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View all Krabi toursEarly Bird Phi Phi and Four Islands Speedboat Adventure in Krabi
Leave Ao Nang at dawn to reach Maya Bay before the crowds, snorkel Pileh Lagoon and the Phi Phi reefs, then finish across Krabi's four island classics.
Highlights
- Reach Maya Bay ahead of the day-trip fleet
- Cruise into the cliff-ringed Pileh Lagoon
- Snorkel two separate reef systems
- Thai buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don
- Krabi's four islands on the way home
Full description
The single biggest difference between a good Phi Phi day and a disappointing one is what time you leave. This speedboat pushes off from Ao Nang at first light so it arrives at Maya Bay while the water is still glassy and the ferries from Phuket are hours away.
From Maya the boat threads into Pileh Lagoon, a flooded chamber of turquoise water enclosed by vertical cliffs, then passes the Viking Cave and pauses at Monkey Beach before a longer snorkelling stop over the reef. A Thai buffet lunch is served on Phi Phi Don, where you also get free time on the beach.
The return leg is not a straight run home. The boat calls at the Krabi four islands, so you finish the day snorkelling off Chicken Island and swimming at Poda while the afternoon light softens. It is a long, full and genuinely satisfying day on the Andaman.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Early hotel pickup
Pre-dawn collection from your hotel and transfer to Nopparat Thara Pier.
Maya Bay
Arrive at the famous bay before the crowds for photos and a walk on the sand.
Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave
Swim in the enclosed turquoise lagoon and pass the cliffside Viking Cave.
Monkey Beach and reef snorkel
Spot the resident macaques, then snorkel over the coral off Phi Phi.
Lunch on Phi Phi Don
Thai buffet lunch followed by free time on the beach.
Four islands and return
Snorkel at Chicken Island and swim at Poda before returning to Ao Nang.
Detailed Itinerary
Pickup is early, generally around 06:00, and the pier briefing is short because everyone is keen to get moving. The speedboat clears Ao Nang in the half light and reaches Maya Bay by about 07:30, which is the whole point of the early departure: the bay is calm, the sand is largely empty and the photographs look nothing like the ones taken at midday.
By 08:45 you are inside Pileh Lagoon, where the water is warm and impossibly green and the cliffs cut out the wind. Monkey Beach and a proper reef snorkel fill the rest of the morning, and lunch is served on Phi Phi Don around midday with time afterwards to swim or wander the village.
The afternoon belongs to Krabi's own islands. From about 14:00 the boat works back through Chicken Island and Poda with a final snorkel and swim, landing at Ao Nang in the late afternoon for the transfer to your hotel.
Includes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Ao Nang and Krabi Town
- Speedboat with certified crew
- English-speaking guide
- Thai buffet lunch
- Snorkel mask, fins and life jacket
- Soft drinks, water and fruit
- National park fees
- Insurance
Excludes
- Alcoholic drinks
- Towels
- Underwater camera hire
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
Important information
Meeting point
Nopparat Thara Pier, Ao Nang, Krabi
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
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Traveler Reviews
Leaving Ao Nang at first light is the entire point of this tour. We were standing on Maya Bay beach with maybe two other boats worth of people, and by the time we left there was a queue of speedboats outside. Pileh Lagoon afterwards was that unreal green colour with the cliffs closing in around you.
Nine hours, two island groups, and it never dragged. Monkey Beach had the macaques right at the waterline and the crew warned us to keep bags shut, which several people ignored and regretted. Snorkelling at Bamboo Island was the clearest water of our trip.
Worth the early alarm. The speedboat gets you to Phi Phi in about forty five minutes so you actually have time at each stop instead of just photographing from the boat. Viking Cave and the swiftlet nests were a strange highlight.
Fantastic itinerary but be aware you cannot swim at Maya Bay, you land at the back jetty and walk in. Nobody told us that beforehand. Everything else, especially Pileh Lagoon and the four islands sandbar in the afternoon, made up for the surprise.
Combining Phi Phi with the four islands in one day is excellent value if you only have a couple of days in Krabi. Lunch was a buffet on Phi Phi Don with more than enough choice. The crew handed out motion sickness tablets on the way out, which a few people needed.
Our guide counted heads at every single stop and knew the tide well enough to reroute when Maya was busy. Tup Island sandbar in the afternoon light was quieter than the morning boats get. Long day but a well paced one.
Great tour, genuinely. The return leg was choppy and a speedboat slams into swell at speed, so if you get seasick sit at the back and take something in advance. Maya Bay before the crowds is still absolutely worth the discomfort.
Nine hours on the water and I would do it again tomorrow. Snorkelling in Pileh Lagoon with the light coming down between the cliffs was the best twenty minutes of the holiday. Bring more sunscreen than you think, there is almost no shade.
The early start meant Maya Bay felt calm rather than a scrum. National park fees are extra and collected in cash, so come prepared. Everything else including water, fruit and towels was provided.