Koh Phi Phi Don
The inhabited Phi Phi island, with the village of Ton Sai, the hotels and the ferry pier: the one you can stay on.
10 places
The islands near Phuket, compared
Phi Phi, Racha, Coral Island, the Khai islands, Phang Nga Bay, Koh Yao and the Similan side by side: the boat, the park fee and the season.
Every island on this page is reached by boat, and the pier depends on the island: Rassada for the public ferries to Phi Phi, Chalong for Racha and Coral Island, Bang Rong for Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai, Ao Po and the east coast for Phang Nga Bay. The Similan boats leave from Thap Lamu, on the mainland, after a long drive north.
Most of these islands are seen in a day, on a tour; Phi Phi Don and the two Koh Yao islands are the ones to stay on for a night or more. Several lie inside national parks, and the park, not the tour, sets the fees and the closures: Maya Bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September, and the Similan open only from mid-October to mid-May. The table below compares them on what changes a plan; the islands guide and the Phang Nga Bay guide cover each one in detail.
Compare at a glance
| Places | Access | Entry | Time to allow | Best time | Distance (from Patong) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Phi Phi Don | By boat only | National park fee | A night or two, or a day by ferry | Any month; the open sea is rougher from May to October | 55 km |
| Koh Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay | By boat only | National park fee | A stop on a Phi Phi day | Any month but August and September; according to one guide, dawn trips arrive first | 57 km |
| Racha Yai | By boat only | A day trip or a dive day | November to April; the sea is roughest in September and October | 34 km | |
| Coral Island (Koh Hey) | By boat only | Free | A half day | Most of the year; one guide finds it busiest from about 10 am to 2 pm | 19 km |
| Khai Islands | By boat only | A half day, or a stop on a sunrise Phi Phi trip | Early in the day, according to one guide | 24 km | |
| James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan) | By boat only | National park fee | A stop on a Phang Nga Bay day | Early, before about 10 am; calmer water from November to April | 48 km |
| Koh Panyee | By boat only | A lunch stop on a Phang Nga Bay day | Outside the middle of the morning, the busiest time according to one guide | 54 km | |
| Koh Yao Noi | By boat only | A few nights, or a day by bike on a tour | November to April; about half as many boats from June to September | 44 km | |
| Koh Yao Yai | By boat only | A few nights, or a stop on a Phang Nga Bay day | November to April; about half as many boats from June to September | 35 km | |
| Similan Islands | By boat only | National park fee | A very long day: 10 to 13 hours door to door | 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027; closed the rest of the year | 104 km |
Koh Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay
The Phi Phi island that holds Maya Bay: you land on the far side of the island and walk in, you do not swim, and the bay closes every August and September.
Racha Yai
The island for a calmer day than Phi Phi: clear water in the high season, a beginner dive site, and a short crossing from Chalong.
Coral Island (Koh Hey)
A small island fifteen minutes from Chalong or Rawai, with two beaches and water sports: an easy half day, not a quiet one.
Khai Islands
Three small islands fifteen minutes from the east coast: sand, snorkelling and a line of speedboats on the beach.
James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan)
The limestone needle of Khao Tapu, seen from the beach of Khao Phing Kan: the postcard of Phang Nga Bay, crowded around midday.
Koh Panyee
A Muslim fishing village on stilts at the foot of a limestone peak, where most Phang Nga Bay trips stop for lunch.
Koh Yao Noi
A quiet island of Muslim fishing villages in Phang Nga Bay, 30 to 40 minutes from Bang Rong: one to sleep on, not just to visit.
Koh Yao Yai
The larger and less developed of the two Koh Yao islands, 30 to 45 minutes by speedboat from Bang Rong.
Similan Islands
The best reefs within reach of Phuket, in a park open from mid-October to mid-May, for a very long day: no nights on the islands.
See these places with us
Things to do · the islands
Islands
From Phuket you can reach many islands in a day: Phi Phi and Maya Bay, the Racha islands to the south, small Coral Island, the Khai islands, the Similan far to the north-west, and the quiet Koh Yao islands in Phang Nga Bay. They are not reached from the same pier, and they are not all open all year.
Things to do · Phang Nga Bay
Phang Nga Bay
North-east of Phuket, Phang Nga Bay is a sea of limestone towers, mangroves and hidden lagoons, much of it protected as a national park. A day there usually combines James Bond Island, a stilt village and a canoe ride into the hongs. Sheltered on three sides, the bay can be visited almost all year; James Bond Island is crowded around midday.
Common questions
Which islands near Phuket can I reach without a tour?
Phi Phi Don, by public ferry from Rassada, and Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai, by public speedboat from Bang Rong. Coral Island can also be reached by longtail from Rawai, at a price to agree. There is no public ferry to Racha Yai: you go on a tour, a dive boat or a private boat.
Which islands near Phuket close in the monsoon?
The Similan are closed from mid-May to mid-October, and Maya Bay, on Phi Phi Leh, from 1 August to 30 September. Phi Phi and Koh Yao are reached all year, with more cancellations or fewer boats in the monsoon, and Phang Nga Bay, sheltered on three sides, has trips all year in practice.