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John Gray's Hong by Starlight with Sea Cave Kayaking and Loy Krathong Floating

99 reviews

John Gray's Hong by Starlight with Sea Cave Kayaking and Loy Krathong Floating

from USD $142.58

Enjoy an afternoon of sea cave exploring in Phang Nga Bay, including the limestone caves and hidden cliff-lined lagoons discovered by John Gray in 1989. Expect a great nature and wildlife adventure with an experienced guide and enjoy the best Thai seafood buffet during your holiday aboard the convenient escort boat. Finish your trip after dark by floating your own self-made flower “Kratong” in a spiritual and spectacular natural light show.

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Due to the impacts of COVID-19, we are currently not taking new bookings for day tours.

In Brief

Location:

Tambon Pa Klok, Thailand

Country:

Thailand

Duration:

10 hours

Operates:

See Availability

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: John Gray's Sea Canoe, Phuket Town, Phuket 83000 Thailand

This full-day kayak trip from Phuket starts at midday to avoid the crowds, with a convenient pickup service by luxury air-conditioned minivan from the entire Phuket Island. Don’t eat lunch, as you will be served a healthy and nutritious meal onboard the comfortable and modern twin-engine escort boat after leaving from Ao Po Pier. During the boat ride you will watch a raptor show and get a detailed briefing about the nature and geological site of Phang Nga Bay. Learn the basic do’s and don’ts of how to securely enter the caves and hongs.

Start the first kayaking session with your well-educated and experienced guide through limestone caves and lagoons in the dramatic setting at Panak Island. The hand-made kayaks are specially designed for your trip, and you can feel absolutely safe because there was never a capsize, a puncture or any accident. Your professional guide paddles you and your partner through 'Tidal Nape' sea caves inside Phang Nga Bay’s marine limestone karstic islands into 'hongs' (Thai for room). The hidden cliff-lined lagoons are populated with macaques, water monitors, kingfishers, mud-skippers, egrets, sea eagles and brahminy kites. Return to the escort boat and move on to the second island with two more caves and hongs to explore.

You will finish after dark by floating your own self-made flower “Krathong” in a spiritual and spectacular natural light show. Guests say that the evening Loi Kratong ceremony complete with fireflies and dinoflagellates (bio-luminescent plankton) is a 'spiritual experience'.

Eat a delicious seafood/vegan buffet on the trip back, you return to the pier two hours after sunset. Only the highest-quality ingredients are used to prepare the lunch and dinner, fresh from the local market. Seafood is net caught and chickens are free range. Brown, red, and black rice is served with homemade Massaman curry.

Itinerary:
• 10:30 - 12:00: Hotel pickup service in Phuket
• 12:00 - 13:00: Meet the crew at Ao Po Pier & get instructions
• 13:00 - 13:10: Departure by escort boat to Phang Nga Bay
• 13:10 - 14:10: Enjoy lunch on board the tour boat
• 14:15 - 16:15: Kayak into the cave at Koh Phanak
• 16:15 - 16:30: Continue to Hong Island
• 16:30 - 17:30: Sightseeing & kayaking at Koh Hong
• 17:30 - 18:15: Free time for relaxing at the beach or kayaking
• 18:15 - 18:45: Make your own Krathong & have dinner on the boat
• 18:45 - 19:15: Float the self-made Krathong in the cave of Phanak Island
• 19:15 - 19:30: See phosphorescent plankton
• 19:30 - 20:30: Head back to Phuket
• 20:30 - 21:00: Transfer to your hotel

Duration: 10 hours

Stop At: Ao Po Pier, Pak Kret 4007 Pa Klok Rural Road, Pa Khlok, Phuket Thailand

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Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Phang Nga Bay., Ao Phang Nga National Park Thailand

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Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Ko Pa Nak, Ao Phang Nga National Park 82160 Thailand

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Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Ice Cream Cave, Ao Phang Nga National Park 82160 Thailand

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Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Hongs of Phang Nga, Ao Phang Nga National Park Thailand

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Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Koh Panak Cave, Ao Phang Nga National Park Thailand

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Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Pass By: John Grays Sea Canoe Co.,LTD., Ratsada, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand

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Inclusions

Hotel round-trip transfer on the entire Phuket island including airport pick-up and drop-off service
Lunch & dinner
Bottled water, herbal tea & seasonal fruits
Twin-engine escort boat
Caveman's SOTAR sea kayaks
Kayak equipment including a dry bag
Basic accident insurance
Professional and experienced English and Chinese speaking guide
National Park entrance fee

Exclusions

Alcoholic beverages

Departure Time

12:00 PM

Departure Point

Ao Po Pier, ทางหลวงชนบท ภก.4007 Tambon Pa Klok, Amphoe Thalang, Chang Wat Phuket 83110, Thailand

Traveler pickup is offered
Get picked up from your hotel on the entire Phuket Island. The exact pick-up time will be confirmed by email after you have made the booking.

