Halbtag Phi Phi Island mit Mittagessen-Tour mit dem Schnellboot von Phuket

This is a nice tour program if this is your first time in Phuket and want to see all the famed islands that you keep hearing and seeing pictures of. We went on the The Island Hopper Tour through the travel desk at our hotel and for THB 7600 for 2 adults and 2 children (aged 11 & 3), it was slightly pricey but generally a good deal given that we had a good time and it was our first visit. What we liked about the program: 1. covered several spots by boat and my wife & son thoroughly enjoyed the snorkeling experience. 2. The spots we went to were very scenic (although not directly to the credit of Island Hopper) 3. the boats were also okay. Not top-notch but in good shape. 4. They kept their time in general (barring some issues with the fuel canisters they had to keep switching and running out of fuel all of which collectively added about 20 mins in all). 5. They offered packaged cookies, chilled fresh-cut fruits and chilled water & soft drinks during the tour both of which were very welcome & refreshing. What I did not like: 1. Phi-Phi Island itself was over-rated according to me - crowds have made it somewhat dirty, there are no public restrooms and restaurants fleece customers by charging THB 20 for using makeshift/dirty bathrooms 2. Photo package - see details below 3. the "buffet" lunch they served did not seem very fresh, nor were the barbequed satay-stick appetisers they served after we landed. Other than rice there was very little food left at the buffet. 4. The soft drinks they served were local drinks and not Coke/Pepsi. Internationally-known brands would have added to the comfort/perception of the drink. I personally did not like the taste of the cola I tried, nor did my son. But what really ticked me off - and the whole reason for the poor rating was the photo package with which according to me, the whole experience was spoilt for me. They offered to give us our photos for THB 1,600 on a USB (they had a photographer on-board with an underwater camera who was constantly taking our pictures). Leaving aside about THB 500 (max.) for the USB stick, that's still THB 1,100 for the photos alone. Quite pricey, but they asked for our name, hotel details AND even took our picture to associate with the name. After all this, I got a USB with ALL photos dumped on the USB. So in effect, it looks like everyone now has everyone else's pictures. To me this was a big disappointment and spoilt the whole value-proposition of the trip. THB 7.5K+ was already according to me on the higher side, but I was willing to let that go since it was a first experience and something we enjoyed. But paying THB 1,100 for having to sort through hundreds of photos AND paying that price for given pictures of me & my family to complete strangers, is unacceptable. Overall, as a first-timer we enjoyed the trip - would recommend it for first-timers if you can negotiate the prices but remember the rip-off with the photo package.

First of all the company was great. The lunch we received was very good. The guide was excellent. the crew were quiet and helpful. They were well organized, professional and very nice The problem was the trip itself. There were about 40 people on the boat which made it very crowded. The boat trip was long and you couldn't see out of the windows unless you stood up. Most other boats that also do this type of tour are the same. Then when you get to the various stops there were SOOOO many other boats that we didn't even want to get out and snorkel or swim. I mean 10 or more boats in a row with tourists everywhere in the water. The problem I guess is that there are just too many people wanting to see the Phi Phi Islands. We got back at dusk, The tide was out and we couldn't get to the dock so had to walk to the dock. Not a big deal. We said we were going to walk to our place which was just down the road and they said no, we will drive you. Which was great. We were in a car in a couple of minutes. They were concerned about our safety walking. So again the company was GREAT. Just too many people is I guess the last comment I have.

Wir verbrachten den größten Teil des Tages in einem überfüllten Beiboot. Die Stopps an den Sehenswürdigkeiten waren zeitweise so kurz, dass man blinken und es verpassen konnte. Das Schnorcheln war enttäuschend, es gibt keine lebenden Korallen, nur ein paar tropische Fische und jede Menge Seeigel. Das Personal war freundlich und bemühte sich, lustig zu sein, aber es ist eine deprimierende Angelegenheit.