Phuket

Coral Island

Phuket, Thailand's largest island, was our stop today. 

It’s also a place I frequented as a child, though I haven’t returned since the 2004 tsunami — an event that devastated large parts of Phuket and left scars that went far beyond the physical. The scale of the rebuilding since then has been enormous, and walking through Patong now, it’s impossible not to feel both admiration for the recovery and a quiet respect for what this place has endured.

Some places carry memory differently when you come back as an adult. This felt like one of them.

We tendered into Patong Beach. The process was smooth, with boats large enough to keep things moving. One of the benefits of The Key is priority tendering. In this instance, we waited separately in The Music Hall and were allowed on first, ahead of passengers booked on Royal Caribbean excursions. Presumably, suite guests had their own tender via a different loading platform. Either way, the entire process took around 30 minutes.

Approaching Phuket

"Rope dropping" the tender. Would have been right at the front if Opa hadn't walked so slowly...

From the ship, onto the loading platform and onto the tender

In the a/c section!

Apparently very cold...

The jetty at Patong Beach where the cruise passengers are dropped off

Phuket post tsunami

Our ship anchored in the distance

We walked a short fifty metres to the Patong Seaview Hotel to meet our transfer. As with Penang, I’d searched for a local operator who could deliver what we wanted at a reasonable price. This time, the brief was simple but ambitious: away from crowds. Not the easiest request when a cruise ship empties several thousand people onto an island, albeit a large one.

We opted to hire a private catamaran, fully crewed and accompanied by a “guide.” The plan was Maithon Island for snorkeling straight off the boat, followed by Coral Island for lunch and more structured activities. Water, soft drinks, snacks, and fruit were included onboard — and, most importantly, there was a toilet.

The transfer from Patong Beach to Chalong Bay Pier took about thirty minutes. From there, we checked in, met our guide, and boarded our catamaran. First reaction: relief. It was lovely. Spacious, plenty of room both inside and out, and surprisingly good shade. The crew were quiet but attentive, which suited us just fine.

Waiting for our transfer like refugees my mother says

Our transfer - clean and comfortable

From the office at the marina, we boarded a more "traditional" vehicle to take us right to the pier

Open air, no seat belts

Boarding our rather nice catamaran!

Life jackets on until we're out of sight lol

Our great guide Pari, getting the drinks out

One of the snack selection

There was space inside too if you didn't like the wind

More than enough shade outside

Last moments awake

Crew took photos too

"Mum I don't get sunburnt" Guess who was sunburnt at the end of the day

Our first stop was Maithon Island. We were told we were lucky, as rougher seas the previous day had prevented boats from visiting the islands at all. That said, anyone prone to seasickness should still deploy their usual coping strategies. These were not glassy waters. For our family, however, the gentle rolling motion had the opposite effect. Within minutes, most were sprawled at the front of the boat, fast asleep.

Maithon Island is privately owned and lightly developed, known for its quiet resort, coral reefs, and relatively calm waters. While there is infrastructure on the island, access by boat keeps it feeling far removed from the chaos of Phuket’s main beaches. We anchored just offshore and spent about an hour snorkelling, which turned out to be enough. The water temperature was perfect. Warm without being cloying, cool without the initial shiver. There were lots of fish. They were colourful and they were not shy.

On the way to Coral Island, we stopped briefly to try our hand at fishing using hand reels off the side of the boat. The crew assured us that two-kilogram red snappers and groupers were commonly caught. Not today, apparently. The currents were too strong. A convenient explanation, and one we accepted without argument.

Coral Island was where the day’s real adventures began. The first challenge was simply getting onto the island. We were dropped at a Squid Game worthy floating jetty of death that stretched toward shore, bobbing enthusiastically with each wave. Fortunately, when we arrived, it was relatively quiet. 

When it came time to leave, however, it was survival of the fittest. Think It’s a Knockout. Children bawling. Adults frozen with fear. Others slipping, losing their balance and plunging into the water fully clothed. Entertainment of the highest order. I’m not entirely sure how my parents survived the experience, but survive they did. And we all made it back onto our catamaran to tell the tale.

The island itself was surprisingly beautiful. Was it commercialised? Yes. But we didn’t mind. It was quiet enough during the first couple of hours to genuinely enjoy. The sand was white and clean. The water clear and warm. The lunch that was included in our package was tasty. There was plenty of shade, chair and lounge hire was cheap, and the toilets and freshwater showers were regularly cleaned.

The parasailing and diving activities almost certainly did not meet any OH&S criteria, but they were inexpensive. Would I recommend this to my clients? Probably not.

For this family, though, it served its purpose.

The day did end on a less positive note. Elliot was sea-urchined. His hand was vinegared, limed, and soaked in hot water in generous quantities. Thankfully, dial-a-plastic-surgeon came through with free advice.

The child would survive.

Back on board, dinner was at the buffet. Mal headed off to a pickleball tournament. With Elliot's pickleball hand injured, he drafted a replacement at the last minute and apparently chose well, emerging victorious as champion.

Everyone crashed shortly afterwards.

It was, all things considered, a very good day.

Day 4 – Phuket: Catamarans, Private Islands & a Jetty of Death

Water activities off Maithon Island

Beautiful air and water temps!

Fresh fruit. Super sweet pineapples

Fishing. No luck!

The jetty of death. Looks deceptively calm because I was too scared to have my phone out when the jetty was moving!

Beautiful Coral Island

Lunch which was included in our package

The actual beach that we were on

Front row seating! It was AUD15 to rent these seats

Approved by everyone! The shade stayed throughout the whole time we were on the island

The water really is that clear and blue

Maitai on the beach

A not so happy ending. Sea urchin vs Elliot

We made it through the run on the jetty of death. Waiting for our catamaran to pick us up

Oma's bag of tricks

Mal's DIY "drawing out" agent

Looks like he didn't wash his hands properly after wiping his bum...

Pickleball champion and MVP