exploring phuket + phang nga bay | 🇹🇭 thailand travel vlog

This week we’re in Phuket, the largest island in southern Thailand.
We’ll take you along on a full day, private speedboat tour around Phang Nga Bay, hopping around its many small islands. We’ll be kayaking through some caves, checking out a mangrove forest, exploring a hidden beach, doing a little swimming, visiting James Bond Island, and enjoying the sunset while eating at a floating seafood restaurant.
Then we’ll end our amazing time in Phuket with a unique drone photoshoot among giant lily pads at one of the most beautiful mountain resorts.
📍Places we visited (listed in order of appearance in the video):
1. Sawasdee Village: The resort we’re staying at. We love it here. You can see a full walkthrough of our villa in this video: • phuket luxury villa to...
2. iNest Poshtel: A cafe/restaurant open early for breakfast that’s right outside of our hotel (Sawasdee Village Resort & Spa). They serve western and Thai cuisine. The food was so-so, but they had indoor seating and a nice, clean interior.
3. 5 Star Marine Boat Tours: They provide private boat tours in the Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga region. Avoid the crowds, see little known stunning beaches, hidden lagoons and snorkeling spots in the comfort of your own Private Speedboat complete with experienced guides, captains and crew. If you want to customize your adventure, want flexibility (where to go, how long to stay, when to eat, etc.), and would like to avoid crowds, this is a premium experience I highly recommend. The crew and guide are wonderful and friendly. The guide speaks great English and takes fantastic photos/videos for you. I believe each boat can take up to 8 or 12 people, for the same price.
4. Ao Phang Nga National Park: Ao Phang Nga National Marine Park was created by royal decree in 1981 to preserve area marine life. The park covers more than 40 islands in the Andaman Sea, including Khao Phing Kan, known as “James Bond Island” after its islet Ko Ta Pu appeared in the movie The Man With the Golden Gun. You’ll have to pay a small fee (300 baht) to enter this park.
5. Koh Panyee: A famous floating village inhabited by fishermen. It’s a small island community of about 1,600 people from 360 families permanently living on the island. All of them are the descendants, directly or indirectly, of Toh Baboo and his family and friends from Indonesia, who were the first people to settle on Koh Panyee some 200 years ago.
6. JaJa’s Halaal Food Floating Restaurant: This was my best attempt at translating the restaurant name based on its menu cover (thanks Google Translate). Don’t be deceived by its modest appearances because the food was AMAZING. One of the best meals we’ve had in Thailand so far - everything was cooked to perfection and just so dang tasty. We thought it would be a tourist trap, but the food was incredible. Don’t be afraid to be adventurous and eat family-style to try different dishes. If you just stick to a noodle or fried rice, you’ll be missing out.
7. Eyes by Betty: A cute little salon that offers eyelash extensions, eyelash lifts (which is what I did), brow waxing + brow tattoos, and nail services. I loved the decor and interior. The only thing I’d note is that it’s not exactly a relaxing experience - there’s a lot of loud chit chat/conversation and really bright + hot lights that beat down on you as you lie there getting your eyelashes done. But I’m very happy with the outcome!
8. Ma Doo Bua Cafe: Incredible food and incredible views. I was surprised by how GOOD the food was (literally the best pad kra pao we’ve had in Thailand, and we’ve eaten a lot of pas kra pao). The main attraction is an artificial lake covered with giant circular floating leaves called Victoria Amazonica, a species of flowering plant, the largest of the Nymphaeaceae family of giant water lilies. You can take photos here by yourself or pay to do a professional drone photoshoot on one of the wooden boats. I highly recommend doing the drone shoot - it’s a once in a lifetime kind of experience and the photos/videos are god tier.
⭐️ And if you haven’t seen the earlier videos of our Thailand trip, you can find them here:
Bangkok Part 1: • indoor night market, l...
Bangkok Part 2: • sight-seeing and eatin...
Phuket Part 1: • phuket luxury villa to...
#travelvlog #phuket #phangngabay #thailand #travel #islandhopping #photoshoot #thailandtravel #banglaroad

[@jordynrandolph4976]

Soo cool, definitely noteing for my Thailand trip!