Phuket

Phuket navigation area

Phuket is the largest island in Thailand, connected to land by a long bridge. From here you can set sail for cruises in the Andaman Sea to the islands to the east/southeast or, with a few more miles of sailing, to the western islands. In any case, these are authentic tropical paradises, some more touristy, others completely unspoilt and uninhabited. At your disposal for exclusive use or for individual boarding splendid boats and above all luxurious catamarans, very suitable for these areas. Among the many possibilities, to follow an itinerary in the islands that alternates internationally known names with strips of land outside the tourist horizons, still standing still in time.

A first mooring can be at the islands of Koh Nakha Yai or Ko Wa Yai for a first taste of white beaches and emerald waters. Sails unfurled towards Koh Hong, waiting for the best time to enter the lagoon - an exceptional site accessible only by tender through a narrow passage - surrounded by 100 metres of rock face. A trip to the coast at Koh Dam Kai reveals the jungle, to be explored on elephants. Back to the sea to reach Koh Dam Kai, also known as 'Chicken Island', another special snorkelling destination. To hunt for framed seabed we continue to Koh Mai Pai, called 'Bamboo Island': corals, clownfish, giant hedgehogs and all the ideal sample of marine flora and fauna. Further south is the star of these seas, the small archipelago of the Phi Phi Islands, which became famous because the film The Beach, starring Leonardo Di Caprio, was shot here. Don't miss Koh Phi Phi Don, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and the characteristic Yongsakem Bay, more commonly known as 'Monkey Bay' because of a pack of enterprising little monkeys always in search of food and delicacies offered by visitors.

But while Phi Phi Island has become an icon of the eastern Andaman Islands, the true gardens of Eden, according to many, are located about 100 km west of Phuket. These are the Similan, 9 granite islands, and a handful of islets with beaches of fine talcum-white sand bathed by the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean. A marine park whose coasts have enormous boulders that sink into the sea. Completely uninhabited and incredibly green, these little known islands appear in all their wild beauty, in an uncontaminated, transparent and very rich in life sea. The islands of Koh Payan and Koh Huyong are inhabited only by sea turtles and, by National Park directive, are closed to visitors to maintain their natural state. An archipelago off the usual routes, a destination to be recommended to those who appreciate places still intact, where man is only a guest.