Phuket Boat ToursPhi Phi, Maya & Khai Luxury Power Catamaran Day Tour
Sawanu Travel runs this Phi Phi power catamaran day tour in reverse from a lounge at Royal Phuket Marina: Khai Islands first, Maya Bay last, with an hour scheduled at the bay — the longest slot in this catalogue. National park tickets are included and there is Wi-Fi and a restroom on board. The catch is evidence: 110 reviews against thousands on the boats it competes with.
About This Catamaran Day Tour
Full day, valid one day, with a marina lounge start
$76 per adult with national park tickets included
4.2 from 110 reviews on GetYourGuide
Power catamaran from Royal Phuket Marina, 30 minutes to the first stop
40 minutes snorkelling plus Pileh Lagoon and Khai
Shared; no babies under 1 and no guests over 70
Listing at a Glance
The same fields on every tour page here, read from the operator's listing in August 2026. Prices, inclusions and availability are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout on the platform.
- Tour name Phi Phi, Maya & Khai Luxury Power Catamaran Day Tour
- Operator Sawanu Travel Company Limited
- Booking platform GetYourGuide
- Product ID 1168156
- Starting price $76 USD per adult
- Price last checked August 2026
- Rating 4.2 out of 5
- Review count 110 reviews
- Review source GetYourGuide verified bookings
- Duration Full day
- Time at the stops 1 hour at Maya Bay, 1 hour at Khai, 1 hour lunch on Phi Phi Don, 40 minutes snorkelling
- Pickup window Hotel pickup, then 40 minutes at the marina lounge before boarding
- Time to the first stop 30 minutes by boat from Royal Phuket Marina to the first stop
- Expected return One hour by boat back to Phuket, then hotel drop-off
- Transport Minivan transfer plus power catamaran
- Group size Shared; capacity not stated on the listing
- Guide language English, Chinese, Russian
- National park fee National park tickets listed as included — [published park rates](https://www.nationthailand.com/thai-destination/40016384)
- Lunch Included
- Drinks Soft drinks, snacks and fresh fruit on board
- Hotel pickup Included
- Cancellation deadline 24 hours before the start time
- Reserve now, pay later Available
- Age and health limits Babies under 1 not accepted; travellers over 70 not accepted
- Physical difficulty Moderate; the listing asks that you are comfortable in water
- Wheelchair accessibility None stated
- Swimming time 40 minutes snorkelling plus swimming at Pileh Lagoon and Khai
- Extra costs on the day None stated
- Responsible-travel note Monkey Bay is viewed from the boat
- Weather limitations The operator recommends motion-sickness medication; stops move with sea conditions
- Alternative tour [Sea Angel Phi Phi Speedboat](/phi-phi-maya-bay-khai-speedboat-park-fees/)
Check Dates and Availability
Live prices and departures from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and reserve now pay later.
Quick answer Same islands, opposite order, and the longest Maya Bay stop on the page
A full-day power catamaran from Royal Phuket Marina running the Phi Phi circuit in reverse: Khai Islands, Monkey Bay, lunch on Phi Phi Don, snorkelling, the Viking Cave, Pileh Lagoon and an hour at Maya Bay. $76 per adult with national park tickets included, rated 4.2 from 110 reviews.
Key takeaways
- Running the circuit backwards puts you at the busy stops off the main wave of boats
- Park tickets are in the price, so nothing is collected at the pier — see the Phuket boat tour price table
- An hour is scheduled at Maya Bay, twice what most boats give it
- Only 110 reviews so far; the Sea Angel boat has 2,077 for $25 less
- Not accepted: babies under 1 and travellers over 70
What Running It Backwards Changes
The order of the day
Almost every Phi Phi boat leaves Phuket, crosses to Phi Phi Leh and does Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon first, because they are the photographs people booked for. This one starts at the Khai Islands 30 minutes from the marina, takes in Monkey Bay, eats lunch on Phi Phi Don, then works back through snorkelling, the Viking Cave and Pileh Lagoon to reach Maya Bay at the end of the day.
The practical effect is that you arrive at the two most congested stops after the first wave of boats has moved on. Nobody has Maya Bay to themselves, but late afternoon is a materially different experience from 10:30.
The cost of the reversal is that the swimming happens later in the day, when the light is lower and the water has been churned by everyone else's boats.
An hour at Maya Bay
The itinerary allots a full hour to Maya Bay — twice what the speedboats schedule — and lists it as visit, free time and walk rather than a photo stop.
That is genuinely the longest slot of any tour on this site, and between 1 October and 31 July it is the reason to book this boat. During the annual closure from 1 August to 30 September the bay takes no landings at all, so that hour becomes water-level sightseeing and the tour's main differentiator evaporates.
If you are travelling in August or September, this listing loses the thing that justifies its price. Check the date before you book.
The marina lounge start
Check-in is at a hospitality lounge at Royal Phuket Marina with a light breakfast and a certified guide's safety briefing, 40 minutes scheduled. It is a more comfortable start than a pier tent, and the marina is easy to reach from Phuket Town and the eastern hotels.
