Island Cruises Sailing
Island Cruises Sailing
4.9
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Go Sailing! Day Cruises, Yacht Charters and Join In Cruises to Ang Thong National Park, Dinghy Sailing, Rental and Courses, Hobie Catamaran, Laser... get wet and thrilled without freezing your butt off.
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4.9
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Christoffer B
Gran Canaria, Spain13 contributions
Apr 2021 • Friends
My friend and I took the 5 day sailing course on the Laser boat with Alf. Alf is a very friendly guy with lots of interesting stories to tell and lots of experience. We learned to rig the boat ourselves, sail, capsizing and putting the boat back up ourselves in the water. It was great that after 2 days we could go sailing on our own, with Alf just watching from the beach! Highly recommended!!
Written 17 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
frenchPom
Sydney, Australia7 contributions
This was one of the (many) highlights of our fortnight on Kho Tao. We spent a fantastic couple of days cruising with Alf around the north side of Kho Tao on the Freedom Fargo.
We had looked at some of the other tours on the Island but after seeing the overcrowded boats taking 50+ snorkelers on a cramped, rushed whirlwind tour of the island we decided to pay a little extra and do it properly. We were travelling as a family of 5 (2 adults and 14, 8 and 4 year olds).
Alf made us feel very welcome and made sure that the days worked for us (I guess we are not typical Kho Tao backpackers). Getting on and off the boat was not easy but then this was proper cruising! The food was great and everyone completely enjoyed the days on the "Freedom".
A very chilled and a great way to spend some time on Kho Tao that is a little out of the ordinary and certainly not one of the "factory" tours the Kho Tao seems to (now) specialise in.
The highlights for me were the great snorkelling, chatting to a real skipper who has circumnavigated the globe and seeing the look on the kids faces as it really was a trip that they will remember.
Alf is clearly a very experienced skipper and we all, even the inexperienced sailors in our family felt completely safe in his hands.
We had looked at some of the other tours on the Island but after seeing the overcrowded boats taking 50+ snorkelers on a cramped, rushed whirlwind tour of the island we decided to pay a little extra and do it properly. We were travelling as a family of 5 (2 adults and 14, 8 and 4 year olds).
Alf made us feel very welcome and made sure that the days worked for us (I guess we are not typical Kho Tao backpackers). Getting on and off the boat was not easy but then this was proper cruising! The food was great and everyone completely enjoyed the days on the "Freedom".
A very chilled and a great way to spend some time on Kho Tao that is a little out of the ordinary and certainly not one of the "factory" tours the Kho Tao seems to (now) specialise in.
The highlights for me were the great snorkelling, chatting to a real skipper who has circumnavigated the globe and seeing the look on the kids faces as it really was a trip that they will remember.
Alf is clearly a very experienced skipper and we all, even the inexperienced sailors in our family felt completely safe in his hands.
Written 4 October 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shunam
Washington DC, DC100 contributions
May 2014 • Couples
Back in April, my wife and I took a day trip to the Ang Thong national marine park on one of those popular tour companies that are widely advertised on Ko Samui. We were mesmerized by the breathtaking beauty of the islands, but very disappointed to find ourselves hopping along a tourist-trap trail of a few extremely crowded snorkeling, beach and hiking stops buzzing with numerous group-tour boats, kayaks, and folks donned in electric-orange life-jackets. We decided we had to come back for a different - more private, slow-paced and romantic - experience of the islands earlier this month. We chose the 4-night Ang Thong sailing trip by Island Cruises, as it promised the kind of leisurely getaway from it all that we wanted, and it lived up to our expectations. Our skipper was Alf - a true world sailor-adventurer and fun companion - and our little party was completed by Louis and Beth - a very sweet and genial couple who also doubled-up as chefs-supreme during the trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing pace of the trip, gliding gracefully through the waters while reading, soaking in the sights, or sipping drinks. During the day, we would snorkel, explore fascinating caves, hop on a beach or simply laze around the boat, moored at some quiet place. Then we would enjoy the beautiful sunsets from the yacht all to ourselves, and dine and wine well into the evening, having good conversations with soft music, the gentle sway of the yacht, and the quiet twinkle of the stars in the background. If you're comfortable living on a yacht and want to escape the crowds, we highly recommend this sailing trip.
Written 28 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Milkmouse
Berlin, Germany17 contributions
Mar 2011 • Friends
Before we could start our long dreamed cruise from Koh Samui we had to catch the ferry to Ko Tao where our cruise was set to start and we booked a transfer over Island Cruises from the hotel to the ferry including the ferry tickets. Sadly, that didn’t happen and we needed to arrange our own taxi and struggled to find the correct harbor last minute. Whilst we were reimbursed by the transfer fees this did not make up for the taxi fare.
The scene was set when we, a group of 4, arrived off the ferry to Ko Tao. Whilst we were impressed with the beautiful island-our transportation device to the “Freedom Fargo”couldn’t keep up with the standards. We sent the ladies ahead to inspect and choose the sleeping arrangements. On the way the ship’s rats went the other way! On arrival the crew of our trip Captain Alf and Smutje Markus greeted us friendly. A nice touch was a golden chocolate ball on the pillow waiting to be eaten. Whilst we were briefed on the manual marine toilet with the standards of the late 60’s, we were wondering about the existence of life jackets and well needed sea sickness tablets.
