Phuket cruise, Thailand
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Southern Thailand, Phuket |
| departures: | Spring 2009, dates to be confirmed |
| price: | From US $959 (4 days) excluding flights. Minimum of 2 people |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Board our junk-rigged schooner for the ideal escape to a tropical paradise. Gaze out over the emerald waters and towering archipelago of Phang Nga Bay, and sooner or later you’ll set eyes on an elegant, red-sailed junk. As a long-standing icon of the region, the Suwan Macha sets a relaxed course around Phuket, Phang Nga Bay, Krabi, and the Phi Phi Islands. A storybook setting for romantic adventure at sea.
Going on two decades, discerning travellers have relished the opportunity of making the Suwan Macha home for four days amidst the island paradises of southern Thailand. It's pace and course has been refined over the years to provide the perfect balance of activity, relaxation and reflection.
On a voyage with no more than 10 guests, experiences remain uncluttered and personalised. A sense of discovery accompanies much of what you see and do with an emphasis on ease, comfort and choice.
Our services include:Join-in roundtrip transfer between hotel to pier in Phuket and ferry between Phuket to Phi Phi. 4 days cruise with stops and visits as mentioned in the program without guide. 3 nights accommodation on join-in basis in twin or double sharing cabin. Meal plan as mentioned in the tour program plus coffee, tea & drinking water. Admission fee at visiting points as mentioned in the program. Services of qualified crews during the cruise. Group insurance.
Going on two decades, discerning travellers have relished the opportunity of making the Suwan Macha home for four days amidst the island paradises of southern Thailand. It's pace and course has been refined over the years to provide the perfect balance of activity, relaxation and reflection.
On a voyage with no more than 10 guests, experiences remain uncluttered and personalised. A sense of discovery accompanies much of what you see and do with an emphasis on ease, comfort and choice.
Our services include:
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Phuket - Phang Nga (D). Transfer from hotel to the embarkation pier, Suwan Macha departs from the pier at 14:00 hrs. Set a course through the towering islands of Phang Nga Bay and a tour to the ever-popular James Bond Island. Back onboard, you’ll anchor in time for a postcard sunset. Dinner and over night on board Suwan Macha. |
| Day 2: | Phang Nga – Krabi (B, L, D). Enjoy breakfast on deck, then tour the unique Sea Gypsy Village and a spectacular ride amongst the mangroves and hidden lagoons. Spend the afternoon in the clear green waters of Krabi or take to a deserted white sand beach to enjoy your own private sun-bathing. Sunset is yours to enjoy on deck with a succulent feast of Thai cuisine. |
| Day 3: | Krabi - Phi Phi Island (B, L, D). After breakfast, cruise the islands between Krabi and Phi Phi with more snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing before going ashore to explore Phi Phi Island. After dinner on board, sit back and enjoy the peacefulness of the night in a secluded bay. |
| Day 4: | Phi Phi – Phuket (B, L). After breakfast onboard, travel to Phi Phi Lay and explore the Maya Bay Cave (made famous by the film The Beach). Then back ashore Phi Phi for lunch then cruise back to Phuket by high-speed ferry. Transfer to hotel and arrive at 18:00 hrs. |
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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An outstanding person has created this authentic junk with Siamese rigging for us some years ago and one of our affiliated companies is now providing the boat exclusively for this cruise, including a local captain with his crew. During the trip a local guide is taking care of the customers.
The Suwan Macha cruise stops in some villages on the journey. At these villages we encourage our guests to contribute money for the construction of schools, the purchase of school books and pencils, and other equipment for the children of the villages which were badly damaged by the Tsunami. Our chefs will buy only local products from the communities for the meals on board the Suwan Macha boat. All leftover food from our cruises is given to local villagers to help feed their livestock. Phang Nga Bay National Park has forested limestone pillars rising out of the sea like inverted mountains, while Tham Lot Caves provide plenty of scope for adventure. All visitors have to pay an entrance fee for this marine park (already included in our package prices) which in return is used by the Thai government to contribute to the conservation of this unique area. Some of the islands in the Phang Nga Bay are providing local Seafood and Thai restaurants and also opportunities for purchasing local souvenirs. We are visiting and mooring our boat at some offshore islands such as Koh Thalu and Koh Tapu which are ideal places for snorkeling under magnificent natural rock formations. Whenever possible we are using our dinghies to minimize the impact on the environment. Culture and customs in this Southern part of Thailand are mixed, as many different religions are present (Buddhism, Muslim). Due to this fact various delicious meals and products are available. English is widely spoken and our employees undergo also regular training courses. All bottles, cans and plastics that are used during the cruise are recycled. We are committed to reducing and recycling waste in our offices. Our offices practice double-sided printing, and recycle printer cartridges, whenever possible. Our offices turn off air-conditioning units and PC’s when offices are not staffed. Much of the waste from our offices is naturally recycled (e.g. bottles and paper waste are sold, where they are re-used/ recycled). We are supporting the Green World Foundation in Thailand and will have a lecturer from this foundation to conduct seminars in our office for our staff in the near future. We already started selling some environment friendly products (bags, T-shirts) on their behalf and hand over all the money and profit to them. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |