Carli
Carli
There are many different island tours available in Krabi, but the Hong Islands tour is a can’t miss during your stay in Krabi Thailand.
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What island tours are available in Ao Nang?
If you are staying in or near Ao Nang Thailand, there are many islands to visit either through tours or by hiring a longtail boat for the day. The most popular are the Phi Phi Islands, Hong Island and 4 Island cruise.
The Phi Phi Islands are incredibly beautiful, but it was my least favorite of the (3) tours I booked while in Ao Nang.
The 4 islands are fun for more active snorkeling and water activities. I recommend doing this as a sunset cruise, since it’s one of the few tours that are available late in the day. Read: The Best of the Krabi Sunset Tours
Of all the tours, the Hong Islands Tour is hands down my favorite, and I think highly underrated.
Why pick the Hong Islands Tour
The Hong Islands are in my opinion the best islands of Krabi to visit for a day trip. These islands offer similar beautiful green water lagoons like Phi Phi, without the mass of crowds.
These islands also offer incredible soft sandy beaches where you’ll be some of the only people enjoying the idyllic scenery.
Hong Islands Tour itinerary
The group tours to the Hong Islands will typically last about 6 hours for the day tour. If you are within a pick up zone in Ao Nang or Krabi Town, the tour company will pick you up at a designated location. Then you will get on the boat around 9am. The tour will take you to three islands: Hong Island, Pakbia Island and Lading Island. The order may vary by tour company, but most will start at Hong Island.
Hong Island is the largest of the three islands on the tour. This island has a large beach on a protected bay which makes it ideal for swimming or snorkeling. There is also a viewpoint with a 360 view of Hong Island and the surrounding islands. This is quite the vertical hike, so bring plenty of water and sun protection. But the view at the top is absolutely worth the effort. After leaving the island, your guide will take you through the Hong Lagoon for picturesque scenery.
Pakbia Island is the smallest of the three islands on the Hong Islands tour. This island is perfect for lounging on the beach or continuing your snorkel adventure.
The last of the three islands is Lading Island. Again you’ll have crystal clear water to swim or snorkel. This is also where the company will host the lunch buffet.
After the last island, you’ll head back to the mainland and return to your original pick up location around mid-afternoon.
Hong Islands private tour itinerary
The best hong islands tour is a private tour. If you have multiple people, and can afford a higher cost tour, I highly recommend a private tour of Koh Hong Krabi. My friend and I had not intended to book a private tour, but we had a late start to the day. By the time we were working with the tour agents, a private boat was our only option if we wanted to go out that day. Our planning failure ended up being a total win. Once you have a private tour, you might be too spoiled to go back to group trips.
Our tour kicked off at 1pm with a tuk tuk pick up, that took us to Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park to meet our boat driver. The overall itinerary will be similar to the group tour, but with a private boat you can work with the guide to adjust how much time you spend at each island.
For example, Lading Island was our second stop, and while it was pretty, it didn’t have much sunshine at that time of day. We left pretty quickly and next our guide took us to a nearly deserted beach on a nearby Rai Island. Being on a tropical sandy beach with only a handful of other people is pretty magical. This is where we spent the rest of our day before we had to head back.
Since we left later in the afternoon, we were able to see a beautiful sunset on our cruise back and while docking the boat. From there we had another tuk tuk waiting to take us back to our hotel.
Hong Island Tour Price
Tour costs around Ao Nang and Krabi are complicated because tour prices are set by the local tour companies, but not well advertised unless you book through a third party website. In Ao Nang there are tour booths and tour companies located all over town, but they will never list prices. You’ll have to work with their tour agent and potentially negotiate on your pricing. Since they’re not listed, it’s hard to tell if the prices are fair, or high. Even some of the local companies that do have websites either don’t show pricing, or have different prices for the exact same hong islands tour packages.
Often, if you are working with the tour agent in person, you can work with them on getting discounts for either a larger group rate, or by booking multiple tours. While in Krabi, I booked a private Hong Island Tour on a longtail boat for myself and a friend, then added on a Phi Phi Island tour for myself the following day. Since I booked multiple tours, they gave me a “discount” for the second tour and they comped our park fees.
If you book a tour online, it will not include the National Park fees for visiting the islands. This is anywhere from 200-400 baht ($6-11) per person, depending on the tour and islands. The fee for the Hong Islands tour is 300 baht ($9) per adult, and payment is due upon entry. Again, if you book in person, you can negotiate for your fees to be covered.
Check to see if your hotel has a tour booking service as they may be able to book cheaper pricing.
Group tour price
I only recommend taking a longtail boat tour, and not a speedboat. The longtail boats are a much better experience and are also cheaper.
The price for a longtail boat group tour is going to be 1000-1200 baht ($30-35) per person plus the 300 baht ($9) park fee.
The tour price includes the pick up to/from a hotel in Ao Nang, the boat tour, lunch, non-alcoholic drinks, fresh fruit, and snorkeling equipment.
Private tour price
For two people, our private longtail tour of the Hong Islands cost around 5000 baht total, or approximately $70-75/person with entry fees included in the cost. We started our tour with pick up at 1pm, so lunch was not included, but we did have a platter of fresh fruit, water, and snorkeling equipment available. If you book ahead for an earlier start time, you can negotiate lunch with your tour price.
Booking tour
For in person tours I worked with “Ma” at one of the tour stands. You can message her on whatsapp at +66 91 719 1145.
If you want to just book online to save the back and forth negotiation, you can use the links below. There are options for private luxury longtail boats, but just know that the price will be quite a bit higher.
What to bring on your Hong Islands Tour?
You will not need to bring much with you on your tour except the basics for any beach or water activity. Must have items include: swimsuit, towel, sandals, cover ups and sunscreen. I always recommend bringing a hat or visor for additional shade.
If you plan to do the hike to the 360 viewpoint a mini fan is a nice to have item.
You will need cash if you have to pay for your park fees, and if you want to buy any other food or drinks at one of the island stands.
Hong Islands Tour FAQs
Is Hong Island tour worth it?
Yes, the Krabi Hong Island tour is much less crowded and more enjoyable than the Phi Phi island tour. If it is in your budget, the private tours are recommended over the group tours.
Where is Hong island?
Koh Hong Island is an island in Thailand, part of the Krabi province. The island is halfway between Ko Yao Noi and the Krabi mainland.
Hong Island or 4 island tour, which is best?
For a day tour, I recommend the Hong Island tour for someone looking for a tour with access to stunning beaches in a beautiful setting. However, the 4 island sunset cruise is the best option for a more adventurous tour with dinner. This tour offers snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding and more.
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