Sunset Boat Trips from Phuket: Where the Day Ends on the Water

Which trip gives the best sunset on the water?

The catamaran. Phi Phi, Racha Yai and the Maiton sunset spends the day on Racha Yai, Phi Phi Don and Maya Bay, then from 17:45 to 19:00 sits on the water beside Maiton island: the slide, the pool, SUP boards, snorkelling, cocktails, fruit and music. There is no landing at Maiton — the sunset stop happens on the water. How its Maya Bay hour compares with sunrise is on Maya Bay at sunrise or after 4 pm.

It is Comfort+ only, and it is back on Phuket at 19:00 with ice cream on the pier. From the deck the horizon is open all the way round, which no viewpoint on land gives you.

Is there a sunset from a beach instead?

Yes — on Krabi tropical paradise. The day starts late (pier at 09:00) and runs through Naka Yai, Pakbia, two hours on Hong island and Lao Lading. At 17:50 you are standing on a sandbar facing the sunset for about forty minutes, then back at the pier at 18:30. The full Krabi itinerary is on Krabi four islands tour from Phuket. Naka Yai, where that day starts, has its own page: Naka Island from Phuket.

It is the gentlest of the three: no dark start, calm water between the islands, and the sunset is the finale rather than an add-on. Booking that day is set out on how to book the Krabi four islands tour.

What about a sunset in hot springs?

The Avatar world day ends that way. After elephants, bamboo rafting, ATV trails and a waterfall, you reach the Hotspring Beach Resort at 17:30: thermal pools around 40°C, a cold pool around 16°C, a freshwater pool and Natai beach at sunset. The group is up to twelve; departure back at 19:00. With children, read is the Avatar world tour suitable for children before booking.

It is a land day, so it runs even when the sea is rough — worth knowing in the wet months.

What comes before the sunset on the catamaran?

A full day. Pickup between 06:30 and 07:30, breakfast and coffee in a lounge at the pier, boarding at 08:30. Racha Yai from nine to eleven while the beach is empty; lunch, the viewpoint walk and beach time on Phi Phi Don; Monkey Beach and the Viking Cave from the boat; a swim in Pileh Lagoon; Maya Bay between four and five. Then the sunset stop at Maiton. Is that long day worth it for you? Our catamaran page sorts out who it suits and who should skip it.

Included: the transfer, breakfast and beer at the pier, the bar and music on board, the slide, pool, SUP boards and clear canoes, lunch, cocktails and fruit at the sunset stop, towels, Wi-Fi, a bamboo cup to keep, ice cream on return, a guide and insurance. Under-fours travel free.

Which sunset trip suits whom?

Couples and groups of friends: the catamaran — music, a slide and the open horizon. Families and anyone who hates early starts: Krabi tropical paradise, with a 09:00 pier call and calm water. People who want land, animals and warm water rather than a boat: the Avatar day with its hot springs. And if you would rather spend the evening on an island, the Five pearls two-day trip puts you on Phi Phi Don overnight, with dinner, wine and a fire show on the beach. Where you sleep that night is on which hotel is on the Four Pearls tour. How Five pearls differs from Four pearls is on Five Pearls or Four Pearls. The Avatar world day, from the lily café at 08:30 to the hot pools at Natai, is reviewed hour by hour on is the Avatar world tour worth it.

Whichever you pick, the sunset belongs to the weather. The day around it is the part we can promise.

What should I know about sunsets here?

It gets dark fast, with almost no twilight — from the first colour to darkness is about forty minutes. So a late group eats the sunset itself, not a few minutes of it. You also come back to the pier in the dark, and the road to the hotel adds more time; do not plan anything else for that evening.

And a sunset is weather, not a promise. On a cloudy evening the sky simply turns grey. The upside of the evening boat is the heat: the sun is low, the deck is no longer burning, and the sea usually settles as the day breeze drops.

Bring a light layer for the ride back. After sunset the wind on the water cools quickly, and you will be sitting still for a while.

And keep the phone charged — the best light comes at the end of a long day, when batteries are lowest. For the water after dark rather than the sunset, glowing plankton on a tour from Phuket explains where our night swim is. How to book that day is on how to book the Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran.

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