Hong by Starlight Sea Cave Kayaking and Loy Krathong Floating

Excellent staff

We had a great time on this trip, excellent staff and very the canoe at night in the cave is the highlight of this trip.

Great family trip

Views were stunning with a surprise feeding of the eagles at sea. There were 11 eagles who swooped in to feed behind the boat, feasting on chicken parts. The sights were very picturesque and we wouldn’t have possibly known which of the hundreds of little islands to go. So this trip was absolutely necessary to see these sea caves, bio luminescence and the bat cave. The only thing I would suggest improvement in is the lack of physical kayak rowing but this will be suitable if you are not keen on much physical activity. Because the guide does all the kayak rowing understandably because of the very tight space in the caves. The cave rocks at some point was like 5 cm from my face and the tip of my cap almost touched the rocks while I lay down flat. Amazing experience highly recommended as it often makes you think about life in general and induce deep conversations with your loved ones.

Magical experience! Loved every minute!

This was the tour of a lifetime…totally magical! The crew was amazing, and the food and activities were exceptional. Kayaking through the sea caves was super fun and we felt safe and supported by our excellent guides. Everything was well organized and we especially loved making, lighting, and floating the traditional Krathongs in the moonlight. It was super special! If you book one tour for your trip, it should be this one! 10/10

Wonderful experience

Absolutely fabulous experience. The lagoons were otherworldly, the caves were beautiful, and the whole experience was peaceful. Our guide was great, and answered all of our questions. They has separately prepared options available for my vegetarian diet (and all the food was good!), and I strongly recommend this trip for anyone visiting Phuket.

Terrific day!

This was a great tour! Very well organized from pickup to drop-off. Included lunch and dinner and the food was really good. Staff were friendly and upbeat the entire day. Worth every penny!!

More than we expected!

Wow, what a day! Started off with a lovely Thai food lunch on the boat. We rode out to the caves on the other side of the island and explored them. The bat caves were scary and smelly. You could see the oysters on the roof of the others. We then made the miniature gardens from banana leaves and leftover flowers, lit them with candles and made a wish as they floated. We removed them and brought them back to the boat. All topped off with another Thai feast dinner on the boat. It was the most perfect day. The hospitality of Sonnny who was the leader was great. Our boat guide Toy (only female crew member) was great. You will not be disappointed. x

Must Do!!

Our guide was the best. Floating into the caves on kayak is a MUST. Awesome experience!!! The food provided was delicious.

Great experience going through sea caves with delicious meals

Amazing experience! We took a boat out to small islands, then each group got a tour guide that canoes for them. We go through several beautiful caves, then we have free time to swim or canoe ourselves. We were served the most delicious lunch, snack, and dinner. We ended the night by making a beautiful traditional flower arrangement to release. One last canoe durning sunset, and then we got to see plankton in the ocean, it was gorgeous!

What a lovely tour 💚

Amin, Toy, Friend You guys made our last day of Phuket amazingly! 💚 My family said this tour is an unforgettable experience 🤍 Thank you very much indeed! 감사합니다 💜

Calming and relaxing

We enjoyed this adventure as a couple, would be okay for singles but it could be lonely if you don’t find someone to talk too. Our guide was calming and helped us by paddling away from the other noisy guests to give us a peaceful, relaxing experience. Don’t go crazy eating the food if you don’t travel on boats, a small amount sea sickness might set in about half way through the trip. Drink the water provided. I would recommend grabbing the bow seat for the hour long ride home and curling up to enjoy a cuddle and the cool sea breeze.

Don’t Miss This Kayaking Experience!

Awesome kayaking excursion! The trip was planned out well to avoid crowds and hit the correct tides. We had a guide that paddled for us as we visited various caves and lagoons. We kayaked 3 separate times with the last being at night which was so cool! We went into a pitch black cave to light and float our krathong. The boat was big which was nice so it did not feel crowded. The food was very good. Definitely tops on our list for excursions taken!

THE BEST TOUR

The best day spent in Thailand! Very well done-super organized, the perfect amount of time, and amazing food. The staff was engaging and knowledgeable. I would do it again if I could!