Pick-up and drop-off service from/at Phuket Airport is also available. In this case let us know the flight number of arrival/departure flight.

Returns To

Returns to original departure point

Additional Information

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Booking Information

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Cancellation Terms

This trip is fully refundable up to 96 hours prior to the commencement of your trip.

Booking Terms and Conditions

When you book this trip, you need to read and accept the terms and conditions for booking our day trips in excursions.

Hotel Pickup

When you book, we will ask you to select a hotel to be picked up from. Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you a confirmation voucher with full contact information (phone number, email address) for our local operator in case you need to update or change your hotel pick-up details.

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about hotel pickup:

What if my hotel is not listed?
That's okay. When you book you can select an hotel from our list and make your way there on the day of departure; or you can contact our local operator directly to make alternate pick-up arrangements.

What if I have not yet booked a hotel?
Once your hotel arrangements are finalised, you can contact our local operator directly with your hotel details.

What if I live locally, am staying with friends or relatives, and/or don't require pick-up?
Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you complete details and directions to the tour/activity departure point.

Scoring an average traveller rating of 5 out of 5 based on the last 24 recent reviews

“

An amazing tour that was very well organized. The company was very transparent and eco friendly. We were picked up and dropped off with a bunch of other people. It is quite a large tour but did not feel crowded, as the boats are quite large as well. The company provided water bags, so we were able to have our valuables on us at all times. Each group received a kayaking tour guide who took us to some beautiful locations. The snacks and meals provided were delicious, with reusable tableware. The company had us make a krathong, which we floated later in the day. The company collected all the krathongs and any garbage they saw, leaving the area we were in nice and clean. But the best part of it all was the final bit when we saw the bioluminescent algae. It was magical. Like holding the night sky in your hands. I 100% recommend this tour for anyone looking to have a great time in Phuket.”

Angela G • Submitted 27 Jan 2020

“

Amazing adventure with wonderful guides! This was definitely one of our favorite trips while visiting Thailand!”

shalperindpt • Submitted 27 Jan 2020

“

AMAZING tour. Great value for the price. We absolutely loved it! Kayaking was fantastic. John Gray was on our tour which was a bonus. Guides are great. Food is fantastic. Highly recommend!!”

Jennilyn D • Submitted 23 Jan 2020

“

So much better than expected! I was recommended this tour by a friend and it was way better than they described! The staff were super sweet and very caring about your experience there and made sure you were enjoying every moment and not missing a single moment that could be memorable. When it was time for the kayaking portion, they pair you with a experienced team member that knows their way around quite well with a kayak. We personally felt very comfortable with our personal tour guide and everyone else seemed to be very comfortable with their guide as well. As they kayak you around they share history and facts about what your seeing/experiencing. The lunch and dinner were also very good, some dishes were even better than what we had on the mainland! The last portion of the tour was the bioluminescent and wow, you cannot forget something like that. It's not something you get a chance to experience everywhere and we were so grateful to have had that experience in Thailand. Another thing that I truly appreciated from this team was that they truthfully respected their home. They picked up trash they found floating around; didn't feed the wildlife; kept everything nice a clean not only for us as tourists but also for their families. I went on other tours that did NOT do this and it was such a shame.”

Ban A • Submitted 06 Jan 2020

“

What a great experience this was! Wonderfully planned and co-ordinated from start to finish. We had John Gray himself throughout the tour on our ferry. Kayaking through caves to see Hongs, and seeing the Plankton light up and setting afloat the krathongs were absolute highlights. One of the best experiences of my life. Highly recommended!!”

CHINTHA N • Submitted 02 Jan 2020

“

Everything was just amazing, I strongly recommend this trip. The views are unbelievable, lagunas in the islands are fantastic both at daytime and at night.”

