Last Updated on July 28, 2022 by Tina
Racha Island and Coral Island tour from Phuket is a tour that is not very popular but I highly recommend you do it on your holiday to Phuket. I love it more than the James Bond Island or Phi Phi Island Tour. I only found out about it by accident when I was looking for something to do for my last full day in Phuket. I’m glad the travel agent offered it to me.
Racha or Raya Island is located 20 kilometers south of Phuket. It takes around 40 minutes from Chalong Pier by speedboat. This island has white sand beaches and an emerald blue sea.
Coral Island is just 10 kilometers south of Phuket. It takes around 20 minutes by speedboat from Chalong Pier. Like Racha Island, Coral Island has white sand beaches and crystal clear water and offers a range of sea activities such as sea walking, parasailing, and banana boat riding.
I’ll be sharing in this post everything you need to know about the Racha Island and Coral Island Tour from Phuket, and why I love this more than the James Bond Island Tour and the Phi Phi Island Tour.
Where to Book Racha Island and Coral Island Tour from Phuket
Tour operators in Phuket offer different join-in tour packages, making it a good destination for solo and budget travelers. If you haven’t planned anything for your holiday, just go to a travel agency anywhere in Phuket and there you’ll find brochures of different tour packages. Normally, a travel agent will offer you a James Bond Island Tour, Phuket City Tour, or Phi Phi Island Tour.
The Racha and Coral Island tour was offered to me by a travel agent in Kata while I was checking the itinerary of the Phuket City Tour. I haven’t checked out Phuket Old Town and Promthep Cape yet and these two places are included in the must-visit list when in Phuket. Much as I was inclined on doing this tour, an elephant show/elephant trekking is part of the itinerary. I do not want to support such activities because the elephants here are not treated well.
I asked the travel agent if there are other tours that she could offer and I remember asking her about Banana Beach. That’s when she suggested the Racha and Coral Island Tour. After seeing the brochure, I didn’t think twice about booking the tour.
You can also book this tour online through Klook or on the website of the tour operator. Another option is to ask in the reception area of your hotel if they can help you book a tour, as most hotels in Phuket are connected with tour operators.
Cost of Racha Island and Coral Island Tour from Phuket
The Racha Island and Coral Island tour is much cheaper than the James Bond Island or Phi Phi Island tour. The listed price for the tour by speedboat is THB 2300 for adults. The travel agent offered the tour to me for THB 1100. This is quite common in Phuket. When you inquire about a tour with the travel agency, the travel agent will show you the price in the brochure and will tell you that he/she will offer you a discount and give it to you for half the price.
The fee includes round-trip transfers from your hotel by an air-conditioned van (if your hotel is located in Patong, Kalim, Karon, or Kata Area), morning coffee, tea and biscuits, Thai buffet lunch, English speaking local guide, use of a mask and snorkel, insurance, beach chair at Coral Island, use of life jacket, water, soft drinks, and fresh fruits served on the boat.
There is an extra charge transfer round trip of THB 100 for those staying in Kamala, Boat Lagoon, Leam Hin, and Siray Bay, and THB 200 for Surin, Bang Tao, Laguna, Layan Beach, and Cape Panwa. Those staying in Naiyang, Naithorn, Ao Por, and Maikhao Beach need to pay an extra THB 1800 for a private van (maximum 12 pax).
Program Itinerary of the Racha Island and Coral Island Tour from Phuket
My hotel, Must Sea Hotel is located in Kata and it is close to Chalong Pier. I was the last to be picked up, around 8:30 AM. When we got to Chalong Pier, we first went to the office of the tour operator Nikorn Marine Co., Ltd. for morning tea/coffee and a short orientation about the tour. We were told about the places we are going to visit, and what to see and do, and they gave us some safety tips.
We were also asked to sign up for our insurance. Your passport number is needed for the insurance so make sure you take a photo of your passport’s information page. (No need to bring your passport during the tour). They also tied a red yarn on our wrists to indicate which group we belong to.
Racha Island (Raya Island)
Racha or Raya Islands consists of two separate islands- Raya Yai and Raya Noi. Raya Yai is bigger and it is the one we visited. In Raya Yai, we visited three spots, Patok Bay, Siam Bay, and Ban Raya Resort and Spa.
Patok Bay
Patok Bay was our first stop. Here you can either go snorkeling, diving (for an extra cost) or relaxing at the beach. Those who chose to do snorkeling and diving were brought to a different spot. I’m not a fan of snorkeling so I decided to stay at the beach.
There are beach chairs here but not free even if you order something from them. They charge THB 100 for the use of a beach chair.
We were given an hour in Patok Bay and I really enjoyed swimming in the sea because it’s not crowded. Also, the water is so clear. I was the only solo traveler on this tour but I enjoyed being alone.
Siam Bay
After an hour in Patok Bay, our guides told us to ride on the tractor (not sure if that’s the proper term, just see the picture below) that will take us to Siam Bay. It was a 10-minute ride. Along the way, we saw a Komodo dragon.
In Siam Bay, we were given around 30-45 minutes to enjoy the water before going to Ban Raya Resort and Spa for lunch.
Siam Bay has a very nice beach with crystal clear water. And just like in Patok Bay, it wasn’t crowded as there weren’t many tourists around.
Ban Raya Resort and Spa
From Siam Bay, we went to Ban Raya Resort and Spa to have lunch at their restaurant. It was a buffet lunch of Thai food.
After lunch, we were given enough time to explore the resort and go swimming in the pool or at the beach. Most of my tourmates went to the pool. I checked out the whole area before going to the beach. Like the other parts of the island, the water in Kon Kare Bay is very clear. And there was a lot of fish, it is actually a good spot for snorkeling.
Coral Island
Our last stop was Kahung Beach on Coral Island. Here we were given more than an hour to enjoy the sea. There are restaurants on the beach and there are giant swings. I think no one will get bored here as Kahung Beach offers a range of sea activities like kayaking, canoeing, banana boat riding, parasailing, sea walking, and scuba diving. And if you are not into any of that, you can go swimming or just relax on the beach. Just like Racha Island, Coral Island has nice fine white sand and clean, clear water.
What to Bring to the Racha and Coral Island Tour
Here are the recommended things to bring when doing the Racha Island and Coral Island Tour from Phuket:
- sunblock lotion to protect you from damaging UV rays, preferably a reef-safe one like Magwai Sunscreen
- hat
- sunglasses
- camera, better if it is waterproof
- dry bag to keep your gadgets dry
- some Thai Baht to pay for a beach chair in Patok Bay, buy drinks at Ban Raya Restaurant, to avail of sea activities at Coral Island, and to give tip to the tour guides
- beach mat if you don’t want to pay for a beach chair
- good mood
If you love swimming, I highly recommend the Racha Island and Coral Island Tour if you are in Phuket. Like the Phi Phi Island and James Bond Island tours, this tour is good even for solo travelers. The guides were super friendly and made sure I was having a great time during the tour. I really enjoyed this tour and if ever I go back to Phuket again, I will surely do this tour again.
For more pictures and videos from the tour, check out my Instagram stories highlight.
Liked this post? Subscribe to my blog to get notifications of my new posts. I publish new posts every week. And please follow my Facebook page @iwentanyways and like my Instagram accounts @iwentanyways and @tnadeperalta for updates.