One of the best things we did on our trip

Entire experience was amazing. This is a must do I’m telling all my friends about. The caves were a fabulous experience and navigated expertly by our guides (Sun & King.) We saw animals, created a beautiful floating lantern, ate the local cuisine & even had time to swim. Loved this trip.

Outstanding!!

Absolutely fabulous!!! The best day we had our entire holiday in Phuket. Suman was the perfect gentleman who made our day perfect!! The food, the professionalism was outstanding!! The whole crew were so good at their job and compliments to the chefs on board!! We will highly recommend to all our family and friends travelling to Thailand. Thankyou Rick and Kylie Australia

Brilliant tour 5*****

Go Zach ,,, what amazing trip loved every minute of it , zach our guide made the day so special , would highly recommend it to anyone

DO IT! So worth it!!

This was an absolutely amazing experience! Our guide was King and he was so knowledgeable and fun. He is also a professional photographer as he was more than happy to take picture for us and they were amzing! We were lucky enough to see monkeys, an anaconda and hold a jellyfish! His patong was by far the most beautiful and he made us flower crowns to match! Absolutely a trip of a lifetime food was also amazing and all the staff were very welcoming! I would come back to Thailand just for this excursion!!

Incredible Day on the Sea

A great full-day experience canoeing through bat-filled caves and exploring small island beaches (some even have monkeys). The team puts on a lovely spread of food for lunch and dinner with snacks in between. Drinking water is provided. Amazing views and photo opportunities. Our guide was really knowledgeable and spoke good English

Book it! You will love it!

This is an amazing experience. Charlie was the best guide. He helped me feel safe going through the caves after telling him I was claustrophobic. The food was fantastic and abundant the entire trip and I definitely recommend it. Don’t recommend it for kids under 8 though. April is dry season and the water was too low to go through some of the caves but we still saw 2 on our trip. The whole staff was very accommodating and it was an enjoyable experience.

The best experience in Phuket

From start to finish the best tour I've ever been on. Outstanding staff. Our Kyak driver, Woody was amazing. His knowledge of the National parks was enlightening. So much delicious food.

Must do of Phuket! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a truely amazing tour. Staff had excellent English, beautiful personalities and very yummy food x such an incredible experience. Would suggest to anyone. Unforgettable

Amazing experience

Awesome experience I had. Will come back to John Gray's canoe service for more adventures in the future. Mr.Tang our canoe man was a amazing man.

Magnifique

Beautiful day! Mémorable! Thank you Gay, our guide, very kind. Everything was wonderful ! The organisation, all the team! We will never forget with my daughter this very special day!Thank you ! Sincerely. Hélène & Julie

Amazing Experience

Superb day out, very well organised, stunning nature and a cool way to experience the beauty of Phang Nga Bay. The staff were absolutely lovely, (massive that you to our guide "M" ) The staff went out of their way to provide us Vegan options for all the meals which were really delicious.

Such an awesome experience!

This excursion was so much fun! The boat was large, which meant you didn't get seasick. I loved the crew as they were so kind and generous. They worked so hard to ensure we had a great day. They provided us with two amazing meals with Thai food with vegan options for myself. I loved the kayaking! We were taken by one of the crew member in a kayak around various different points on our journey. We got to make a beautiful traditional flower arrangement and then saw amazing bioluminescent phytoplankton to end the day. It was totally worth the money!

A professional and meaningful eco tour in authentic Thai culture

Me & my 9-year-old kid >100% enjoyed the trip and we had a super great time. Thank you for the super-well organized and well-planned trip, and professional arrangement. The trip is meaningful and let you have a taste of authentic thai culture and local people's passion and love to the land. This is unlike any other tours we had, which are usually more commercial and "touristsy". I especially moved by the organizer involves local fishermen from the island to support them, and how the trip convey the eco concept. All guides are very professional and very experienced. The food was amazing too and I literally had the best Pad Thai on the boat. If you are looking for a touching and meaningful trip, and are still hesitating which tour to choose, no doubt this is the one to go for.

