The route starts in Phuket, heads north into Phang Nga Bay, then moves south through Phi Phi Islands and Ko Lanta to the underwater reefs of Ko Haa. Daily passages: 15–25 nautical miles, departing after breakfast or at midday. Anchorages are chosen for wind protection and the most scenic surroundings.
Phang Nga Bay — Hong Islands. Phang Nga Bay is one of the most spectacular marine landscapes in the world. Around 40 limestone islands up to 300 metres tall rise straight from the water. Hongs — hidden interior lagoons inside hollow karst rocks — are accessible only by kayak or dinghy at high tide. Paddling through a dark tunnel and emerging into a sunlit interior lake surrounded by sheer walls is one of the most powerful natural experiences in the region.
James Bond Island — Khao Phing Kan. Khao Phing Kan and the Ko Tapu rock — 20 metres tall, 4 metres wide at the base — became iconic after The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). Arriving by yacht from the water side in the early morning, before the tour boats arrive, is an entirely different experience from the daytime group tours.
Ko Yao Noi — Authentic Thailand. Ko Yao Noi is a small island with a predominantly Muslim population in the centre of Phang Nga Bay. No party tourism: villages, fish markets at dawn, water buffalo on the roads, kayaks through mangrove channels. The eastern shore has one of the best panoramic views across the limestone islands of the bay. The entire island can be circled on a rented bicycle in a few hours.
Ko Phi Phi Don — Heart of the Archipelago. Phi Phi Don is the largest island in the archipelago with the distinctive twin-beach Tonsai Bay pinched between two mountain ridges. The village on the isthmus is a lively mix of dive shops, restaurants, and street food. From the island viewpoint at the top, one of Thailand's most famous panoramas opens: both bays and the entire archipelago at once.
Maya Bay — Ko Phi Phi Leh. Maya Bay became world-famous after The Beach (2000). Three walls of limestone cliffs 100–200 metres high enclose a turquoise lagoon. After its conservation closure (2018–2022), the reef has visibly recovered: turtles, nurse sharks, and reef sharks are again seen in the bay. The yacht enters early in the morning — before the tourist speedboats are admitted.
Ko Lanta — Long Beaches and Old Town. Ko Lanta is a long island with wide palm-fringed beaches on the west coast and a small Old Town on the east. Old Town is a preserved stilt village of 19th-century wooden houses above the water, home to Thai-Malay fishing families. Klong Dao beach in the north is wide, quiet, and clear, with sunsets directly over the Andaman Sea.
Ko Haa — Underwater Caves and Reefs. Ko Haa is an uninhabited five-island archipelago in the open sea south-west of Ko Lanta. A national marine park with the best snorkelling and diving on the Andaman: 15–25 metre visibility, underwater caves with air pockets, soft corals, sea turtles, and reef sharks. No tourist infrastructure — just the anchor, open water, and life beneath the surface.