On board there is Wi-Fi, a restroom, fresh fruit, snacks and soft drinks. Guides work in English, Chinese and Russian, which is a wider spread than most boats here offer.
Arrive 30 minutes before departure — the operator asks for it, and boarding a catamaran with a full manifest is not quick.
The Evidence Problem, Stated Plainly
110 reviews is not enough to be sure
A 4.2 from 110 reviews and a 4.4 from 2,077 are not the same kind of number. The first can move half a star on twenty bookings; the second is settled. This listing is newer than its competitors on the same route and has not yet accumulated the evidence to be judged the way they can be.
That is not a criticism of the operator. It is a statement about what a comparison site can honestly tell you: the boat is well equipped, the itinerary is thoughtfully ordered, and the sample is small.
What the reviews there are say is consistent — friendly attentive guides, clean boats, smooth transfers — with the recurring caveat that the schedule feels rushed and travellers want more time at key stops, Maya Bay in particular.
Where it sits against the others
At $76 all-in it costs $25 more than the Sea Angel speedboat and about $20 more than the $43 speedboat once that one's park fee is paid at the pier. Both of those have thousands of reviews.
What the extra buys is the catamaran itself — two hulls ride flatter than a three-engine speedboat, which matters on the hour-long crossing between June and October — plus the reverse routing and the marina lounge.
Book it if the ride quality and the late Maya Bay slot are worth the premium to you, and if you are travelling outside the closure. Otherwise the cheaper boats do the same islands with a longer track record.
Who cannot board
Babies under one year and travellers over 70 are not accepted, along with pregnant travellers and people with heart problems. The over-70 limit is unusual — no other tour on this site publishes one — and it is worth checking before booking for older parents.
The operator also asks that participants are comfortable in water, recommends motion-sickness medication, and bans weapons, strollers, prams and fireworks on board.
Bring cash: what to bring lists it explicitly, alongside sunglasses, a sun hat, swimwear and biodegradable sunscreen.
Tour Itinerary, Hour by Hour
The reverse circuit below. Stop order shifts with sea conditions and park crowd control.
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07:30
Hotel pickup
Shared van transfer, about an hour to Royal Phuket Marina depending on where you are staying.
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08:30
Lounge, breakfast and briefing
Forty minutes at the marina hospitality lounge: light breakfast, safety briefing from a certified guide.
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09:10
Catamaran to the Khai Islands
Thirty minutes to the first stop, then an hour of free time on Khai Nok's white sand.
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10:40
Monkey Bay
Fifteen minutes watching macaques on the rocks from the water.
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11:15
Lunch on Phi Phi Don
An hour ashore on the largest island in the group, with a buffet lunch and free time.
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12:30
Snorkelling
Forty minutes at a Phi Phi site with mask, fins and a new mouthpiece supplied.
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13:20
Viking Cave
Fifteen minutes at the swiftlet-nest cliff, seen from the boat.
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13:45
Pileh Lagoon
Thirty minutes swimming in the emerald channel between the limestone walls.
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14:30
Maya Bay
A full hour — visit, free time and the walk in. Closed to landings 1 August to 30 September.
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15:45
The run home
About an hour back to Phuket, then hotel drop-off.
Questions About the Power Catamaran Tour
Why does this tour visit the islands in reverse order?
To miss the crowd. Most Phi Phi boats do Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon first thing; this one starts at the Khai Islands and reaches Maya Bay in mid-afternoon, when the first wave of boats has left. The trade-off is that the swimming stops fall later in the day.
Is a power catamaran smoother than a speedboat?
Generally yes — two hulls ride flatter than a single planing hull, which matters on the hour-long crossing to Phi Phi between June and October. The operator still recommends motion-sickness medication and asks that guests are comfortable in water.
Are there age limits on this tour?
Yes, at both ends: babies under one year and travellers over 70 are not accepted, along with pregnant travellers and people with heart problems. No other tour compared on this site publishes an upper age limit.
What is on board?
Wi-Fi, a restroom, fresh fruit, light snacks, soft drinks, snorkelling equipment with a new mouthpiece per guest, life jackets and travel insurance. Breakfast is served in the marina lounge before boarding and lunch is a buffet on Phi Phi Don.
Which languages do the guides speak?
English, Chinese and Russian — the widest spread compared on this site. The safety briefing at the marina lounge is given by a certified guide before boarding.
Should I book this or a cheaper speedboat?
Book this for the ride quality, the marina lounge start and the hour at Maya Bay outside the annual closure. Book a speedboat if evidence matters more than comfort: this listing carries 110 reviews against 2,077 and 2,119 on the two speedboats covering the same islands for less.
What Travellers Said
Lunch was lovely as were the drinks and snacks provided throughout the day. Our children enjoyed the snorkelling.
Perfectly organized from start to finish. The entire day was enjoyable and completely stress-free.
Great boat, very clean. Felt safe the whole time. Everything on schedule.
It was a nice and safe trip. We are very satisfied. I can only recommend it.
Short excerpts from verified GetYourGuide reviews of this tour, with their original dates. Full reviews sit on the operator's listing.
Page last reviewed August 2026. Price, rating and review count read from the listing on August 2026. Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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