Private boat charter for diving and sightseeing in Phi Phi Islands

January 4th,  2015

With 8 clients, 4 of which were divers and four snorkelers the expectations were high on the boat as we set off from Chalong Pier in Phuket. After departing from Chalong we cruised past Koh Kai, Koh Doc Mai and the great diving sites of Shark Point and Anemone Reef on the way to Phi Phi and the first dive site of Bida Nok.

On arrival the clients geared up and did their buddy checks before stepping into the blue waters surrounding the reef and descending to view the sights of beautiful and colorful corals and anemone's as well as the great selection of fish life. Turtles, Rays and Leopard Sharks abound on this site - making it a popular destination for divers around the world. Meanwhile the four snorkelers were having a great time in the small bay which provides a great area for snorkelers to view the reef only a meter below them!

After the first dive we headed over to do some sight seeing at Maya Bay made famous for being the film set of  'The Beach' - unfortunately although still a beautiful beach, the site is so popular with tourists it is (to be honest) sometimes difficult to see the actual beach from the sea for the day trip speedboats that moor up and deposit their guests to walk on the now infamous site.

We decided to cruise around to one of the more deserted beaches known to us so the clients could experience it in privacy and appreciate the beauty of the islands, after some more snorkeling we returned to the boat to have lunch, freshly prepared by our chef on board Escape Artist using only local and freshly purchased products. After dining and relaxing for a while we headed off to our second dive site to experience more of the underwater wonders in Phi Phi.

With the day progressing it was time for some more sight seeing at Monkey Beach and Viking cave - both very popular for the wild monkeys that come down to the beach and for the amazing limestone caves and structures that make up the cliffs of Phi Phi - if you are lucky and very careful you might even coax them to drink from a water bottle or grab a banana from your hand (But be careful as they are still wild and do bite!)

We then headed off to our third and final dive for the day at Koh Doc Mai - 'the Island of Flowers' The name is very descriptive but you need to dive under the water or snorkel to appreciate the name fully. Flowing soft corals and sea anemone's cover the underside of the island, as well as a wide and colorful range of nudi branches and other macro life - ideal for the keen photographers among you! Finally the day was drawing to an end and we slowly cruised back to the pier at Chalong with the sun setting on a truly amazing day.