Markus then made the effort of preparing a late lunch/pre-dinner snack including fresh pineapple and mango. We did enjoy our first and only sunset with a lovely snorkeling session although we had to make up our own floating fun devices as nothing was available on board. We went to bed, fell into sweet dreams and were full of excitement for the following day...
A huge storm arrived and by midnight 3 of us were all on deck with one desperately craving sea sickness tablets while trying to hold on the rail. Maybe a different anchoring position would have helped from the beginning, but Alf decided we were perfectly fine. What made him change the position at 4 am, we don’t know, but at that time we found it too late and absolutely pointless.
The next morning welcomed us with some sun and we went for a nice trip to see a cave and a pretty view from top of the Ang Thong Marine National Park.
The rest of the day was used for us and a lovely dinner prepared by Markus.
The following day we moored in a pretty lagoon and took the dingy to an island where the idea of “The Beach” originated. We made a huge climb to the top of a small mountain to be met with the view of the Ang Thong Marine National Park. The highlight was the fresh ice cold water shower for the boys, which Alf didn’t make use of.
The captain changed the mooring to the other side of the island and the night was spent there. That evening we took care of our own entertainment, as we had brought lanterns from Koh Samui which we released from the rear of the boat. Alf finally on this 3rd night decided to provide some entertainment by getting out his guitar and playing some songs. There was nothing else on board and fortunately we brought our own card and board games with us. We had pre-purchased some alcohol which the crew seemed happy to share, but weren’t very accommodating giving their own alcohol supplies without payment. We were happy that we had our own alcohol even though we had pre-booked the 3 glasses of wine per night as the wine was met by very low quality.
Also that evening for the 2nd night in a row some very interesting tobacco was smoked by the crew. We made a point of closing the hatches so we didn’t need to smell it.
The 4th and final day was by far the worst. The weather was atrocious. Alf then had to navigate reluctantly his way back to Koh Samui. His first admission of the rate we were sailing was 10 hours to the island, which would have meant to miss our flight back home.
We found that this was poor planning on his behalf especially after we had pre-booked and payed the transfer to Koh Samui. Also being aware of the weather condition Alf insisted to have his breakfast first instead of leaving a bit earlier on this day.
We negotiated that perhaps it would be better to drop us on the opposite side of the island away from the airport in order to save time and make our flight. This would mean shorter sailing time, but a looong and expensive taxi ride once on dry land, which we had to pay again extra on top of the already payed transfer. The weather was poor the whole day. Alf’s sailing skills were taxed to the max. In hind-side we think this was probably a bit beyond Alf’s ability. We finally made it to the South side of the island. While packing we accidentally found Alfs secret stash of drinkable wines and beer. We felt cheated. At a final mooring point we dropped anchor off shore. Alf refused to sail into the harbor because in his opinion it would damage his boat. In real terms it meant he would have to pay mooring fees. It was still raining cats and dogs at this point and we were ready to leave the black pearl. Alf didn’t want to provide the dingy until the rain had eased. Using black bin sacks we finally decided to make a run for it. We all gladly reached semi-wet land. Samui had 415 mm of rain that day. We finally felt at peace in a dry taxi with heat, reached the airport, checked-in and enjoyed our last Thai meal in a little airport restaurant. Suddenly Alf appeared to deliver a left behind iPod. This kind gesture was marred by his demand of the return taxi fare to his boat.
Overall we would NOT recommend this trip with Alf and his Freedom Fargo to anyone. In real times this was First Class price for Economy service.
Alf,we’re sure you’re a nice guy, but your interpersonal skills are severely lacking. “Lone sailing” is probably a better bet for you, where you can smoke all day long without consideration of non-smoking passengers. You seem more money orientated then people orientated. Whilst on the subject of money your boat seriously needs money spend on it. There were windows which wouldn’t lock shut which isn’t good in case of rain which we had for 3 of 4 days. Safety on board was way below standard. We found loose ropes, a badly maintained engine and lacked lifelines or life vests at all.The toilet on board is totally disgusting. Urinating from the back of the boat was a better bet for the guys. The water supply of the boat became low and the luxury of a shower was 2 in 4 days. This might be due to leaking water taps.
Alf, your personal hygiene was gross. You dived into the sea once in order to save water that we saw. Body odor is not pleasant over breakfast.
Markus, you are a great guy. Your cooking skills in the less then adequate galley were innovative and tasty. You certainly came up with many suggestions during the appalling weather. Alf seemed to meet these ideas with NO every time hence the poor people skills. You didn’t seem to want to put yourself out for anyone.
We do wonder about the positive reviews online which we were fooled by.
