4 Islands Speed Boat Tour Review: Is it Worth it?

Planning a trip to Krabi, Thailand? So, the “4 Islands Tour” is almost certainly showing up in your search results, right? Specifically, the half-day morning tour by speedboat? We took that exact tour, and very, very honestly, I’m here to share all the gritty details, both the sunshine and well, perhaps, a bit of seaweed too it’s almost.

What Exactly is the 4 Islands Tour?

Right, so the 4 Islands Tour that, at least usually, includes visits to Phra Nang Cave Beach, Chicken Island, Tup Island, and Poda Island. These places are located not terribly far from Krabi’s coastline and they each, allegedly, offer something unique. I mean, things like snorkeling, sunbathing, photography, etcetera are definitely very likely to be involved.

Booking Our Tour: Deals and Details

Finding the right tour can be a bit much, so naturally you want to do your homework. We looked at options online through agencies and also at the booths that are actually on the beach in Ao Nang. Like, the prices are fairly comparable. We, ultimately, went with a small, local operator that seemed very enthusiastic and, as a matter of fact, offered a slight discount for booking two people. Pro tip: try bargaining just a little, you never know! As I was saying, our tour was about 1,200 THB (roughly $35 USD) each, and so this included hotel pickup, lunch (more on that in a minute!), snorkeling gear, and the longtail boat transportation between islands. This might be more or less depending when and who you decide to book with. In that case, just do a little research to see what the current prices are, right?

Our Morning on the Speedboat: What to Expect

Very early, a minivan picked us up from our hotel and it was jam-packed, yet the ride to the pier only took around 20 minutes. Just, as a little warning, expect some waiting around at the pier while other travelers arrive. In other words, time doesn’t really mean much on vacation. As you might expect, soon enough we were herded onto the speedboat. Yes, very packed with what felt like approximately 30 other tourists.

The speedboat ride itself? That can be rather fun if you are into it. Prepare for it to be, oh, extremely bumpy, but that’s part of the adventure, apparently. Clearly, the tour guides attempted to provide some commentary. This might be providing details about the islands we passed, though it was difficult to hear over the roar of the engine, arguably. They also handed out water bottles – which we appreciated very much given how quickly one can get dehydrated in Thailand’s heat. We are ready!

Stop 1: Phra Nang Cave Beach (Railay Beach)

Our initial stop was Phra Nang Cave Beach, part of Railay. Yes, this place is beautiful. Actually, the towering limestone cliffs and unbelievably clear water absolutely live up to the pictures. Even so, what pictures do not really capture are the crowds. Tons of them. It might be difficult to stake out a spot on the beach, alright. In fact, as if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a constant stream of people wading in the water. What about snapping that postcard-worthy photograph? It might be a real challenge, I guess. I mean you can try to get the stalactites that hang over the cave at the one end of the beach. Maybe get a photo in the “Princess Cave” which has a somewhat odd collection of wooden offerings, but you might get strangers in the background. By the way, there are the longtail boats that sell food. The famous “boat vendors” add to the lively atmosphere even if, arguably, the prices are inflated. As I was saying, we stayed there for roughly an hour and that felt adequate. We just took a couple of quick photos before heading back to the boat, actually.

Stop 2: Chicken Island

The next stop was Chicken Island, and yes, it genuinely does look like a chicken’s head sticking out of the water! Now, we didn’t get off on the island itself, but it seems that the speedboat slowed down for some photo ops. So it goes, alright? Some tours stop there, but honestly, it looks better from a distance, literally. What is that we did? So, we went snorkeling near Chicken Island and honestly, that was a pretty enjoyable part of the day! As a matter of fact, the water was reasonably clear. In that case, there were plenty of colorful fish to observe. The provided snorkeling gear was, alright, acceptable, just make certain you get a good fit to keep water out. We stayed in the water for maybe 40 minutes. Clearly, I spotted quite a lot, right?

Stop 3: Tup Island (and Connecting Sandbar)

Alright, this location can be extremely special, specifically if you time your visit appropriately! At low tide, a sandbar emerges that connects Tup Island with Chicken Island and another tiny islet. Then again, this enables you to actually walk between the islands, pretty much! What’s this? The day we were there, so it was sadly, high tide. This meant no walking between the islands, naturally. Even though it was still nice. As a little something extra, we docked near Tup Island and went swimming for a short period. After a bit, the island itself is quite tiny and somewhat rocky, really. Many people appeared to enjoy just wading in the water and grabbing photographs. Anyhow, our stop here was probably just around 30 minutes or maybe even less, I guess. Seemingly, it might have been a little rushed.

Stop 4: Poda Island

Poda Island served as our final stop, and seemingly, this is where we had lunch. It is important to realize that the island offers a lovely sandy beach, turquoise water and some shade trees. That’s right. So it goes. By the way, this can be just what you’d imagine for a Thai island. As you might expect, the “lunch” itself was, well, very basic. What about the options? There was rice, some sort of chicken curry, and a few pieces of fruit. Literally, it was edible. However, I definitely wouldn’t call it a culinary highlight. Many people ate quickly and relaxed on the beach. Actually, swimming and snapping a few photos can be a good activity. How long did we stay? For almost an hour before beginning our journey back. Anyway, I did find it the least crowded and it has a pretty good photo-op from the shore, alright?

The Downside: Crowds, Crowds, and More Crowds

I have got to level with you: the single biggest drawback of this tour is, of course, the insane crowds. Honestly, every single location was packed with tourists and you could feel this any time you were getting off the boat, at least. And by the way, getting that picture postcard moment with nobody else in your shot can be basically impossible. As I was saying, it definitely detracts a little bit from the idyllic island experience when you’re practically shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers. In short, I did prefer this tour simply because you could stay away from other people. This tour made that extremely difficult, literally. Even still, I do appreciate beautiful scenes.

Is the 4 Islands Tour Worth It? My Verdict

So is the half-day morning 4 Islands speedboat tour from Krabi worth your hard-earned cash and precious vacation time? Maybe! Frankly, it’s almost definitely a mixed bag, right? It should go without saying that the islands themselves are, admittedly, stunning and the speedboat ride can be exciting. Anyhow, the snorkeling can be rewarding for certain and if you have only a half-day it’s an effective way to cram a few islands into your itinerary.

The crowds however, just the overwhelming feeling of being herded from one site to another, and the lackluster lunch that did leave something to be desired. Literally, it makes it, you know, feel somewhat like a tourist trap, arguably. I really think that if you go in with reasonable expectations. This might be knowing it will be super busy. This might be remembering to value seeing some stunning scenery even if there are a bunch of people around, then you’ll likely appreciate the trip as much as is feasible. Anyhow, I’d encourage it.

Would I recommend it for those seeking serene isolation and peace? Nah. In reality, those people will want to explore alternatives such as perhaps chartering a longtail boat privately. They’ll also likely need to get an extremely early start to visit some of these destinations before the masses turn up, probably. But for an individual, very short on time. Just one keen to tick off some must-see spots. And maybe happy to tolerate hordes. As a matter of fact, it is really quite acceptable, still. I think it’s okay! The tour might be okay!

#Krabi #Thailand #IslandHopping #4IslandsTour #TravelReview