Danila S • Submitted 30 Dec 2019

“

I said “Wow!” in wonderous amazement no less than 30 times. One of the best excursions we have ever had. My entire family of adults and teens found every detail to be fabulous. Do it!!”

Lynne E • Submitted 30 Dec 2019

“

One of the best excursions we’ve ever done. Guides are amazing and the experience is one of a kind. Pay the extra cost, as the other excursions to islands like Phi Phi are very touristic and are jam packed.”

Sabrina E • Submitted 30 Dec 2019

“

Was picked up from hotel exactly on time. Taken to port for introduction and then we were off. (This is not a drinking tour, it is an adventure tour. They provide very good food and lots of iced water, tea, etc. But they do have hard drinks, beers and soda to buy if you need them.) Once on our way to our first stop, we were served a light vegetarian lunch of salad, spring rolls and Thai noodles with vegetables. Plenty to eat, but not heavy. Upon arrival, we were assigned our own Kayak guide to paddle us through through the lime stone caves and into the sweet quite lagoons where we saw amazing rock formations, local "monkies" and other wild life. Back to the boat, then on to our next location. Guides were knowledgeable and eager to share their love of this national park area. Next came swimming, water games and kayaking alone if you wished near the boat. Our last stop we ate a fukk dinner with lots o variety, learned how to make Loy Krathong Floats and then paddles through caves to release and least temporarily our flowered creations. Finally a lovely trip back to Phuket and transport to our hotels. A full and wonderful day. Will do it again if I am fortunate enough to retur to Phuket”

joan.sakaguchi • Submitted 09 Dec 2019

“

This trip was truly worth doing and a once in a lifetime experience. Travelling to different beaches all over the world, the beaches of Thailand were amazing but not breath taking!!! Landing in Phuket (Rawai beach) when the tide was low was a little underwhelming. However, waking up the next morning to turquoise waters, catamarans and the beautiful islands in the background was amazing!!! This trip definitely made visiting the beaches of Thailand worth it! Cave kayaking was amazing and island hopping was so much fun! The only problem is that we were supposed to go to James Bond Island but they decided it wouldn't be worth it and took us to a different spot, just as beautiful and very cool. Kayaking in the dark was amazing and seeing the bioluminescent plankton was a once in a lifetime experience you really dont get just anywhere. It was perfect! John Gray really knows what hes doing and was nice enough to come out kayaking with us, take our pictures and really help us. The crew is fantastic (ask fro Charlie and Amy)! They pick you up, feed you, show you the islands and drop you off! Its the best”

naguilar23 • Submitted 06 Dec 2019

“

Amazing tour highly recommended. The crew and kitchen staff did an amazing job. The food was awesome. If you are iin Thailand dont hesitate book this tour.”

robin h • Submitted 03 Dec 2019

“

Amazing trip. Loved everything about Hongs by Starlight. Very well organised. Food really tasty. Our guide Aandi was brilliant. Spoke good English and kept us close to our son and sister so we felt we did it all together. Making Kratong was fun and floating in cave very spiritual. Thanks for a brilliant day.”

bmcottam • Submitted 25 Nov 2019

“

For my mother's birthday, I booked us on a tour with John Gray's Hong by Starlight with Sea Cave Kayaking and Loy Krathong Floating. The company excelled with its customer service by making it super convenient by picking us up from the airport and safely storing our luggage. They picked us up from the airport at 1130. It was a comfortable 30 minute ride to the port in a big modern van. We boarded the catamaran at about 1230 and started the welcome and safety program at about 1300. It was reassuring that the staff discussed safety and allowed us to use life jackets as needed. A scrumptious lunch consisting of seafood, chicken, rice and and other diseases enriched with spices (not spicy/hot) was served to us at around 1300. We even had the honor of meeting John Gray - the man who pioneered the official exploration of the caves in the 1970s...his work helped to open up the caves to the public. Now it is our responsibility to respect and preserve it. We had our first stop near one of the islands at around 1330. We were given an some time to swim in the warm pure water (never saw such clarity) and enjoy the environment before we were introduced to our personal tour guide who helped with our kayaking portion of the tour. The kayaks were American made and sturdy. Our tour guide as a very strong female who also allowed us to paddle if we wanted. It was the most ethereal experience to paddle beneath the magical rocks and caves that were carved by the omnipotent forces of the ocean water and time...into the peaceful untouched lagoons in the center of these islands. Close to sunset we finished our family activity of making Loy Krathongs, a peace offering composed of floral arrangements (our guides assisted us) tat we made and lit up with candles...then floated inside the caves. It was a truly magical experience. The staff were so friendly and exuded an attitude of being family oriented. We were driven to our hotel and I dreamt of the experience for nights.”

