What to consider when chartering a sailing yacht or motor boat in Phuket

June 30th, 2014

Phuket is a wonderful place to live and vacation with many beaches and activities all over the island, it attracts families as well as people looking for adventure.

Whether you are here just to soak up the sun on the beaches, visit some of the many entertainment and night life areas or are looking to head out on some of the many charter boats and trips that are offered around Phuket, Phang nga Bay and Phi Phi you have a large selection to choose from and sometimes it can be overwhelming.

I thought I would offer some advice on what to consider when arriving here in Phuket and some of the places you can visit very easily by boat.
Some of the main things to consider if you are looking at heading out on a boat and the type of trip to choose from - ie a tour/ join in trip or a private charter of a boat for you and your friends and family are:

• Do you want to go with a crowd of strangers or experience the day with family and friends?
  • One of the biggest benefits to a private charter is you have the boat to yourself! No strangers, no crowds and a much more personalised service, aimed at giving you the best experience and most amount of fun possible.
• Do you want to be stuck with a strict timeline on how long you can stay in one place before leaving? Who does, normally you would like to have some flexibility!
  • On a private charter boat, it's like the boat is yours for the day... no specific schedule to stick too, if you want to stay at a beach all day you can, if you want to cruise around and enjoy several different locations you can - we organise the trip around what YOU want and not the other way around.
• Worried about the cost of a private charter verses the cost of a join in trip... don't worry!
  • Yes sometimes a private charter is more expensive than a standard trip, but when you consider the benefits - privacy, more luxury, better service and your own dedicated boat - just for you, personalised catering and service, access to private beaches and so much more!
  • Also if you have a larger group and family then the cost of the charter is actually the same as going on a standard crowded join in trip, without all of the downsides to being on crowded boats with strangers
• Don’t know where to visit - with a private charter boat in Phuket you have a choice of destinations and are not stuck going to the same places as everyone else... why follow the crowd?
  • Whether you want to go snorkeling, sightseeing, swimming, fishing, diving or just cruising around the islands or a combination of these. A private boat charter in Phuket can offer you a personalised and unique trip.
  • We can advise you on what destinations would suit your requirements and needs, where would be best to go if you have children or which areas offer the best snorkeling... but its advice and you don’t have to go where we say, it’s your boat for the day and we will help you plan your ideal trip!
• Who should you contact? Well as you are probably aware there are many companies offering charter services.
  • Try to speak with a company that manages their own boats or has a specific selection of boats rather than a listing site as they tend to know the boats better and offer a more in depth service.
  • Look on Trip Advisor for reviews - you can tell which ones came from actual clients and which ones are promotions by the detail of the reviews.
  • Nowadays everyone has Facebook and twitter etc and companies are the same, Facebook and Twitter give you an insight into how they operate and whether they truly know the island and what’s on offer.
  • Check with several charter companies and see how they respond; are they helpful, provide detail and choice etc
  • Get a feel with the contact in the company - call them as well as emailing them!

These are just a few ideas to give you when considering choosing a charter company for a private boat charter in Phuket, I will be doing more of these updates and the next one will be on destinations here in the Andaman Sea. If I can help or you just want to chat and get an idea of what is involved then let me know and I will be only too happy to help.

Happy holidays and speak soon
Simon