The scene was set when we, a group of 4, arrived off the ferry to Ko Tao. Whilst we were impressed with the beautiful island-our transportation device to the “Freedom Fargo”couldn’t keep up with the standards. We sent the ladies ahead to inspect and choose the sleeping arrangements. On the way the ship’s rats went the other way! On arrival the crew of our trip Captain Alf and Smutje Markus greeted us friendly. A nice touch was a golden chocolate ball on the pillow waiting to be eaten. Whilst we were briefed on the manual marine toilet with the standards of the late 60’s, we were wondering about the existence of life jackets and well needed sea sickness tablets.
Markus then made the effort of preparing a late lunch/pre-dinner snack including fresh pineapple and mango. We did enjoy our first and only sunset with a lovely snorkeling session although we had to make up our own floating fun devices as nothing was available on board. We went to bed, fell into sweet dreams and were full of excitement for the following day...
A huge storm arrived and by midnight 3 of us were all on deck with one desperately craving sea sickness tablets while trying to hold on the rail. Maybe a different anchoring position would have helped from the beginning, but Alf decided we were perfectly fine. What made him change the position at 4 am, we don’t know, but at that time we found it too late and absolutely pointless.
The next morning welcomed us with some sun and we went for a nice trip to see a cave and a pretty view from top of the Ang Thong Marine National Park.
The rest of the day was used for us and a lovely dinner prepared by Markus.
The following day we moored in a pretty lagoon and took the dingy to an island where the idea of “The Beach” originated. We made a huge climb to the top of a small mountain to be met with the view of the Ang Thong Marine National Park. The highlight was the fresh ice cold water shower for the boys, which Alf didn’t make use of.
The captain changed the mooring to the other side of the island and the night was spent there. That evening we took care of our own entertainment, as we had brought lanterns from Koh Samui which we released from the rear of the boat. Alf finally on this 3rd night decided to provide some entertainment by getting out his guitar and playing some songs. There was nothing else on board and fortunately we brought our own card and board games with us. We had pre-purchased some alcohol which the crew seemed happy to share, but weren’t very accommodating giving their own alcohol supplies without payment. We were happy that we had our own alcohol even though we had pre-booked the 3 glasses of wine per night as the wine was met by very low quality.
Also that evening for the 2nd night in a row some very interesting tobacco was smoked by the crew. We made a point of closing the hatches so we didn’t need to smell it.
The 4th and final day was by far the worst. The weather was atrocious. Alf then had to navigate reluctantly his way back to Koh Samui. His first admission of the rate we were sailing was 10 hours to the island, which would have meant to miss our flight back home.
We found that this was poor planning on his behalf especially after we had pre-booked and payed the transfer to Koh Samui. Also being aware of the weather condition Alf insisted to have his breakfast first instead of leaving a bit earlier on this day.
We negotiated that perhaps it would be better to drop us on the opposite side of the island away from the airport in order to save time and make our flight. This would mean shorter sailing time, but a looong and expensive taxi ride once on dry land, which we had to pay again extra on top of the already payed transfer. The weather was poor the whole day. Alf’s sailing skills were taxed to the max. In hind-side we think this was probably a bit beyond Alf’s ability. We finally made it to the South side of the island. While packing we accidentally found Alfs secret stash of drinkable wines and beer. We felt cheated. At a final mooring point we dropped anchor off shore. Alf refused to sail into the harbor because in his opinion it would damage his boat. In real terms it meant he would have to pay mooring fees. It was still raining cats and dogs at this point and we were ready to leave the black pearl. Alf didn’t want to provide the dingy until the rain had eased. Using black bin sacks we finally decided to make a run for it. We all gladly reached semi-wet land. Samui had 415 mm of rain that day. We finally felt at peace in a dry taxi with heat, reached the airport, checked-in and enjoyed our last Thai meal in a little airport restaurant. Suddenly Alf appeared to deliver a left behind iPod. This kind gesture was marred by his demand of the return taxi fare to his boat.
Overall we would NOT recommend this trip with Alf and his Freedom Fargo to anyone. In real times this was First Class price for Economy service.
Alf,we’re sure you’re a nice guy, but your interpersonal skills are severely lacking. “Lone sailing” is probably a better bet for you, where you can smoke all day long without consideration of non-smoking passengers. You seem more money orientated then people orientated. Whilst on the subject of money your boat seriously needs money spend on it. There were windows which wouldn’t lock shut which isn’t good in case of rain which we had for 3 of 4 days. Safety on board was way below standard. We found loose ropes, a badly maintained engine and lacked lifelines or life vests at all.The toilet on board is totally disgusting. Urinating from the back of the boat was a better bet for the guys. The water supply of the boat became low and the luxury of a shower was 2 in 4 days. This might be due to leaking water taps.
Alf, your personal hygiene was gross. You dived into the sea once in order to save water that we saw. Body odor is not pleasant over breakfast.
Markus, you are a great guy. Your cooking skills in the less then adequate galley were innovative and tasty. You certainly came up with many suggestions during the appalling weather. Alf seemed to meet these ideas with NO every time hence the poor people skills. You didn’t seem to want to put yourself out for anyone.
We do wonder about the positive reviews online which we were fooled by.