Allyssa Marie M • Submitted 21 Oct 2019

“

A fantastic experience from start to finish. well organised mini bus pick ups to pier transports to the boat. Great sites in the kayaks and some of the best food we consumed on the entire trip.”

Scott P • Submitted 07 Oct 2019

“

We enjoyed this tour a lot! Our kayak paddler New was so friendly and fit! The food was great and the creative side of the tour added to the special symbolic meaning of our wish! We even met John Gray and he was so friendly and told us jokes! Thanks for a beautiful memory!”

RisingSunset777 . • Submitted 16 Sep 2019

“

My family was on the fence about booking this excursion - it seemed kind of expensive and we weren't sure what to expect, but we could not be happier about our experience on John Gray's Hong by Starlight tour! From the moment we stepped onto the boat, our guides and the staff were friendly, helpful, and attentive. They fed us amazing food, took us out on kayaks 3 times, explained the things we were seeing, helped us craft our Loy Krathongs, and were overall just fantastic. Our guides, Noi and Boy, were extremely professional, caring, and great guides. It rained for some of our tour, but it did not negatively affect our experience. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in a day full of fun and adventure!”

Laura P • Submitted 27 Aug 2019

“

This was a wonderful day. The staff were fantastic and our paddler and guide Aew (?) was friendly, knowledgeable and spoke very good English. We went into several large caves and then were cleverly paddled into hidden lagoons, seeing Macaques, birds and some fish. Going into the lagoons was a real highlight of the trip ( many other companies don't do this) We had sometime to swim or paddle on our own and then made a flower offerings, which, when dark we lit and let float in the cave. We were also able to see the phosphorescent plankton. The food was excellent and we were lucky enough to see John Gray himself out paddling, He has done a great job setting up these tours and providing employment for a significant number of Thai people. Highly recommended!”

Ruth H • Submitted 19 Jul 2019

“

Musa was so outgoing and helpful that he made this trip a lot of fun. We were a couple with older children who all would repeat this trip again.”

William B • Submitted 10 Jul 2019

“

Our guide Sun was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Scenery was breathtaking—hidden coves and caves, lush greenery. Beautiful!”

Carolyn H • Submitted 03 Jul 2019

“

The staff was extremely helpful,kind courteous,and friendly. The food was delicious. The owner was gracious and informative. The scenery was breathtaking. The location was terrific”

Taneesha T • Submitted 26 Mar 2019

“

If you miss this excursion then you have done a great disservice to yourself. This was by far the best part of my 20 day Thailand trip , other than being in the country in the first place. The tour guides are awesome! Charlie was my guide and he was very informative, funny, talkative and kind. He also took great photos for me! The food was amazing and plentiful. Of course the scenery was absolutely amazing and beautiful and the Loy Krathong making and launching was very memorable. We even saw the owner John Gray on a canoe during our trip. The boat is clean, safe and your safety is #1 priority of the staff. This is a don’t miss excursion that is worth every penny!”

smlikah • Submitted 04 Feb 2019

“

Fantastic day out , great food , spectacular scenery and Nub our guide was lovely, very knowledgeable and helpful.”

Rachel G • Submitted 05 Dec 2018

“

The journey via 10-11 seater was long from Karon (1-130hrs). The van not so well air conditioned and driver had a bucket of dead dried prawns in back...not smelly but!!!! The excursion well worth it, staff happy and accomodating. Food plentiful and tasty. Drinks on board, no alcohol but you can buy at warf prior. Canoes rowed by staff, you relax at look a sceanary. You make and release flowers into cave at night, very spirual. 5 stars for excursion, 2 stars for travel. I would do again.”

Toni D • Submitted 26 Nov 2018

“

Best trip in Thailand. Really good. Good quality of food, fun activities, etc”

Matjaz L • Submitted 28 Oct 2018