Chelsey's Chronicles #7: Thailand (PART 4) - A Slice of Paradise In Hong Island

Oh Thailand, you continue to take my breath away! From enjoying the crazily crowded and lively city to touching down to the peaceful and picturesque islands, our trip to Thailand was memorable in so many different ways.

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The next destination I would love to introduce to you is Hong Island.

I honestly don't think my camera captured its beauty sufficiently. Instead, I suggest you organise a trip there and see it for yourself :p
It's known to be on par with Phi Phi Island (I know, that is saying something!). Just note that Phi Phi Island isn't what it once was a decade ago. I hear so many horror stories both from friends and online detailing the insane crowds and the pollution from the dozens of tour boats coming in from both Phuket and Krabi.

But without further ado, here's my take on Hong Island - introducing her lagoon, clear waters and soft sand that were highlights during our day trip.

Bargaining with Tour Vendors

From Krabi, we negotiated with multiple vendors for the best price on the best package deal (longtail boat ride + kayaking). Vendors tend to advertise the price for 2400 bhat/person - that's around $100 AUD. However, once you approach it they will reduce the price to around 1100 baht.

Note: this is a fantastic marketing technique used by the locals. By setting the initial price high and bringing it down by an incredible amount, is sure to make tourists believe they are receiving the best deal, resulting in a successful deal.

Now, I've experienced all this before so I began my efforts to bring the price down even further. Surely enough, with a mix of friendliness and slight banter, I negotiated it down to 800 baht/person (around $30 AUD). Personally, I thought this was an incredible achievement, so much so that I never failed to mention to @nishyfishy how much money we saved :D

Longtail Boat Ride

Our longtail boat was a lot more spacious than the regular longtail boats seen at Ao Nang Beach. We were in a group of 12 and we all had enough space to sit and enjoy the view outside. The ride wasn't as wet as I thought it would be, but I did buy a dry bag the day before juuuust in case! Our tour also provided us snorkeling gear, a buffet lunch on one of the beaches and fresh fruit! The pineapple here is sweet and incredibly refreshing.

^ Our guide in the centre of the photo! He was so cool and friendly. Although only speaking minimal English, he was able to be a fantastic and informative guide

Hong Island Lagoon

^The opening to the lagoon

The best time to enter the lagoon is during high tide! Fortunately we got to embark through the lagoon and it really did open up to a beautiful view. It took my breath away as 360 views of cliffs welcomed us! Seriously, photos do not do it enough justice.

Kayaking

As part of our package deal, @nishyfishy and I also kayaked around the island. We got close and personal with colourful schools of fish. The water was clear enough that we managed to spot the largest jellyfish ever! IT WAS HUGGGEEE! Sad that we didn't have a gopro to record it blobbing by.

^ Me attempting to model the heck outta Hong Island but failing sensationally

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Hong Island is a great island to visit. For an even better experience (and if you want to splurge) try chartering your own private longtail boat and go at your own schedule. Avoiding all the crowds will sure to feel like it's your own island. Plus, you can watch the sunset as you return back! Our tour was a set schedule from 9am to 4pm, so we didn't manage to see the sun set, however we had own own private view back in our hotel (stay tuned for a post about our accommodation!)

With Love,
Chels

x

All photos taken by me on my Canon G7X Mark II - unedited for you to see its raw beauty

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