Aloha Snuba Adventures is a first-rate operation run by Matt. He’s an American with a very friendly crew and a very fast boat. We did the Racha Yai trip with Snuba diving.
The price includes pick-up in a nice air-conditioned van at your hotel. Aloha picks up early, as in 7am early to avoid traffic and crowds. As a result, our entire day was relatively crowd-less because we were earlier than traffic both on the road and on the water.
We were very lucky because our trip only had six people and Matt came out with us on the water himself. Usually, he told us there are more passengers but he caps the amount at 10 or 12 or something to keep things personal and comfortable. The boat had plenty of drinks and snacks onboard that is included in the tour price.
I cannot stress this following point enough—from looking at the other boats that went out to the local islands in the marina and at the destinations, other tour operators cram 30 or more people into a speedboat. They looked like sardines in a can. But in a slow boat. Like sardines on a slow boat. So if your budget is flexible, stay away from mass tour operators.
The itinerary include two snorkeling/swimming/diving spots. Snuba is very approachable and easy to do. Someone who has basic swim skills and no diving or snorkeling experience can easily pick it up. The boat has three crew and a PADI divemaster, Ryan, who spoke perfect English since he was from South Africa. Usually, you can only have one Snuba dive but since our trip only had six people, we were offered a second dive in a different location for 1000B per person.
The trip also includes multiple stops at beaches. Siam beach was particularly stunning with crystal clear waters that extended for quite a distance out to the horizon. The beaches are quieter than Patong with maybe a hundred people or so on them. Not isolated but not crowded either. Lunch was on Racha Yai at a resort and is included with the tour price. We had local Thai food, including a whole fish for our table at the resort’s restaurant. To get around the island, Aloha has a passenger tractor-transport tow us around so there is no walking in the tropical heat.
Overall, this is a higher priced tour but what you get is excellent service, a fast clean boat, and limited number of spots. Matt and his crew are truly friendly and helpful. On the way out, we had to depart directly for the airport. They arranged a private taxi for us and transferred out luggage from their van. I would give Aloha a very high recommendation if you’re looking for a water excursion in Phuket.
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