4 Islands Tour

About this trip

The 4 Islands Tour is the traditional longtail version of the classic Krabi day on the water: the four islands lying off Ao Nang, plus Railay Beach, taken at the pace of a wooden boat with an open deck. The boat is the point of this one. A longtail sits low in the water, has no roof over most of it, and moves slowly enough that you watch the coast come towards you instead of skipping past it. The day runs from 09:30 to 15:00, roughly six hours, and includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, a Thai-style buffet lunch and an English-speaking guide.

If what you want is a covered boat or less time spent traveling between the stops, this is not the trip to book. Our Four Island Railay Bay tour visits the same four islands and lets you pick between a longtail, a speedboat and a private speedboat for your own group. Book that one if the choice of boat matters. Book this one because you want the longtail.

What the day looks like

The boat departs at 09:30 and you are back at around 15:00. Hotel pick-up and drop-off are included, and we confirm your collection time once we know where you are staying, so ask us when you book rather than assuming a time.

The order of the islands is not fixed. Tup Island only does its trick at low water, so the crew build the day around the tide rather than a printed schedule. What follows is the shape of the day, not a timetable.

Tup Island is the sandbar. When the tide drops, a strip of sand rises out of the sea and connects the island to its neighbors, and you can walk the length of it with clear shallow water on either side. On a longtail you arrive slowly and low down, which suits a sandbar better than arriving at speed.

Chicken Island takes its name from the limestone formation at one end, which does look like a chicken's head and neck once you have been shown where to look. It is the snorkeling stop on this itinerary, so this is where the masks come out. Snorkeling equipment and life jackets are provided.

Poda Island is the long white sand beach with shallow clear water around it, a stop for swimming and sitting still rather than doing anything in particular. Lunch is a Thai-style buffet served during the tour, with seasonal fruit and drinking water included, so you are not hunting for a beach restaurant or budgeting for a meal on top of the tour price.

Phra Nang Cave Beach is the last of the four, and it is the one with the shrine. The cave is filled with carved wooden offerings left by visitors, and people come to worship as well as to look, so give it a few quiet minutes before you swim. Railay Beach sits alongside it, walled in by cliffs and reachable only by boat, which makes a longtail a fitting way to turn up.

Who this trip suits

This one suits people who like the idea of the boat as much as the islands. If a slow open wooden boat, wind and an unobstructed view of the cliffs sounds like the good part of a day out, book it. It suits couples, families and groups of friends, and it works as a first look at this coast because these four islands are the ones everybody comes to see. It also suits anyone who would rather not think about lunch, since a buffet lunch is part of the trip.

It suits you less well if you dislike sun and exposure for a long stretch, or if you want a private boat on your own timing. In either case, take the Four Island Railay Bay trip instead.

What to bring

Swimwear under your clothes, a towel, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. Sandals or water shoes are useful for the sandbar and the rockier edges. A light layer is sensible for a long day on an open boat, and a dry bag for your phone helps, since there is not much shelter on deck. Bring cash for the park fees, which are not included.

Good to know

Snorkeling equipment, life jackets, drinking water, seasonal fruits, the buffet lunch, an English-speaking guide, basic accident insurance and hotel transfers are all included. Park fees are not: the 4 Islands national park entrance fee is ฿200 per adult and ฿100 per child aged 4 to 11, charged per person on the day.

The calm, clear months on this coast run roughly from November to April. From May to October the monsoon makes conditions more variable, and the trip still runs on plenty of those days, but the sea has more of a say. The program is subject to change based on weather and sea conditions.

Booking

Message us on WhatsApp with your dates, the number of adults and children, and your hotel name. We will confirm availability and tell you your pick-up time and collection point. If you are weighing this trip against the Four Island Railay Bay tour, say so and we will talk you through the difference rather than quoting you both.