Written 9 August 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First, I did not want to answer to this review at all, since it reveals by itself that somebody wanted to get rid of a long held grudge, caused by a holiday spent under horrible weather conditions on a sailing boat. The captain obviously unable to neither, stop the boat from moving nor let the sun shine. But as we all know, a bad review draws much more attention than a good one (or 18 good ones in this csae).
Nevertheless; most unfortunately reviews are not read by people who where already sailing with Island Cruises and know what to think of these alegations, but by people who don't know our company nor me as the captain of the ship. Now, somebody pointed out to me, that I should answer to each point of criticism. I will do so - reluctantly - out of responsibility for my employees and for those who really read through all this and would like to understand.
First I would like to point out a few misconceptions which may have influenced this review.
1. The job of a skipper is taking care of the safety of the ship and the crew. The skipper is not an entertainer or animateur, nor a servant; he is bringing you from A to B.
2. In our terms and conditions is clearly stated, that there is a transfer from and to your accommodation on Koh Tao, included in the charter price, not on Samui where we do not have our own taxi.
3. While the Freedom Fargo is not a luxury yacht and we never claim it to be, it is a well taken care of ship in an excellent condition, ready to sail you safely through any kind of storm as you have experienced. Please compare prices with other offers of sailing yachts in the 40f class in an all inclusive live aboard situation with skipper and crew/chef. You have sure found out that we offer some of the most economic in entire Thailand. This might also have been a factor when you booked with us.
4. If you are coming with me, Captain Alf: I'm not a mind reader. So if you don't want to share a drink with me, please don't offer one to me and if you can't stand smoking at all, then please don't answer with "no problem" if you're asked if you're bothered by it.
About the Boat Trip
I remember this trip very well, since it was the trip with the most unpredictable and ugly weather conditions I ever encountered on our cruises here in Thailand. It was a time when the whole country was flooded and the rain held on for days. I was tense during the whole trip, concerned about my guests being able to enjoy the trip. It really is no fun, if I am forced , out of safety reasons, to permanently say no to suggestions of my guests.
And I only said no to suggestions which I could not allow. I did not say 'no' to the hard luggage being brought aboard, scratching the freshly renovated teak surfaces, while it was mentioned in the charter information sheet that only soft luggage is allowed aboard. I did not say 'no' to starting fire balloons from the back of my ship, leaving irremovable wachs stains on the non skid surface.
The Taxi:
We apologize once again for the inconvenience that you not have been picked up from your accommodation on Samui. The company in charge, Seatran was notified correctly upon booking and became a phone reminder the day before your arrival. We complained about this issue in writing and became a big apology letter back which I will be happy to foreward to you. On the island Koh Tao where we reside, this would not have happened as we would have personally picked you up. Unfortunatelly this was not possible on Koh Samui.
The Toilet:
The toilet built in on Freedom Fargo is a Lavac vacuum toilet. They were developed in the 60's and are available until today with some minor changes. They have an excellent reputation for their reliability and easy use. Nevertheless, some people don't pay attention to the instructions given, and then leave the mess to the captain, who is in charge of all technical issues on the boat.
Floating Devices and Sea Sickness Pills:
My apologize for not offering any floating devices for snorkeling. Why did you not use the life vests which were on display in the aft cabin. We as well always have seasickness pills on board, which we where happy to provide you with. Although as most people know, they have to be taken some time before you get seasick.
The First Night on Anchor:
During the north-east monsoon season we are visiting the island group north of the national park, since it provides a suitable anchorage for the prevailing winds. During the night an unusual breeze from the west developed, bringing up a wind sea which made the anchorage uncomfortable. Staying there until 4 am was out of safety reasons. If a real storm would have developed the strong winds would have come from east! I also knew that the prevailing old swell from the NE would stand straight into the completely exposed anchorage on the other side of the island, making it rather more uncomfortable than the one we were anchored. At 4 in the morning I was sure, that the prevailing swell had flattened out and the risk of
using that exposed anchorage on the other side was acceptable. So I moved the boat to provide a calm anchorage for the rest of the night.
The Last Day Aboard:
Since the weather was playing havoc all of the time (we later learned that we were to experience the strongest storm since 30 years), I scheduled departure for Samui after breakfast and not just before lunch time what I do in normal conditions. Instead of the 4 hours which I normally calculate to the anchorage close to the airport, I calculated 8 hours this time, to be on the save side and make sure my guests would be able catch the plane. When we got up on this last morning, there wasn't any sign of what was going to hit us soon, and so of course I decided we all would have a hearty breakfast before departure. When we left the shelter of the islands of the National Park, we got hit by a severe storm! A storm that would mark the beginning of the devastating floods we had in southern Thailand in March. Nobody could have anticipated this weather!
In the moment the storm hit us in full strength the Freedom Fargo was doing nothing any more to windward, of course since the strong winds came out of East. The boat was even going backwards at that time. In a more regulated country like Australia I would have been bound by the law to go back to Ang Thong and seek shelter. Then, when the weather looked like the wind would ease at least a little bit down and the yacht used for this trip is a far stronger vessel than the average charter yacht, I decided to do my best to make sure my guests would reach their flight.
