Travel to Phuket: A Hopping Day Trip Itinerary to its Stunning Islands

Sydney, The Bear Traveler (The Bear Travel) 4 min read

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Hi, I am Sydney 💕 recently, I was on a day trip to the Southern Islands of Phuket and felt the urge to share my travel experience with you and recommend some places you can visit in a single day.

Phuket affords its guests many holiday options, none more exciting than a Southern Thai island hopping experience. With numerous outlying islands that provide you with secluded bays and idyllic paradise retreats, there are no more beautiful places to visit in South East Asia than the islands surrounding Phuket. 

So please enjoy my recommendations of the islands you can visit on a single-day tour route, ideally with a speedboat, which will make the journey not only speedier but also more enjoyable. 

 Fun Fact!

As Phuket has an archipelago of small islands, it's an adventure of its own to visit everyone by speed boat. Visitors can go scuba diving, snorkeling, indulge in watersports, or have calm walks on soft sandy beaches.

9 am - Departing from Boat Lagoon or Royal Phuket Marina

I started my day in the morning 💕 by departing on a boat of my choice from Boat Lagoon Marina or Royal Phuket Marina. From here, you can start your journey toward the beautiful and famous Phi Phi Island. 

  Trivia!

With 32 smaller islands and numerous beach resorts, Phuket is the largest island in Thailand.

10 am - Monkey Island

En route to Phi Phi, my first stop was at Monkey Island. Although you can visit this southern Thai island, many tour operators will make a flying stop, allowing you to take some breathtaking photographs, which you will fondly remember when your holiday is over. As the name might suggest, here, you will find peaceful and uncluttered beaches, where the monkeys will come down from the trees and visit you. After taking lots of photos 💕 and a quick stop, it was time to leave for Phi Phi Island. 

10:45 am - Arrival at Phi Phi Leh

Phi Phi Leh is famously the location of Maya Bay, which is the place where the hit movie ‘The Beach’ was partially filmed. Those who have seen the movie will already know the untold beauty you can expect on arrival. I took advantage of the excellent swimming and snorkeling conditions and came across much tropical fish in the clear blue waters 💕 Explore Lho Samah Bay and Pi Leh Cove, whose beauty has to be seen to be believed. The much-revered ‘Viking Cave’ must also be on your itinerary, so keep that camera ready. 

  Did You Know?

In the 2006 Tsunami, almost all of the beaches in Phuket were affected. As a result, Thailand launched many early warning buoys in the Indian Ocean as part of a regional warning system.

1:30 pm - Snorkeling at Hin Klang

My next stop was Hin Klang, an underwater reef on the way to Bamboo Island. Once again, I strapped my snorkeling gear and explored the deep blue abyss. The reef is sometimes called a coral mountain north of Phi Phi. Being 90 meters long and 60 meters wide, you sometimes don’t realize you have reached it until it is upon you. 

2:30 pm - Bamboo Island

I reached Bamboo Island, 5 km north of Phi Phi Island, around 2:30 pm. The waters in and around the island are incredibly shallow, and even though many boats take the island in during their routes, the island is still relatively peaceful. The island is only 500 meters across, but the beaches are simply breathtaking. This is yet one of the other best-snorkeling destinations in Thailand, but this time I preferred walking along the beach and exploring the Island 💕

4 pm - Khai Island

On my way back from the Phi Phi Island region, I came across Khai Island, where I witnessed the islands of Koh Khai Nok and Koh Khai Nai. The islands are known for their beautiful rock formations, beaches, corals, and emerald-green waters.  It was time to wrap things up and make the way back. From Khai Island, Phuket is only a 30-minute journey by boat.

I was fortunate enough to glimpse the dolphins that sometimes inhabit the surrounding waters 💕on my way back. This was a great way to finish my Southern Thai Islands day trip. 

Stay blessed and enjoy your trip across Thailand 💕