10/10 experience

My friends and I had such a blast! My guide was very knowledgeable as he paddled me through the sea caves and we saw all the wildlife in the description and more (with the bioluminescent plankton definitely being! The krathongs we made were beautiful and all unique from one another and floating them was such a special experience. I appreciated their environmentally conscious efforts to clean everything up and bring things back afterwards. I was surprised but how delicious all of the food on board was (and they bring chefs on board to cook it during the trip so it is fresh) - it was a great sampler of local authentic Thai food! The guides seemed to really go above and beyond - for example one passenger had dropped their phone into the sea while the boat was docked and several guides dove into the water, searching for at least 15 minutes (unfortunately they didn’t end up finding it but a variant effort was made).

A spectacular trip sailing amongst the lagoons and stars

The tour was absolutely fantastic! I have been on a few tours by boat and this was by far the best. The pace whilst kayaking round the hongs is more leisurely and doesn't feel rushed, giving you plenty of time to take in sights of monkeys catching crabs, mud skippers and the beautiful mangrove swamp scenery. The down time whilst sailing between islands is nicely filled with activities whether they be eating the truly excellent food or making the krahlongs*** for floating in the evening. The result is an entire afternoon and evening filled with fun and wonderful things to see. Our guide Sacharin was extremely knowledgeable and keen to share his insights with us as he helped paddles us around the lagoons and showed us the fluorescent algae, topping the trip off wonderfully. We then sat back on the boat and admired the stars on the way home. A thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended trip!

Amazing adventure! Worth every penny and is a must-do!

Amazing boat, staff, scenery and amenities. Food was delicious and plentiful, guides all very knowledgeable, friendly, multi-lingual and I felt safe venturing through the narrow seacave canals with my expert guide. Making Krathoms, learning about the history and purpose of this spiritual ceremony was heartwarming, spiritual, magical... We sailed back with lightening and thunder in our background across the Adaman Sea.... Magical! Just amazing! We didn't really see the bioluminescence or fireflies on way out of dark cave....but that could be due to many factors and out of company's control. We did see many bats and everything else was incredible. I give 5+ stars and highly recommend this tour. It wasn't packed with other tour companies floating through canals, mangrove lagoons and caves. They were amazing, organized and provided pickup/ drop off across Phuket in AC van... so very nice after 8+hrs out to sea! Hong Island #2 is better than the #1 touristy one btw! The guides pointed out many creatures and interesting points of reference. For a history bum, I really enjoyed that. I enjoyed this tour more than Halong Bay UNESCO tour... Definitely one of my highlights of 8 weeks of travelling through SE Asia! Ariel- Vancouver CANADA

The best trip of our stay in Thailand!

This was such an amazing experience. You can tell the guides have put their heart and soul into this trip and their happiness and enthusiasm really rubbed off on everyone. The food was the best we’ve had so far on our holiday, our guide was very knowledgeable about the local wildlife, we got up close to a monkey! Making the floral offerings at sunset was the perfect end to the day. Could not recommend this trip enough, we absolutely loved it 😊

had a great time

We had a wonderful time. Every 2 people have their own guide in a kayak. The guide paddles you through the caves. It was a unique experience and the caves were beautiful. We felt very safe the whole time. The boat was big and comfortable and had extra space where it was not too crowded. The food was good and they were able to do a gluten free meal. We visited 3 different caves with the guide and also a beach where we could swim and paddle ourselves. The guides were very friendly.

Great Experience For The Family and 7 Year Old !

My family and I absolutely enjoyed the Sea Canoe Hong by Starlight tour organized by the John Grey company. It was one of the most professionally organized tours that I have ever joined in more than 20 years of traveling to different countries around the world. From the point of pickup at the hotel to the jovial atmosphere at the dock, the cleanliness of the boat and supplies, the wonderful assortment of delicious foods at both lunch and dinner, and the copious amounts of generous refreshments served throughout the day, it was an all-around superstar experience! The best part of the adventure was our guide, Reed. We are traveling with an inquisitive 7-year-old, Reed had the patience and kindness as if she were a longstanding family member. It was like we had a National Geographic tour guide with us, in the form of a caring uncle. We were so fortunate to have him as our guide for the day. In each part of the tour, Reed actively involved my daughter in topics about nature, the ocean, the environment, and creatively explained each destination in a way that a 7-year-old would find mesmerizing. Halfway through, we were all taking selfies and laughing, fully immersed in the beauty of our surroundings, like true adventurers! I was floored. Kindness in a tour setting is the starting ground for a good experience. But to be with a guide who acted as if he were an owner of the company, carefully giving attention to each detail, elevating each experience, contributing without question to make a great time for his guests, it was an experience we’ll never forget and something I hope the John Grey Company deeply appreciates in what must be one of their best guides. Thank you very much Reed and also to the wonderful staff and superstar chefs. It was an experience my daughter and I will remember forever!