After a while I realized that even with all my sailing skills and all that the ship could do we would need about 10 hours all together to the planned destination and mentioned the fact to our guests. I came up with a solution how you still would get your flight, by sailing to the nearer harbor of Nathon instead of sailing all the way to the planned destination. The difference for the taxi, which is not provided by our company is about 400 Baht / 12$.
Anchoring in Samui:
I anchored my ship in Nathon as close to shore as the draft of Freedom Fargo allows. There is no suitable landing point for yachts in Nathon and the water is shallow, in particular at low tide.
A Word About my Sailing Abilities:
I started sailing in 1992. I bought my first ship in 1995. This boat I used extensively on the north sea until 1998. From 1999 to 2009 I was living full time on yachts, crossed the atlantic and pacific ocean. My sailing experience exceeds 35,000 nautical miles and 3000 nights on anchor.
Some Quotes I would like to comment on:
The"Secret" Wine Stash:
The "secret stash of drinkable wines" you found, are wines we are offering to guests who are willing to pay the high prices for quality wine in Thailand. One of these 0.7l bottles of wine costs more than the hard liquor you so generousely shared with us. The "cheap wine" we served you for free, costs more per bottle than this super expensive taxi ride to the air port. On the other hand it would be interesting to know, why you went through lockers of the boat where you never stored any of your belongings?
"Alf didn’t want to provide the dinghy until the rain had eased.":
A very irritating interpretation for providing shelter from the rain to my customers who neglected to bring any spray jackets in their extensive luggage for a sailing trip. We had to manufacture spray jackets out of bin bags for you even though they were obviousely not up to your fashion standards.
"Suddenly Alf appeared to deliver a left behind iPod. This kind gesture was marred by his demand of the return taxi fare to his boat.":
After the departure of our guests, Markus and I started cleaning up the mess, here on display in the attached pics, the bumpy ride from Ang Thong to Samui had caused. Doing this, we found an Ipod touch of the higher price class. Since this was only minutes after they've left the boat I rushed ashore but they were already gone. Then I tried to reach them by phone with no success. The next step was contacting my Thai business partner to track them on the airport at check in. No success. So I decided to bring the ipod to the airport. Since I could not ask them beforehand if they would come up with the delivery costs I decided for the cheapest meaning of transportation which is a motorcycle taxi. So I'm driving half an hour through the pouring rain to the airport, search the airport for another 30 minutes until I find them in a restaurant adjacent to the airport. It is probably due to my "lack of interpersonal skills" that I was quite surprised about not being offered the transportation cost, but having to ask for it!
"There were windows which wouldn’t lock shut which isn’t good in case of rain which we had for 3 of 4 days.":
The rain during this trip was more a catastrophic downpour which caused floodings in southern Thailand with a considerable death toll. A little puddle on the shelf was anticipated and I brought it to your attention before it happened.
"We found loose ropes, a badly maintained engine and lacked lifelines or life vests at all":
Loose ropes? A badly maintained engine which ran without complaining 8 hours full throttle to make you reach your flight? Freedom Fargo is a very safe vessel with middle cockpit and very high relings. This is the reason why we don't impose on our customers to wear the readily available life vests or putting them on a leach with the readily available life lines.
"The water supply of the boat became low and the luxury of a shower was 2 in 4 days. This might be due to leaking water taps.":
There was one leaking tap. This was a brand new built in stainless steel tap in the galley which had a construction failure and started leaking the second day it was used. Even without a leaking tap we are always asking our customers to be cautious with the water since FF is not equipped with a water maker and there is no possibility of stocking up water in the National Park.
"Alf, your personal hygiene was gross. You dived into the sea once in order to save water that we saw. Body odor is not pleasant over breakfast.":
I was saving water and instead washing myself in the sea so you guys could have one more shower than I did. We had assured you several times that there was enough water for you to have at least one shower daily.
"Markus, you are a great guy. Your cooking skills in the less then adequate galley were innovative and tasty. You certainly came up with many suggestions during the appalling weather.":
So why did he not receive a single Baht tip from you guys? A little hint for the readers: Tipping is not only appreciated, but expected on yacht charters. If you are not tipping on a yacht charter in the carrebean, it's very likely, that your luggage "accidentally" drops in the water. And one thing for sure. A left behind Ipod touch would never be "found", not to talk about brought behind you to the airport.
"We do wonder about the positive reviews online which we were fooled by.":
One of these excellent rated reviews is from a Swiss web designer who I dropped in Koh Phangan after turning around due to strong head winds on the way from Koh Phangan to Koh Tao. This customer had sailing experience and was capable of understanding my decisions. He was not reimbursed for his lost, already paid for, accommodation on Koh Tao since we cannot be held responsible for the weather. And the other reviews; well, when the weather is right I'm sure that even for people with no prior sailing experience our cruises are within the best sailing experiences you will find in Thailand. Perhaps the writers of these reviews did not have completely wrong expectations from the trip and read the terms and conditions.
