Phang Nga Bay

[PaulaJK]

We are looking for a pvt tour guide for a motorcraft tour of Phang Nga Bay. If you have utlizied the services of a guide for either this region

or an agency with offices in varioius regions of Thailand, I would appreciate your recommendations. Thanksi

[Saga Ruby]

We are looking for a pvt tour guide for a motorcraft tour of Phang Nga Bay. If you have utlizied the services of a guide for either this region or an agency with offices in varioius regions of Thailand, I would appreciate your recommendations. Thanksi

 

A lifelong dream of mine was to visit the Bay. I enjoyed several geology courses in college and, early on, stumbled on the glories that are Phang Nga Bay which are vividly shown in "Man with the Golden Gun," a Roger Moore, James Bond movie.

 

I am a solo traveler and really enjoy researching, finding, and hiring private guides. For Phang Nga Bay, I read many guide books, wrung information from the Web, got nowhere. Part of the problem was that the tsunami had wreaked its havoc in 2004 and I was there in 2006, just after the 2-year anniversary, and it was obvious that travel services were not fully up and running yet.

 

I let the Destinations office onboard Nautica arrange my day trip and I'm glad I did. I had a great driver, brand-new van, and an excellent tour guide, Tookta. After spending most of a year trying to find a reliable local guide, I was glad I let Oceania do the arrangements. My ship docked in Phuket and my driver spent the better part of an hour taking us overland to the Bay side. You will pass the Elephant Park as you drive out the fine new highway on the way to the Bay.

 

At the Bay, when you walk up to the end of the concrete pier, there are lines of boats waiting to take on passengers and, I suspect, one could hire a boat on the spot without an English-speaking guide. But how you get from Phuket to the Bay is a question for which I have no answer.

 

Tookta and I got into the gaily-painted long-tail boat and motored less than 300 yards before our engine failed, we pulled over to the side of the coastline, and another boat came up, tossed over a fan belt, and off we went in 10 mins. We sailed on a saltwater river for about a few miles then enjoyed sailing thru a low-hanging grotto which can only be traversed by the individual boats, not the larger ones.

 

It takes about an hour to make the run from the boat pier to the far reaches of the Bay and, on a windy day, the ride can be quite brisk. I love choppy water so I was happy and used my water bottle to pour over my sunglasses as the salt water caked on the lenses. You can also make stops along the way at the stilt village for lunch and other places, all of which are cheerfully-run tourist spots engagingly set up to encourage tourist money from tourist pockets.

 

I thought the entire trip was a blast.

 

Ruby

[PaulaJK]

Ruby,

 

Thank you for your reply. Your trip sounds like what we are seeking.

 

I am afraid to wait until I board the ship to have them arrange for this as Phuket is on day 2 of the cruise. Hence, the search for a guide or tour company continues.

 

Do you happen to have any contact info for Tooka? Paula

[Saga Ruby]

I am afraid to wait until I board the ship to have them arrange for this as Phuket is on day 2 of the cruise. Hence, the search for a guide or tour company continues. Do you happen to have any contact info for Tooka? Paula

 

Sorry, I do not have contact information for Tookta. Back in 2005 when I was planning my trip to the Bay, I was sending queries to the various tour agencies listed on the Web in the Phuket area. I rarely got a reply because the tsunami flattened all tourist proprietaries in the area. Like you, I didn't want to wait until I boarded Nautica but, in talking to several other pax onboard, the private travelers were having problems finding cars and guides, the guidebooks were out of date due to the disaster - I had no other options.

 

I have been told in years past that you can go to the beach hotels in Phuket and arrange the day trip over to the Bay but, for reasons of time and assurance of seeing the Bay, I chose the ship's tour office. Which is only the second time in my life as a traveler I have done that, but each time was wildly successful altho' pricey. When I got in the van and, after introductions, Tookta gave me a map of the area and I was hoping it had her agency name on it but no joy.

 

One last story about my Bay experience - after Tookta and I got off the long-tailed boat, she stopped at a tiny shop selling fried plaintains in a cup out of a white-hot cauldron suspended over an open wood fire. When I asked where we would be having lunch, she pointed down the road to a 5-story hotel and said the ship's tour buses stopped there for a buffet lunch and we could do the same. I demurred, bought 3 cups of plaintains from the vendor, and Tookta, the driver, and I munched on fresh fried plaintain chips all the way back to the ship.

 

Ruby

[Lair Bear]

Sailing in Thailand brings back many memories for us also. We had chartered a sail boat for ten days to see the bay and lots of the islands near Phuket. To see some of this go to http://www.*****.com/thailand.htm

 

I need to do some rework of this web page, but hope it will make sense to you.

 

However, to address your question about prior arrangements with a tour guide, I can only suggest that you contact one of the major resorts in Phuket and pose the question about tours to Phang Nga Bay. I know there are several tour operators with long boats or fast jet boats to take you there for a full day excursion. Some bring kayaks to explore some of the grottos or 'hong'.

Try to Google the major hotels and send them an email.

 

[Saga Ruby]

However, to address your question about prior arrangements with a tour guide, I can only suggest that you contact one of the major resorts in Phuket and pose the question about tours to Phang Nga Bay. I know there are several tour operators with long boats or fast jet boats to take you there for a full day excursion. Some bring kayaks to explore some of the grottos or 'hong'. Try to Google the major hotels and send them an email.

 

What lovely pix! Seeing the overhanging grotto entrance brings back fond memories.

 

I agree that some minimal research on the Web or a hotel operator can help book a reliable tour of the Bay. When I was there in Dec 2006, as I said above, the functions for tourism were not quite up and running from the effects of the tsunami. I did, however, go online a week ago and there are at least two major operators in the Bay that I wouldn't hesitate to book with. And booking a tour with a hotel certainly puts the hotel in line with ensuring that you have a good tour.

 

Ruby