Hong Island Sunset Tour with Plankton Swim

No, and we will not pretend otherwise. Bioluminescent plankton is a living thing, not a light switch. The single biggest factor is darkness, so the nights around the new moon are far better than a bright full moon, and cloud cover helps. When conditions are right it is remarkable. There is no refund if the plankton does not show, because the rest of the tour runs as booked, so book this one for the sunset and the swim and treat the plankton as the bonus it is.

No. The Than Bok Khorani National Park entry fee is paid at the islands and is not part of the tour price. It is 300 baht per adult and 150 baht per child aged 4 to 11, in cash. Bring it with you: there is no card machine at the park and no ATM on the islands.

No. You book online and pay on the day of the tour, so nothing is charged when you reserve your seats. Bring cash for the tour price and for the national park fee if it is not already included.

Pickup is from your hotel and it is included from Ao Nang, Railay, Klong Muang, Tub Kaek, Krabi Town and Nopparat Thara, from 11:30 depending on your area. Give us your hotel name and room number when you book and we send the exact time the day before. If you are staying outside those areas, message us before booking and we will tell you whether we can reach you.

The tour runs about eight hours from pickup, with the afternoon at the islands, sunset from the beach and the plankton swim after dark. Most guests are back at their hotel between 20:00 and 21:00 depending on where they are staying.

The darker the sky, the better. The week around the new moon is the best window every month, and a clear moonless night beats a bright one by a long way. If your dates are flexible, check the moon phase before you pick a date and aim for the new moon.

No. Life vests are provided and worn in the water at every stop, and the guide stays with the group. The beaches at Pakbia and Hong Island shelve gently, so non-swimmers and small children can stand in the shallows.

Yes. Children aged 4 to 11 pay 1,395 baht and infants aged 2 to 3 travel free. Life vests come in child sizes, the beaches are shallow and calm, and an adult must travel with every child. Bring a hat, a rash vest and reef-safe sunscreen: the boat has shade but the beaches have very little.

Nearly always, because we plan the day around the tide rather than the clock. The entrance is a narrow gap in the cliff, and it works best at mid-tide, roughly two to three hours either side of high water. At the top of the tide the gap gets too low to pass safely, and at the bottom there is exposed rock in the way. Your captain knows the tide times for your date and builds the running order around them, which is why the order of the stops changes from day to day. There is a live tide chart on our tides guide if you want to check your date before booking.

The tour runs in light rain, which is common and passes quickly. The decision that matters is the sea state, not the sky: if the port authority closes the pier or the captain judges the crossing unsafe, we contact you to move the tour to another date or refund you in full. We never send a boat out in conditions we would not take our own families out in.

Swimwear worn under your clothes, a towel, a hat, sunglasses, reef-safe sunscreen, and cash for the park fee and anything you buy on the day. Mask, snorkel and life vest are provided. A dry bag is worth having: longtail boats take spray, and phones and cameras are the things people lose.

Yes. Cancelling or moving your booking to another date is free up to 24 hours before the tour starts, and anything you have paid is refunded in full. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded. If we have to cancel, for example for weather or safety, you can move to another date or take a full refund.

To keep the ride safe, this tour is not suitable for pregnant women. If that could apply to anyone in your group, contact us before booking and we will help you find a better fit.