Written 22 August 2011
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul B
Snowshill Village, UK110 contributions
Feb 2016 • Couples
First session of teaching was at a table out on the roadside,
The office had a boat in it for repair. Frank was "sick"? So we got Alf, who clearly would rather have been working on the boat. He chatted for an hour and a half rather randomly, not sure what he was supposed to cover, kept having another go at the resin dribbles on the boat. Eventually he said let's go to the beach, no transport, would have had to walk if one of us hadn't got a scooter.
Arrived at the catamaran, spent an hour fixing the trampoline, he had to go back to the office for materials. Then he realised the rudder was disconnected, tried to sort that, failed so we went out with a rudder that kept jamming or disconnecting.
On our return he had us drag the cat up the beach, very difficult. Very heavy. It occurred to him that the hulls were full of water, removed drain plugs and water poured out, ended up taking an age to drain, and we had to lift up one end and hold it.
He explained that was why it had been so sluggish in the water.
At this point he noticed the hallyard was nearly snapped.
The next day we drained the cat it before we sailed and fitted a new hallyard. Why he did not get the boat ready before we got there is beyond me and sloppy. The rudder was still not connected, we fiddled about with the wrong tools, he went off shopping for more. Still wrong. Then decided he had one on his yacht out in the bay. We sailed to that, he dived overboard and left us to it, rank amateurs, we managed but my wife was a bit unnerved and I nearly rammed his yacht at some speed in trying to get back for him.
Eventually figured out how to tack and jive and release both sails and slow down so he could swim back to us. Hardly the way to teach. He did get his correct tool though.
Once back on shore my wife quit. Not the controlled learning she had hoped for and far too much time spent fixing things.
Four guys rented the cat for the afternoon, they ended up beaching it on nanguan to drain it! Needed towing back as by then they had lost the wind.
Third morning I met him on the beach rigged the laser, which i explained I was not interested in sailing as I preferred the cat. So he took the other trainee out first. Fine, he said 45 minutes. He came back two hours later. I just sat on the beach waiting. Then when he got back he said he wanted a coffee break, I excused myself, as I was angry by then with the waitng, and said I would be back in ten minutes. Better than exploding.
I came back to find they were ordering an early lunch!
At this point I decided my holiday was being wasted. So I quit.
I did stay on the beach and two hours later they were still sitting in the bar, glad I did not wait!
He explained they were late back because the wind here is very difficult to get back to shore for half the year, the other half it is difficult to get out! And it is always patchy because of the topography. So not an ideal place to learn! Maybe that is why he has the only sail boats here.
The course outlined on the website bears little resemblance to the reality, which is far more chaotic.
Alf is a friendly, knowledgeable man, and I am sure he is great on the yacht, as for teaching three people at a time, getting the small boats ready for the lesson to start, and managing time, well not so hot.
The office had a boat in it for repair. Frank was "sick"? So we got Alf, who clearly would rather have been working on the boat. He chatted for an hour and a half rather randomly, not sure what he was supposed to cover, kept having another go at the resin dribbles on the boat. Eventually he said let's go to the beach, no transport, would have had to walk if one of us hadn't got a scooter.
Arrived at the catamaran, spent an hour fixing the trampoline, he had to go back to the office for materials. Then he realised the rudder was disconnected, tried to sort that, failed so we went out with a rudder that kept jamming or disconnecting.
On our return he had us drag the cat up the beach, very difficult. Very heavy. It occurred to him that the hulls were full of water, removed drain plugs and water poured out, ended up taking an age to drain, and we had to lift up one end and hold it.
He explained that was why it had been so sluggish in the water.
At this point he noticed the hallyard was nearly snapped.
The next day we drained the cat it before we sailed and fitted a new hallyard. Why he did not get the boat ready before we got there is beyond me and sloppy. The rudder was still not connected, we fiddled about with the wrong tools, he went off shopping for more. Still wrong. Then decided he had one on his yacht out in the bay. We sailed to that, he dived overboard and left us to it, rank amateurs, we managed but my wife was a bit unnerved and I nearly rammed his yacht at some speed in trying to get back for him.
Eventually figured out how to tack and jive and release both sails and slow down so he could swim back to us. Hardly the way to teach. He did get his correct tool though.
Once back on shore my wife quit. Not the controlled learning she had hoped for and far too much time spent fixing things.
Four guys rented the cat for the afternoon, they ended up beaching it on nanguan to drain it! Needed towing back as by then they had lost the wind.
Third morning I met him on the beach rigged the laser, which i explained I was not interested in sailing as I preferred the cat. So he took the other trainee out first. Fine, he said 45 minutes. He came back two hours later. I just sat on the beach waiting. Then when he got back he said he wanted a coffee break, I excused myself, as I was angry by then with the waitng, and said I would be back in ten minutes. Better than exploding.
I came back to find they were ordering an early lunch!
At this point I decided my holiday was being wasted. So I quit.
I did stay on the beach and two hours later they were still sitting in the bar, glad I did not wait!