The best tour in Phuket

This was by far the most enjoyable tour in Thailand for me and my friend. Our guide Center was very friendly and made the experience more enjoyable. He spoke fluent English so it was very easy to communicate with him. We were able to share some life stories and he even rapped his favorite song for us! He is the youngest out of all the staff but he was very reliable and took great care of us and considering he's fairly new to the team, he is already so experienced and knowledgeable! The team at John Gray are such genuine people. I have never seen a group more hospitable and approachable. More than the sights and views, the team definitely made the experience more memorable! They were very funny and made the atmosphere light and fun. Everything from the staff, the food, and the tour itself was exceptional!

Best experience in Thailand!!

Absolutely best experience yet on any of our world travels! Kayaking into the caves to discover the mangrove trees within was amazing. Making the Krathongs and watching them all lit up on the water after sunset was truly magical. The food was delicious. The people were wonderful, especially Sammy and Kay- our guides. We couldn’t have asked for a more unique or enjoyable day. Everything about it was 5 out of 5 stars. Do not miss this opportunity of a lifetime!

Excellent trip

Canoeing through the caves, food was great, the scenery was breathtaking. Staff were warm and helpful.

Excellent

It was a wonderful experience. Staff was warm and friendly, lots of good food and the highlight was the canoe trips in the caves and lagoons

We had the best guide Term! Highly recommended!

Our guide Term was simply the best. He is very knowledgable, friendly and goes the extra mile to make our trip memorable. He is constantly bringing us to the best spots and helping us take photos and videos, educating us on the various landmarks and things to look out for. He is also very attentive and keeps us safe. Term patiently guided us on how to hand decorate the flowers with banana husk for the evening canoe activity. In summary, Term is by far my best guide for all my trips. He exceeds all my expectations and sets the benchmark high for adventure guides. You can request for him. Just mention his name in your booking remarks. He is highly recommended! Thank you Term. Keep up the excellent work. We will be back again!

Simply amazing

This excursion was simply amazing. This company does a great job with all the logistics and keeps you well informed. From pick up to drop off everything couldn’t have gone better. The crew on board was fun and entertaining. Our guide Chief was a lot of fun with each stop we had along the way and very knowledgable. The creation of the Krathong was such a fun experience to learn about the culture. From monkeys, canoeing, krathong and bioluminescent plankton. We loved every minute.

Great Staff, Great Adventure!

The entire experience was awesome. Food was very good and plentiful. We especially enjoyed the bioluminescent waters and the bats hanging from the cave ceiling, Staff was very helpful.

Highly recommend

The most impressive part of this trip was actually going in the caves and coming out on the other side to such incredible beauty. Words just really can’t describe it. The guides were so fun and knowledgeable. It was also fun to learn the history of the krathong release and getting to do it ourselves. The food was exceptional as well. We loved everything about this trip! Highly recommend. 😁

Magical experience

If you get the chance to take this excursion, DO IT! Being paddled through sea caves, seeing areas of nature that are untouched by human influence, these are experiences you can't get anywhere else. Our kayak guide Saman was excellent and very knowledgeable and friendly! Excellent fresh-cooked food while on the boat, some of the best food we had in Phuket. We personally did not enjoy Phuket but this excursion was the biggest highlight from the Phuket leg of our trip.

Wow! What an amazing experience.

