# Khai Island or Racha Yai: Where to Snorkel from Phuket? Khai island if it's your first time with a mask, Racha Yai if you can swim and want clear water for longer. Khai is the first stop on our Phi Phi speedboat day (shallow, clear, fish right at the sand), but you get about half an hour there before the boat moves on. On the Racha and Coral speedboat day, Racha Yai gets 09:40 to 12:00 in Patok Bay, and our cards give it the better visibility. ## Tours and prices in Thai baht - [Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-maya-khai) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-maya-khai.md) — One day · Adult 2,000 THB · Child 4–9 1,800 THB - [Racha and Coral islands by speedboat](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/racha-coral-islands-speedboat) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/racha-coral-islands-speedboat.md) — Eight to nine hours · Adult 1,400 THB · Child 4–9 1,300 THB - [Racha Yai and Coral island at sunrise](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/racha-coral-sunrise) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/racha-coral-sunrise.md) — One day, 04:30–15:30 · Adult 1,600 THB · Child 4–9 1,300 THB - [Coral island from Rawai pier](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/coral-islands-rawai) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/coral-islands-rawai.md) — Half a day, 08:30–14:00 · Adult 1,400 THB · Child 4–9 1,300 THB Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so. ## How the two stops differ Think of Khai as the warm-up and Racha Yai as the main event. At Khai you wade in from the sand and the fish are already around your ankles, which is exactly why first-timers like it; the catch is the clock, because the boat leaves for Phi Phi Don at 10:15. Racha Yai is a bigger bay with clearer water, and on the Racha trips it is the reason for the day rather than a stop on the way to somewhere else. Then there's what comes after. Pick Khai and the rest of your day is Phi Phi: Monkey Beach, Pileh Lagoon, Maya Bay. Pick Racha Yai and the second half is Coral island's beach, or Phi Phi by catamaran, or (on the sunrise fishing boat) a rod in your hand. If it's the whole day you're choosing rather than one snorkel, [Racha Yai or Phi Phi](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-yai-or-phi-phi) weighs clear water against the famous bays. ## Khai island on the Phi Phi day Khai comes half an hour after the speedboat leaves Chalong at 09:15, on our [Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai day](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-maya-khai). It's shallow, it's clear, and the fish come right up to the sand — this is the stop where people who've never snorkelled try a mask for the first time. Masks and snorkels are on the boat. Wear reef shoes if you have them: the islands have stones. Don't expect a long swim. At 10:15 you're off to Phi Phi Don and Monkey Beach, then lunch, the Viking Cave, Pileh Lagoon and finally Maya Bay at 15:15, where swimming happens from the water beside the bay. It's a good day out, but the snorkelling comes in short pieces. ## Racha Yai, three ways Racha Yai is about forty minutes from Chalong by speedboat, and three of our boats go there. The [Racha and Coral speedboat day](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/racha-coral-islands-speedboat) gives you Patok Bay from 09:40 until noon, then lunch on Coral island. The [sunrise trip](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/racha-coral-sunrise) gets you into the water at 06:40, before anyone else, and adds a reef stop at 10:40 plus some deep-water fishing. The [Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-racha-maiton-sunset) spends 09:00 to 11:00 there before heading for Phi Phi. A fourth way, if someone in your group wants to fish: the [sunrise fishing boat](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/fishing-sunrise) anchors at Racha Yai from 11:00 for a swim and a snorkel, with fins on board. The three Racha boats are compared properly on [Racha and Coral islands: speedboat or catamaran](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-coral-speedboat-or-catamaran). A fuller picture of the island is on [Racha Yai, Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/guide/racha-yai). ## Which one I would choose With a child, or with someone nervous about putting their face in the water, I'd go for Khai. Short, shallow, done in half an hour, and the rest of the day still feels like a big trip. A confident swimmer who wants to see more should go to Racha Yai, on the sunrise boat if you can face a 04:30 pickup, since the water is clearest early. Our Racha card says it without fuss: you'll get much more from the snorkelling stops if you can swim. ## And Hin Dam bay on Coral island? There's a third option, closer than both. Our [Coral island half day](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/coral-islands-rawai) leaves Rawai pier at 09:00, takes about thirty minutes to cross, gives you the morning on Coral Beach and saves the snorkelling for Hin Dam bay, on the far side of the island, after lunch. You're back at 14:00. Coral is easier to get into from the beach; Racha Yai has the better visibility. More on that pair in [Racha Yai or Coral island for snorkelling](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/racha-or-coral-for-snorkeling). The rest of a Coral Island day is on [Coral Island, Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/guide/coral-island). ## What to bring and how to book Masks are included on the Khai day and on both Racha speedboats. Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a towel, a waterproof phone case and, for the Phi Phi day, cash in small notes, because its national park fee is paid on the day. Send the tour, the date and your hotel in the chat. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. All our snorkelling days are on [snorkelling tours from Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/snorkeling-tours). The catamaran's booking steps are on [how to book the Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/how-to-book-phi-phi-racha-catamaran). If half a day is enough, [the Coral Island half-day trip from Rawai](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/coral-island-half-day-trip-worth-it) has a thirty-minute crossing and snorkelling gear in the price. Choosing between a full Phi Phi day and that short one is on [Phi Phi or Coral Island](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/phi-phi-or-coral-island). Khai is also the first stop of a full Phi Phi day; [Phi Phi with Khai or Bamboo island](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/phi-phi-khai-or-bamboo-island) sets it against the Bamboo day. Where Khai sits on the Phi Phi route and what the half hour there looks like: [Khai islands from Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/guide/khai-islands). If you're wondering whether to dive instead, [beginner dive day or snorkelling tour](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/diving-or-snorkelling-day-trip) sets the two days side by side. Snorkelling with young children on Phi Phi? [Sunrise speedboat or catamaran with kids](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/phi-phi-with-children-sunrise-or-catamaran) helps choose the boat by age. ## Worth knowing Khai is a short, shallow first snorkel inside a Phi Phi day. Racha Yai is the clearer water and the longer swim, with Coral island or Phi Phi as the second half. ## FAQ ### Is snorkeling better at Khai Island or Racha Yai? Racha Yai for visibility and time in the water, Khai for an easy first snorkel in shallow water. Khai gets about half an hour on our Phi Phi speedboat day, while the Racha and Coral speedboat day spends 09:40 to 12:00 in Patok Bay. ### Is Racha Yai or Phi Phi better for snorkeling? Racha Yai, if snorkelling is the point: one long stop in clear water. A Phi Phi day spreads the snorkelling over shorter stops, such as Khai, Monkey Beach and the water beside Maya Bay, with the famous views in between. ### How long is the boat ride from Chalong to Racha Yai? About forty minutes by speedboat. On the Racha and Coral day the boat leaves Chalong pier at 09:00 and reaches Racha Yai at 09:40. ### Is snorkeling better at Hin Dam Bay or Racha Yai? Racha Yai has the clearer water and better visibility. Hin Dam bay, on our Coral island half day from Rawai pier, is the shorter and easier option, with lunch first and the boat back at 14:00. ### What are the best half-day snorkeling tours from Phuket for beginners? Our Coral island half day from Rawai pier: about thirty minutes across, the morning on Coral Beach, snorkelling in Hin Dam bay after lunch and back at 14:00. Masks and life jackets are included, and the park fee is in the price. ### Is Similan or Phi Phi better for snorkeling? The Similans, between mid-October and mid-May, for the reef and the clear water. Phi Phi for Maya Bay and the famous beaches, with snorkelling stops in between. ## Compare with - [Snorkeling Tours from Phuket: Where the Water Is Clearest](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/snorkeling-tours) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/snorkeling-tours.md) - [Racha Yai or Coral Island: Where to Snorkel on a Day from Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/racha-or-coral-for-snorkeling) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/racha-or-coral-for-snorkeling.md) - [Similan or Krabi for Snorkelling from Phuket?](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/similan-or-krabi-for-snorkelling) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/similan-or-krabi-for-snorkelling.md) - [Racha Yai or Phi Phi from Phuket: Which Has Clearer Water and Quieter Beaches?](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-yai-or-phi-phi) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-yai-or-phi-phi.md) - [All tours](https://phukeo.com/en/tours) ## How to book [Ask about dates on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/66619490349?text=Hello!%20I%20found%20you%20on%20phukeo.com%20and%20I'd%20like%20to%20book%20%22Khai%20or%20Racha%20Yai%22.%20My%20dates%3A%20) --- Canonical: https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/khai-or-racha-yai-for-snorkelling