He explained they were late back because the wind here is very difficult to get back to shore for half the year, the other half it is difficult to get out! And it is always patchy because of the topography. So not an ideal place to learn! Maybe that is why he has the only sail boats here.
The course outlined on the website bears little resemblance to the reality, which is far more chaotic.
Alf is a friendly, knowledgeable man, and I am sure he is great on the yacht, as for teaching three people at a time, getting the small boats ready for the lesson to start, and managing time, well not so hot.
Written 16 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neil S
Hong Kong, China2 contributions
Jan 2014 • Friends
Interested in an alternative yacht charter experience and after having Island Cruises recommended to me by a friend, we booked a 4 day cruise to Ang Thong Maritime National Park. We were looking for a true adventure on the sea exploring an unspoilt archipelago and we were not to be disappointed.
Alf and Fabian proved the best of company for what was honestly just a great time had by all. After a 5 hour sail in favourable winds and glorious sunshine to our first port of call, we enjoyed an afternoon of snorkelling in a sheltered bay followed by a spectacular sunset and muchos gin & tonic. We set off the next morning with another leisurely cruise, explored some sea caves and arrived at our harbour for the evening off the largest island of the group. The evening was another entertaining one, the highlight of which was the four of us trailing off a line at the side of the Freedom Fargo splashing about in wonderful bioluminescense at an intensity none of us had experienced before. Our last day was spent exploring on land, climbing to a viewpoint and then exploring a spectacular collapsed cave system, Alf proved a great guide through caverns loaded with otherwordly rock formations and even some musical stalacmites.
The next day we sailed back to Koh Tao, again we were fortunate with the wind and were soon sailing to the harbour. The experience was only marred at the very end (in the last 5 minutes) by my phone disappearing into the depths of the ocean and if I can offer some advice from this: Buy a waterproof wallet for your phone/camera or don't risk to take it out whilst on board!
In the days afterwards on Koh Tao we took advantage of Island Cruises small dinghy fleet and rented a Laser Olympic Standard for an afternoon (highly recommended).
So in summary:
The Freedom Fargo: A sturdy ship with two main sails and minimal rigging. Accommodation is comprised of two guest cabins, one to the fore and one to the aft. One of the cabins (the aft) is definitely the superior in terms of comfort and privacy so definitely an advantage to being first on the boat!
Alf (Captain): An experienced and friendly man of the sea, always with a great anecdote or story from his adventurous life sailing around the world, and a constant eye for the safety and enjoyment of his guests. And a talented guitar player!
Fabian (Crew + Cook): A super-talented cook, it really is a wonder how he is able to whip up such varied dishes both western and thai in such a tiny galley. A great attitude to life as well; never knew the film Ratatouille could have such an impact on anyone!
In short, a stay on board the Freedom Fargo, and in particular the Sailing Safari offered to Ang Thong, is heartily recommended.
Alf and Fabian proved the best of company for what was honestly just a great time had by all. After a 5 hour sail in favourable winds and glorious sunshine to our first port of call, we enjoyed an afternoon of snorkelling in a sheltered bay followed by a spectacular sunset and muchos gin & tonic. We set off the next morning with another leisurely cruise, explored some sea caves and arrived at our harbour for the evening off the largest island of the group. The evening was another entertaining one, the highlight of which was the four of us trailing off a line at the side of the Freedom Fargo splashing about in wonderful bioluminescense at an intensity none of us had experienced before. Our last day was spent exploring on land, climbing to a viewpoint and then exploring a spectacular collapsed cave system, Alf proved a great guide through caverns loaded with otherwordly rock formations and even some musical stalacmites.
The next day we sailed back to Koh Tao, again we were fortunate with the wind and were soon sailing to the harbour. The experience was only marred at the very end (in the last 5 minutes) by my phone disappearing into the depths of the ocean and if I can offer some advice from this: Buy a waterproof wallet for your phone/camera or don't risk to take it out whilst on board!
In the days afterwards on Koh Tao we took advantage of Island Cruises small dinghy fleet and rented a Laser Olympic Standard for an afternoon (highly recommended).
So in summary:
The Freedom Fargo: A sturdy ship with two main sails and minimal rigging. Accommodation is comprised of two guest cabins, one to the fore and one to the aft. One of the cabins (the aft) is definitely the superior in terms of comfort and privacy so definitely an advantage to being first on the boat!
Alf (Captain): An experienced and friendly man of the sea, always with a great anecdote or story from his adventurous life sailing around the world, and a constant eye for the safety and enjoyment of his guests. And a talented guitar player!
Fabian (Crew + Cook): A super-talented cook, it really is a wonder how he is able to whip up such varied dishes both western and thai in such a tiny galley. A great attitude to life as well; never knew the film Ratatouille could have such an impact on anyone!
In short, a stay on board the Freedom Fargo, and in particular the Sailing Safari offered to Ang Thong, is heartily recommended.
Written 10 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Xicofb
23 contributions
Apr 2013 • Couples
We spent 4 days sailing the Ang Thong maritime park with Island Cruises and it was pure bliss. Here are some highlights:
- Having a private boat to go around the park freely and visit some off the beaten track places.
