I went on a tour to visit Koh Rok, the most beautiful island accessible from Phuket. Our sea voyage began with a meeting at the Boat Lagoon pier. Guide Polina gave a briefing, explained everything, and explained the tour. A small breakfast snack was also provided—tea, coffee, sandwiches, and cookies, plus you can arrange for a hotel lunch box on site. Our transportation was a pleasant surprise: a large, comfortable catamaran, much more stable in the waves than typical speedboats, and also very fast. The first crossing took us about two hours, with a snorkeling stop at Koh Ha, which means "five islands" in Thai. The underwater world here is truly beautiful, with huge corals and a multitude of vibrant tropical fish—all in crystal-clear, transparent water. But don't forget about the undercurrent; it's subtle, but it's there. So everyone swam wearing life jackets—it was uncomfortable, but safe. We then sailed for about an hour to Koh Rok Yai. Koh Rok Yai is a beauty comparable to the Maldives, a bounty island with a white beach and turquoise water. There are no waves or wind here; the water lazily laps against the shore, creating its own relaxing melody. Time slows down on this island. You just want to sit and enjoy this beauty forever. But the beauty isn't just on the outside; it's hidden underwater, too. You don't need to drive or swim anywhere—just enter the water, move about 5 meters from the shore, and there they are—the corals, the fish all nearby. Parrotfish nibble on the corals, spreading the crunching sound across the entire seabed. Horned zancles carefully patrol their territory among the corals. Butterflyfish flutter carefree through the vast expanses of water. And on the coral surface, Christmas worms open their colorful, elegant umbrellas. This entire underwater community is so perfectly created, so perfectly designed by nature itself, that looking at the trampled and broken coral tips, you begin to realize that humans are superfluous here. I don't know how many more years this beauty will last under the influence of the ever-increasing influx of tourists. It's a relief that there are no organized developments here, just a couple of bungalows and a restaurant where all the tourists who come to the island, including our group, dine. After an intense first half of the day, a traditional Thai lunch awaited us—rice, stewed vegetables with chicken, fried chicken in batter, coffee, tea, and fruit. After lunch, free time for snorkeling, photo ops against the white sandy beach, or simply relaxing in the beauty we beheld. Time flew by; it was as if the island wouldn't let me go. Walking along the pontoon pier to the boat, I looked back again and again, admiring the view. I didn't want to leave this little tropical paradise! Another snorkeling stop awaited us next, at the neighboring island of Rok Noi, but due to strong waves and currents, the catamaran crew decided to snorkel elsewhere. To my delight, we returned to Koh Rok Yai, or rather, to its southern tip, where I once again admired the rich underwater world, huge heads of centuries-old corals nestled among sharp-spined sea urchins, and schools of fish swimming below. Now, having truly said goodbye to Koh Rok Yai, we headed to the "mainland," namely, to spend the night on Koh Lanta. It was my first time on Koh Lanta, and I was immediately struck by the beautiful, solid bridge connecting the two halves of the island – Lanta Noi and Lanta Yai. An unusual form of transportation awaited us at the pier – a Thai tuk-tuk with a trailer large enough to accommodate our entire group of 50. Like a train, we were whisked to the ASURA Hotel. A complex of charming bungalows was built around a pool. After the day's activities, no one wanted to swim in the pool, but the entire setting looked beautiful with the evening lighting. In the time remaining before dinner, I managed to stroll and watch the sunset on the beach, which turned out to be a 5-minute walk from our hotel. At 7:00 PM, a fire show awaited us, followed by dinner, again in traditional Thai style. However, for our "suffering" fellow citizens, they also prepared spaghetti Bolognese, so no one left hungry. After dinner, everyone was invited to visit the evening market. So, even on such a tour, shopping is possible. The next morning greeted us with perfect weather. After breakfast, we set off again on the same unusual means of transport, like a train, to the dock where our boat, with the memorable name "Sruta," was docked. Our captain then steered the catamaran through the narrow strait between the islands of Lanta Noi and Lanta Yai. The shores of the strait are covered entirely in mangroves, home to troops of wild monkeys. These cunning creatures have a nasty, pugnacious nature, judging by the way they tried to drown each other while swimming after a banana thrown into the water. After admiring the local tropical flora and fauna, we headed to the island of Koh Muk to the Emerald Cave. Actually, it's not a cave, but a stone pit enclosed on all sides, accessible only by swimming through a narrow tunnel, holding on to a rope. Daylight doesn't penetrate the tunnel, so we navigated by the light of our Thai guides' flashlights. It was an incredible experience. The light from the flashlights, reflecting off the tunnel ceiling, illuminated the water, giving it a mystical emerald hue. The cave itself, for me personally, was emerald, adorned with vibrant tropical foliage of unimaginably enormous proportions. Beneath the leaves of the enormous plants, I felt like a Lilliputian in the Land of Giants. On all sides were sheer rock faces covered in vines and other vegetation, and high above, a small patch of blue sky, through which moisture penetrated this secluded paradise world, enabling all these tropical plants to thrive. Unfortunately, due to the difficult access to the cave, photography and videography were not possible. This is only possible with a special protective cover, which the guide warns us about before the tour begins, but not everyone heeds it. The final island visited on the tour is Koh Kradan. Shore snorkeling was also mentioned here, followed by lunch. However, snorkeling on Koh Rok and Koh Kradan are very different. Despite their relatively close proximity, they are strikingly different. On Koh Kradan, the water is murky, the corals are mostly dead, and there are very few fish. Therefore, it's not even worth wasting time snorkeling. Simply enjoy the moment, swimming, and admiring the surrounding beauty. Lunch is also served here on Koh Kradan. Thai dishes are a priority. Afterward, you can spend about an hour swimming or strolling along the shore, discovering several interesting photo locations against the backdrop of huge washed-up trees, a sandy beach, and turquoise sea. Next, we had a long, two-hour voyage to the Phi Phi Islands, where, from a catamaran, we explored the Viking Cave, where swallows' nests are harvested for their delicacy. After this short "water" stop, another hour remained until we returned to Phuket. The two-day excursion turned out to be very intense and active. As our guide, Polina, said, only 1% of tourists vacationing in Phuket see what we saw. So if you're looking to experience Thailand a little more, I highly recommend heading to the remote southern islands with Treasure Island! 🛥️