It was beautifully organised from start to finish. Collected from hotel and brought to the meeting point where we were organised into smaller groups . There was a fun truck ride to the port and then we boarded the boat which was very spacious. The group of tourists was small enough to be fun rather than a scrum and everyone had plenty of space . The canoe experience was out of this world and my husband and I had the lovely guide Bao. Who was knowledgeable and charming . We felt totally safe and were given clear instructions to make sure we knew how to get on and off the canoe . This is probably one of the best tours I have ever done . It is also wonderful because they support the local fisherman . Pleeeease!!!!! take some cash to tip them at the end because they really deserve it !!! Finally the food was absolutely delicious . Thanks guys for a memorable adventure 🙏💗

Wonderful tour

I went with my son and granddaughter. They both had an amazing time! I had done this tour before a couple of decades back... The food was really good and the staff was very friendly. Our kayak guide was super accommodating and had a lot of knowledge. He was amazing with my granddaughter as well! This was one of the highlights of our trip!

Truly magical sea canoe experience

From the hotel transfer to dining and our canoeist was flawless. The crew of the boat was so kind, knowledgeable and friendly. The food was absolutely delicious and such a variety. We were assigned Mike as our own guide for the day and he went above our expectations, he’s English was good, his knowledge of the caves was incredible, Mike spotted from a distance a monitor swimming and took us to see it, spotted a toucan flying, monkeys in the wild, we truly were lucky we got Mike as our guide.

Amazing and unforgettable trip!

Charlie, San and crew were absolutely amazing. We were provided delicious Thai lunch, tea and dinner through out the day. The crews enthusiasm and fun made the long day extremely enjoyable. The boat was smooth and not rocky at all (I normally get seasick!), toilets on board were clean along with everything else. This is a must do day trip and great for everyone!

One of best trips we had

A very well-organized trip, friendly guides, the food was exceptional, they rightfully deserve recognition for one of the best trips. Recomend to everbody.

Sea Cave Kayaking

My family enjoyed the Sea Cave Kayaking and Loy Karthong trip. We stayed on the hills near Kamala. Driver was supposed to pick us from reception at main road but drove up hill to pick us because we had young children (10, 6, 4yo). Lunch and dinner on the boat was surprisingly good! We brought our own snacks but the tea break provided was more than enough. Our kayaking guide Ball, spoke good English and gave good commentary to the caves and Thai culture. The children enjoyed the kayaking though it was pretty hot at the start. The highlight for us all was experiencing the luminescent plankton at the end. Highly recommend it.

Amazing

We had an amazing experience throughout the day. We also learned a lot about the owner of the company and how his love for Thailand prompted the start of this tour. It was a fun experience that included a lot of interesting information about the area and locals. Our guide Woody was exceptional throughout, his sense of humor kept the whole family in stitches. He was amazing even till the end; he made us a bouquet of flowers with leafs and even made flower wreaths! Our parents does not speak any English but Woody was able to keep them engaged with each activity. They obviously had a lot of fun and it was very memorable experience of all of us as a family.

Just perfect!

This was the perfect way to end my Phuket stay. The guides, the boat, and the FOOD were all excellent. The scenery was stunning and I couldn't have asked for a better kayak escort than Dawut.

Beautiful and Well Managed Tour - with Dena

We had a lovely trip especially due to our guide Dena. We saw some amazing landscapes and natural beauty, alongside delicious food and a traditional Thai custom. Our specific guide Dena elevated our trip with his kindness and attention to detail, helping capture some fantastic moments whilst guiding us through the sights, caves and history. Dena helped take some fantastic photos of myself and my partner which we will forever cherish. I sincerely thank Jon Grays tours, and especially Dena for this lovely tour, and I highly recommend it to anyone staying in Phuket!

Marvelous scenery, friendly crew and delicious lunch and dinner

The scenery here is epic! And with the help of our Leader Mr. Sun, My wife and I learned to o much experience about the sea and Sun helped us to take many photos and videos like the wildlife and so on. I can definitely feel Sun's love to the great sea and the creatures here and that impresses me a lot. Also, the fantastic sunset and “the Milky Way” on the way back to the dock at night impressed us a lot ! It's a wonderful sailing and hope next time My friends can be here with my wife and I. Most importantly, hope Sun can be our captain again! :)