from the orchid buds. How cute are they?!
One by one, the little flames in the darkness winked out, and we collected our krathongs (we didn’t want to pollute the ocean!). On our return to the boat, there was yet another surprise in store – glittering green and red fireworks split the sky, illuminating us and the boat below. What a spectacular finish to an already magical night!
To top it all off, we were given a chance to take part in yet another iconic experience. Coinciding with the annual Loi Krathong festival is Yi Peng (or Festival of Lights). Where Loi Krathong is celebrated nationally, Yi Peng is dominant in northern Thailand in what used to be the Lanna kingdom (Chiang Mai was once it’s capital). Khom loy, or floating lanterns, are released into the night sky and represent letting go of all your ills and misfortunes. This practice is not just restricted to the festival, as the Thais love it so much they take any excuse to release these lanterns – birthdays, weddings or any time there’s a celebration. Or when you’re out on a boat having just had the most amazing day in the islands!
We were dropped off at our accommodation on Ko Yao Noi, an island in Phang Nga Bay, to get a good night’s rest and recharge for another day of adventure. Note this is not standard; typically you will get dropped off at your Phuket accommodation if you are on a day tour, or camp on a beach if on a multi-day tour.
Day 2: Ko Yao Noi to Krabi
Hidden lagoons, mangrove forests and limestone canyons
How do you follow a day jammed packed with so much action and cultural immersion? Well, Day 2 still had a lot of exploring, but at a more leisurely pace and (in my opinion) more scenic places.
The first stop is Ko Hong (or Hong Island), famous for it’s white sand beach and clear waters. But we’re not stopping at the white sand beach today, which is a tourist hotspot and can get rather crowded. Instead, we approached the island from the back and landed on a smaller, rockier but private beach backdropped by the colourful limestone cliffs.
Right next to our private beach was a narrow passage with towering cliffs on either side – the entrance to the hidden lagoon at the heart of the island. Boats can’t always make it in, especially at low tide, but with kayaks it’s always accessible. We had plenty of time at the island to explore the lagoon, frolic in its dreamy waters, or relax on a driftwood swing under the trees on our private beach.
Location two was through the mangrove forests and limestone canyons of Ao Thalane, a bay off the coast of Krabi. After spending a day and a half out at sea island-hopping, this was a nice change of scenery. In fact, if I had to choose, this labyrinth of contrasting lush green and rocky vertical walls would have been my favourite to explore. It’s one thing to marvel at the sheer rocky faces of Thailand’s iconic islands from a beach or a boat, but nothing compares to the awe of getting up close and personal and feeling the immense weight and soaring heights of the rock all around you.
Booking this experience
I did this customised trip through John Gray’s Sea Canoe, however there are many other sea kayak operators in the region you can choose from.
If you’re after kayaking through caves, exploring the hongs and making your own loi krathong, try John Gray’s Hong by Starlight day tour. If you’re more interested in the secluded islands, Day in the Islands is your tour. And if you want to do both, you can do both day trips and return to your Phuket accommodation in between to sleep, or do a 2D/1N or 3D/2N overnight trip and throw in some beach camping. All these tours operate out of Phuket.
On the Krabi side? You can get kayaking tours to the Ao Thalane mangrove forest and canyon and to Ko Hong (Hong Island). Many operators offer pick-ups from your accommodation in Krabi town, Klong Muang and Ao Nang so check where they cover.
I highly recommend kayak as the best way to explore Phang Nga Bay. Less crowds and access to places you wouldn’t have otherwise. You don’t need to have any previous kayaking experience, and as long as you’re reasonably fit, you’re good to go. If you’re still worried, there are double kayaks so you can paddle with a friend or you could always request to have a guide in with you. Me personally? Well, I enjoy working for my rewards 🙂
For more adventures, follow me on Instagram (@joycelynsiew).
Joycelyn Siew 
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