Dream islands and coral reefs

After breakfast, you'll be collected from your hotel and taken to the pier. As you'll spend another night in Phuket when you return from Ko Raya, you can leave the majority of your baggage behind, taking only a few essentials to the island. You'll then travel by speedboat to the fairytale shores of Ko Raya. The crossing takes about 45 minutes. After this, you have the rest of the day to settle into your charming wooden beach bungalow with air conditioning and a fantastic seaview.

You'll stay in a snorkelling and diving paradise, considered one the best places in Thailand for underwater exploration. You don't have to stray far from the beach to find countless tropical fish, starfish, sea cucumbers and even turtles. The sea is so blue and clear that you can often see the incredible sealife beneath the surface of the waves without even a snorkel.

Today, you'll be collected from your hotel in Phuket and taken to the pier for the trip to Ko Yao Yai. Watch the locals cramming the tiny vessels with rice, pots, pans, and sometimes even goats. You'll pay less than £1 for the ferry crossing, handing the fare directly to the boatman. An hour and a half later, you'll arrive at Ko Yao Yai- an idyllic island nestled in Phang Nga Bay. On the way, you'll pass the sheer limestone rockfaces for which the bay is famous, and watch seabirds soaring lazily in the cloudless sky.

You’ll be met at the pier on Yao Yai by your friendly hosts. From here, it's a 30min drive to the beach where you'll stay for the next two nights. In your small and personal resort, the bungalows are made of palm wood, and equipped with fans, toilets and showers. There's no warm water here, but in such high temperatures you're unlikely to notice its absence. There are also no shops and no restaurants- you really are marooned on a desert island. Take enough cash and a credit card with you, as there’s no ATM. You will eat in the fantastic open-air restaurant, and there's bound to be fresh fish on the menu. The welcoming owner usually stops by for a chat and a drink or two with the guests.

Today is a fantastically relaxing day. Munch breakfast to the sound of waves gently lapping the shore and feel the sun on your skin. Around 9.00am, you will set off in a longtail boat for Ko Hong, an island with two shimmering white beaches and a breathtakingly beautiful lagoon. The lagoon was formed by the collapse of a huge cave in the middle of the island. It is surrounded by sheer limestone walls dotted with caves, and inhabited by creatures like bats and swallows. If you like, take a dip into the deep turquoise water.

In the afternoon you'll visit another stunning beach. Here, the water is so clear that you can see every marking on the tropical fishes from the boat. You can snorkel amongst the coral and shoals of rainbow-bright fish. You'll get back to Ko Yao Yai at around 3pm, giving you a few hours to soak up the sun before it begins to set.

The next couple of days are dedicated to pure relaxation and total self-indulgence. In your desert island paradise you can do as much, or as little, as you wish. 

Between snacks and sunbathing, you can grab a snorkel and discover the amazing underwater world. As the islands of the Trang archipelago are far from the tourist trail, the coral here is totally unspoilt. If you’ve never snorkelled before, you’ll be amazed at the beauty that lies just beneath the surface of the azure waters. The rainbow myriads of exotic fish and the stillness of their underwater playground make this an absolutely unforgettable experience. The water temperature is around 27°C. Please wear plenty of sunscreen, especially when snorkelling.