- Alf and Joy, who were perfect hosts and did everything to make us happy. (And also tolerated my bad steering of the boat :)).
- The cooking by Joy...from complete breakfasts filled with fruits, cereals, yoghurts, etc. to freshly captured squid for dinner...everything was just yummy!
- Swimming at night with bioluminescence...with some great music playing in the background.
- Being on a dinghy and finding 3 little sharks 50cm. away from us. :)
- Tons of great snorkelling...with different species from those we had seen in Koh Tao.
- Spending a morning on a desert beach with a total feeling of paradise...priceless.
All in all, we highly recommend this trip to anyone considering it. It was totally different from anything we did in Thailand and totally worth it!
- Having a private boat to go around the park freely and visit some off the beaten track places.
- Alf and Joy, who were perfect hosts and did everything to make us happy. (And also tolerated my bad steering of the boat :)).
- The cooking by Joy...from complete breakfasts filled with fruits, cereals, yoghurts, etc. to freshly captured squid for dinner...everything was just yummy!
- Swimming at night with bioluminescence...with some great music playing in the background.
- Being on a dinghy and finding 3 little sharks 50cm. away from us. :)
- Tons of great snorkelling...with different species from those we had seen in Koh Tao.
- Spending a morning on a desert beach with a total feeling of paradise...priceless.
All in all, we highly recommend this trip to anyone considering it. It was totally different from anything we did in Thailand and totally worth it!
Written 11 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
timdog_42
Melbourne, Australia13 contributions
Spent an amazing half day sailing around Koh Tao to Mango Bay. Snorkelling was great & we had the bay to ourselves in the late afternoon. Alf & Joy were wonderful hosts. Truly memorable experience & well worth the price.
Something we will remember forever.
Something we will remember forever.
Written 20 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gelnairobi
nairobi2 contributions
Dear Alf:
Hello from Nairobi and Happy New Year. Hope that you and Fabian are well, and that the weather improved for your subsequent cruise last week..... We had a fine few days in Bangkok and returned to Kenya on Saturday morning.
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Just to say once again thanks for providing us with a great four days in the Gulf of Thailand, and we look forward to doing it again. Our friends in Bangkok told us that cruising the islands on the West Coast north of Phuket towards the Burmese border is even better, and that we should go there next time - as I recall, you and your colleagues also do cruises from Phuket, so maybe we will call on you again in the next year or two....
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Hello from Nairobi and Happy New Year. Hope that you and Fabian are well, and that the weather improved for your subsequent cruise last week..... We had a fine few days in Bangkok and returned to Kenya on Saturday morning.
>
Just to say once again thanks for providing us with a great four days in the Gulf of Thailand, and we look forward to doing it again. Our friends in Bangkok told us that cruising the islands on the West Coast north of Phuket towards the Burmese border is even better, and that we should go there next time - as I recall, you and your colleagues also do cruises from Phuket, so maybe we will call on you again in the next year or two....
>
Written 12 February 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie K
Brooklyn, NY5 contributions
July 2016 • Couples
We did the 4 day sailing trip around Ang Thon Marine Park with Alf and Frank and had the best time. Alf is a great captain and you feel totally safe the whole time. Frank is super as well, and he is an amazing chef. I can't believe how well we ate when we were on that boat. The accomodations are lovely and comfortable.
The places that they took us snorkeling, hiking and caving were beautifully off the beaten path and truly awe inspiring. We had such a blast. As much as we enjoyed our adventures, we were equally in love with chilling out on the boat, looking at the amazing scenery.
There is nothing better than feeling the breeze and listening to Alf play beautifully on the guitar. (With Alf, you will find that you have a superb musician onboard as well as a very capable and friendly captain.)
We have so many awesome and truly special memories from the trip. I can't imagine a better way to spend time in the Thai islands than with Alf and Frank aboard the Freedom Fargo. Very very highly recommended!
The places that they took us snorkeling, hiking and caving were beautifully off the beaten path and truly awe inspiring. We had such a blast. As much as we enjoyed our adventures, we were equally in love with chilling out on the boat, looking at the amazing scenery.
There is nothing better than feeling the breeze and listening to Alf play beautifully on the guitar. (With Alf, you will find that you have a superb musician onboard as well as a very capable and friendly captain.)
We have so many awesome and truly special memories from the trip. I can't imagine a better way to spend time in the Thai islands than with Alf and Frank aboard the Freedom Fargo. Very very highly recommended!
Written 5 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Il nome della spiaggia o baia, grazie
Written 29 April 2015
Our sailing dinghies (Lasers and Zuma) and our Hobie Getaway Catamaran are located at Sairee Beach, in front of Flower restaurant next to Maya beach club. Bookings can be done at our office in Mae Haad, on the main pier road in between Cafes Zest and Café Cappucino. Our Sailing Yacht Freedom Fargo is located in front of the harbor in Mae Haad, but will be moved for SW monsoon season to Hin Wong Bay on the East Coast of Koh Tao approximately mid May.
Written 30 April 2015
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.