Small-Group Sea Kayaking at Hong Island from Krabi

Excellent day. It was @ a 30 minute drive from our hotel to the pier, and another 30 minutes on a long boat to reach the island. We were a small group of 4 and our guide A checked we were comfortable with kayaking before we set off round the island. We stopped off in a lagoon and the scenery was spectacular. We were given the choice of returning the way we came or carrying on round the island. We decided to carry on round and had some amazing features pointed out to us on the way. Back at the beach, we went for a tasty lunch of local dishes, and then had around an hour to snorkel. We then went by long boat to another beach for more snorkelling before returning to the pier and return to our hotels. A great day out. (It was very sad to see the amount of plastic in the sea, but we all picked up what we could to be disposed off properly at the end of the kayak).

This trip was one of the highlights of me and my wife's belated honeymoon in Krabi. When booking, I wasn't sure specifically how big the small group would be, but on the day we went it was just us and one other couple and so almost like a private tour. I don't know what the average group size is. We were taken from our resort in Aonang to Thalane bay in an air-conditioned van, about a 30 minute drive. There, we were split into groups doing different tours. We met our guide for the day, June, who was a lot of fun and shared interesting information and stories about the local area over the course of the day. We boarded the longtail boat and set off, stopping first at Lading island aka Paradise beach, which was a beautiful spot. If you do this tour I recommend you follow the short trail from the larger beach, which leads to the other side of the island where you'll find a secluded little spot which is great for pictures. We then moved on to Hong island, where the kayaks were waiting. The kayaking was very enjoyable as we navigated the entire circumference of the island, seeing every nook and cranny up close. It was fun manoeuvring the kayak through the small arches formed by the rocks, and paddling into the lagoon was quite spectacular. I wasn't keeping track of time, but I think we were in the kayaks for 1.5 2 hours, before ending up back at the beach for several hours of free time. The provided lunch was good green curry / sweet and sour chicken / fried vegetables / fried chicken leg rice, and we were definitely ready for it after the kayaking. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this activity as it is very well planned out. The timing meant we were able to avoid a lot of the crowds at several locations, including the Hong island lagoon, we had the place totally to ourselves. June was also a great guide, and obviously enjoys what he does. One small tip: remember to bring a hat, and don't forget to apply plenty of suncream, in particular to your legs and feet which are exposed due to the seating position in the kayaks. I stupidly neglected to do so and got very sunburned!

The day was well organised, we had a good guide who gave us information on each island stop. Hong Island was where we spent the most time kayaking 4km around the island. This was followed by a very good lunch and free time for a swim and an optional nature walk. We then visited 2 other islands in the group where we had more time to explore or enjoy free time for swimming.