Four Islands or Hong Islands? How to Pick Your Krabi Boat Day
8 min read
Walk along the beach road in Ao Nang and you will be offered two boat days within the same hundred metres. One is the Four Islands. The other is the Hong Islands. They leave from the same stretch of coast, they last about the same time.
Most visitors pick whichever one the agent mentions first. That is a shame, because the two trips suit different people, and one detail on the ticket – which national park you are entering – decides how much cash you need in your pocket.
What the Four Islands actually are
Four stops, all within sight of Ao Nang: Ko Kai (Chicken Island, named after the rock that looks like one), Ko Tup, Ko Poda and Phra Nang Cave Beach under the Railay cliffs.
The draw is Ko Tup. At low tide a sandbar surfaces and links it to neighbouring Ko Mor, and you can walk between two islands with water on both sides. At high tide it is simply two islands. The Tourism Authority of Thailand confirms that the sandbar appears at low tide. Look up a tide table for Ao Nang before you pick your date, and if the sandbar is the picture you came for, book a day when low tide falls in the middle of the trip.
One option is the Premium 4-Island Day Trip by Longtail Boat: 6 hours, from €29.72, 4.6 stars from 6,414 reviews, with lunch served on the beach at Ko Poda. Other listings cover the same four stops – longtail or speedboat from €28.76 with 2,283 reviews, or a longtail with Thai buffet lunch from €28.76.
What the Hong Islands are
A different group, further out and further north: Ko Hong itself, plus Ko Pak Bia and Ko Lao Lading. The name comes from the lagoon – hong means room – a near-enclosed pool of green water you enter through a gap in the cliff.
The Hong Islands Day Trip by Speedboat is the benchmark here: from €36.75, 4.6 stars from 4,875 reviews, 7 hours, with a half-hour speedboat crossing at the start and twenty minutes back. The itinerary gives two and a half hours on Hong Island itself, a lunch stop, twenty minutes in the lagoon and forty minutes of swimming and snorkelling off Ko Lao Lading. A longtail version runs from €34.09.
Two things on that listing are worth reading twice. The 360° viewpoint on Hong Island is marked optional – it is a steep climb, and it is not automatic. The kayaking is optional too, and carries an extra fee. If either is the reason you are going, confirm it when you book rather than on the boat.
The park fees to budget for
Here is the practical difference, and it is on the booking pages rather than the posters.
The Four Islands lie in Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The boat-choice and buffet-longtail booking pages quote: 200 THB per adult and 100 THB per child, paid in cash on the day.
The Hong Islands lie in Than Bok Khorani National Park. Same coast, different park, different rate: 300 THB per adult and 150 THB per child.
All five linked tours exclude park entry. The Premium Four Islands longtail quotes 200 THB per person; confirm the charge for your children. The two other Four Islands tours quote 200 THB per adult and 100 THB per child in cash. The Hong speedboat applies its 150 THB child fee to ages 4–11. For two adults and two children eligible for those child rates, entry totals 600 THB for those Four Islands tours or 900 THB for Hong. The Hong longtail includes Ao Nang pickup; Krabi Town, Klong Muang, Ao Nam Mao and Tubkaek add 100 THB per person return. Budget these costs alongside the tour price.
So which one
Take the Four Islands if you want variety, you are travelling with children who get bored in one place, you want the Railay cliffs without booking a separate Railay day, or you are hoping for the sandbar. Four stops in six hours means nothing drags. Apply the age and health exclusions below before booking for children.
Take the Hong Islands if you want an extended stay on Hong Island and a lagoon cruise. The speedboat itinerary allocates two and a half hours on Hong itself, plus separate stops at Pak Bia and Lao Lading. Choose it for that structure; snorkelling visibility and marine life cannot be guaranteed.
Take neither in the middle of a storm. The operators can reroute or cancel for sea and weather conditions. The Hong speedboat operator says it contacts guests the evening before or the morning of departure in a weather cancellation. Check official park-closure notices and reconfirm access for your travel date; a tour being offered does not guarantee every landing.
Longtail or speedboat
A longtail makes the traditional boat part of the day. Choose by the actual tour schedule and boarding arrangements, not a promised halving of travel time: both linked Hong tours last seven hours. Ask the operator about shade, seating and sea conditions on the boat you will use.
With children, apply the tour’s age and health rules before choosing the boat type. Avoid a boat excursion with a tight flight connection: sea conditions and transfers can delay the return. Follow the crew’s seating and boarding instructions.
Before you book
Read the “not suitable for” line. The Hong Islands speedboat booking page, for example, excludes children under 3, pregnant travellers, people with back or heart conditions and wheelchair users, and states plainly that the boat is not wheelchair accessible. Every operator sets these limits for themselves, so check the listing you are actually buying rather than assuming it matches the one next to it. The Premium Four Islands longtail excludes pregnant travellers. Both the boat-choice and buffet-longtail tours exclude under-twos, pregnant travellers, wheelchair users and people with back, heart or mobility problems, pre-existing conditions or high blood pressure; the buffet longtail also excludes over-95s. The Hong longtail excludes pregnant travellers and people with back or heart problems. The Premium tour is English-guided; the other four list English and Thai.
And tell the operator about dietary needs when you book, not on the day. The Hong speedboat listing charges 150 THB per person for a meal arranged at short notice.
If you have already done both and want the water rather than the boat ride, the next step is where to snorkel around Krabi – or a paddle through the mangroves instead, which is a different kind of day entirely. The full range is on the island tours page, from €13.05.
