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View all Krabi toursSeven Islands Sunset Cruise with BBQ and Glowing Plankton in Krabi
An afternoon snorkelling across seven islands, a barbecue grilled on the sand at dusk and a night swim among glowing bioluminescent plankton off Ao Nang.
Highlights
- Seven island stops across an afternoon
- Walk the separated sea sandbar at Talay Waek
- Sunset over the Ao Nang karsts from the water
- Barbecue dinner grilled on the beach
- Night swim among glowing bioluminescent plankton
Full description
Most Krabi boat trips end when the sun is still high. This one starts in the afternoon and keeps going into the dark, which turns an ordinary island tour into something considerably stranger and better.
The first half is classic island hopping: seven stops across the reefs and beaches off Ao Nang, with snorkelling over coral, a walk on the separated sea sandbar at Talay Waek and time on Poda and Phra Nang without the daytime crowds. As the light drops the crew fire up a barbecue on the sand and dinner is grilled in front of you while the karsts turn pink.
Then the real reason you booked: a night swim among bioluminescent plankton. Once the boat lights are off, every movement in the water triggers a wash of blue-green sparks around your arms. It only works on darker nights, but when it does it is unlike anything else in Thailand.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Hotel pickup
Collection from your Ao Nang hotel and short transfer to the beach.
First island stops and snorkel
Cruise the near islands with a reef snorkelling stop off Chicken Island.
Talay Waek sandbar
Walk the separated sea sandbar linking Tup, Mor and Chicken islands.
Sunset and beach BBQ
Watch the sun drop behind the karsts while dinner is grilled on the sand.
Plankton night swim
Swim in the dark among bioluminescent plankton with crew supervision.
Return to Ao Nang
Boat returns to the beach and the van drops you at your hotel.
Detailed Itinerary
Pickup is at about 13:00, which means you get a lazy morning before the boat leaves Ao Nang just as the day-trip fleet begins heading home. The first two hours cover the closer islands with a long snorkelling stop over the coral off Chicken Island, and by then the water traffic has thinned noticeably.
Around 15:45 the falling tide exposes Talay Waek, the sand ridge that joins three islands, and you can walk out into the middle of the sea. From 17:00 the crew set up the barbecue on a quiet beach and cook while the sun goes down behind the limestone; dinner is eaten with your feet in the sand.
After dark, roughly 19:15, the boat moves to a sheltered spot for the plankton swim. Lights go out, and the water lights up instead. The boat is back at Ao Nang by about 20:00.
Includes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Ao Nang
- Longtail boat with local crew
- English-speaking guide
- Beach BBQ dinner and soft drinks
- Snorkel gear, life jacket and headlamp
- National park entrance fee
- Insurance
Excludes
- Alcoholic drinks
- Towels
- Underwater camera hire
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
Important information
Meeting point
Ao Nang Beach, at the longtail boat departure point near Soi 4
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
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Traveler Reviews
The afternoon timing means you skip the morning boat traffic entirely, and by four o'clock we had Poda almost to ourselves. The barbecue was grilled on the sand while the sun went down, chicken, fish, prawns and grilled corn. Then the plankton swim, which I did not expect to be as magical as it was.
Seven islands in seven hours and the light gets better with every stop. When we got in for the night swim the water lit up blue around our arms every time we moved. The guide was honest that the plankton depends on the moon and conditions, so we were lucky.
Best value tour we did in Thailand. Snorkelling in the afternoon was calmer than the morning trips our friends took. The BBQ was a proper meal, not a token buffet, and they kept refilling the fruit.
Really enjoyable evening but the plankton were faint the night we went because there was a bright moon. The crew warned us in advance that it might be that way, which I appreciated. The sunset BBQ was still the best meal on a beach I have had.
Swimming in the dark sounds unnerving but they light the boat, hand out floats and stay close. Watching the plankton spark off your hands is genuinely strange and lovely. Bring a warm layer for the ride back, you get cold once the sun is gone.
Seven stops sounds like a lot but many are short swim or photo pauses, which keeps it moving. Phra Nang beach at golden hour with almost nobody there was the standout. Hotel pickup in Ao Nang was on time.
We did this on our last night and it was the right way to end the trip. The crew grilled while we swam, then we ate with our feet in the sand. The night swim afterwards was optional and about half the boat stayed dry, which was fine.