Things I wish I would have known before going. Rachel_H
Overall, we had a **great experience** and really enjoyed the tour! I wanted to write this as a bit of a compliment sandwich because there were a lot of things we genuinely loved, along with a few things I wish I had known beforehand.
The Good Stuff 🌴
We were really glad the **big boat had options for both shade and sun**, so you could move around depending on what you wanted. The crew was incredibly kind, and there was *always* some type of snack or drink available. Even before we got on the boat, there were snacks, and there was something available between each stop. I was never hungry or sitting there wondering when food was going to come!
Throughout the day, they served **tea, coffee (with sugar, but no cream), iced juice, and cold water**.
Lunch was also surprisingly generous. From what I remember, the food progression was:
* Cookies/snacks before getting on the boat
* Lunch after the first stop: fried chicken, fried rice with egg, steamed vegetables, a cold Thai noodle dish (I’m not sure what it was called, but it was GOOD), two or three different chicken dishes with sauces, and onion rings
* A cola-type drink was served with lunch
* Fresh fruit after our next stop
* Popsicles shortly before docking (pink and green flavors)
So, definitely no complaints about being hungry on this tour!
Our canoe guide also happened to be the **captain of the big boat that day**, which was pretty cool. His name was **Kole**, I believe. We took the tour on the 25th.
Before we docked, someone also came around with **printed photos from the day** that you could purchase if you wanted to. I thought that was a fun little extra.
A Note About Pickup & Timing 🚐
We stayed at **The Nature Inn in Patong**, and we happened to be the **last hotel picked up and the last hotel dropped off**.
One thing I would definitely point out for anyone booking the later/10:00 AM tour: **10:00 AM does NOT mean you'll be picked up anywhere close to 10:00 AM.**
Our pickup was around **7:30 AM**, depending on your hotel and the route. Because of traffic and being one of the last drop-offs, we didn't get back to our hotel until around **7:30 PM or later**.
So just be prepared for this to be basically an **all-day experience**.
Things I Wish I Had Known Beforehand 👀
I read through a bunch of reviews before the tour trying to figure out what we should bring, and I couldn't really find much information about this. So here is what I personally would have liked to know before leaving:
**📱 Waterproof phone case**
If you want to bring your phone with you without worrying about dropping it in the water, I would definitely bring a waterproof phone case.
They sell them at the tour office for around **200 THB**, I believe. However, there were people selling them on the street for around **50 THB**, so you can definitely find them cheaper.
If you're keeping your phone safely in your bag on the boat, you obviously don't need one.
**💧 Waterproof storage bags**
The tour office also sells waterproof storage bags, but they were more expensive than ones we saw being sold on the street. This was actually the opposite of what we were told during the morning meeting, so just something to be aware of.
**☀️ Sunscreen**
This one is common sense, but definitely bring sunscreen if you need it! They do sell it at the tour office, but I'd rather bring my own.
**👟 Water shoes or sandals that can get wet**
I would highly recommend these.
At one point, we “hiked” through a cave. And by “hiked,” I mean **walked through a cave with knee-high water** 😂. It wasn't strenuous at all, but your feet are definitely getting wet.
They do sell water shoes at the tour office as well.
**🏖️ Towel**
If you plan on swimming, **bring your own towel**.
They don't provide towels, so you'll be out of luck unless you bring one or buy one from the office.
**💵 Cash**
If you want to buy anything from the vendors on the islands, **bring cash**. They do not take cards.
One More Random Thing: The Shoes 😂
The boat is **SHOE-FREE**.
Everyone is barefoot on the boat, and when you first get on, they collect everyone's shoes and dump them into two big plastic tote bins.
Then, at every stop, everyone has to dig through the bins to find their shoes again.
My friend and I quickly decided we were not participating in that chaos, so we just **strapped our shoes to our backpacks**. 😂 Highly recommend.
The bathrooms are the same way. You technically don't have to wear shoes to use them, although I did see someone grab their shoes before going in... and then I did the same thing. 😂
One random observation: I swear the bathroom floors may have been heated from the boat engine being underneath them? The floors were obviously wet after people came back from swimming, but they seemed to dry surprisingly quickly. Maybe it was the engine... maybe it was just Thailand magic. 😂
Overall ⭐️
Overall, **we had a great time and would absolutely recommend the tour**.
There are definitely a few things I wish had been mentioned beforehand—especially the towel, water shoes, cash, waterproof phone case, and the fact that you're going to spend basically the entire day out.
But now that I know what to expect, I would **still recommend this tour to others, and I would personally do it again**.
Hopefully this review helps someone else know exactly what to pack and what to expect before they go!
