Sunsail's Phuket base has just been relocated to the
brand new Ao Po Grand Marina, situated on the east coast
of Phuket at the entrance to Phang Nga Bay, and offers
Bareboat and Crewed Yacht Charters plus an internationally
accredited RYA Sailing School.
Ideally situated at the gateway to stunning Phang Nga
Bay and only a short 30 minute transfer from Phuket Airport,
the Sunsail base enjoys the use of the first-class facilities
of this spectacular marina.
With 24 hour access and no tide restrictions, this first
class superyacht marina with over 200 berths also boasts
a marina village (currently under construction) which
will house private villas, a 5 star boutique hotel, man-made
lagoons as well as all the usual major facilities such
as a restaurant, bistro, clubhouse, retail outlets and
offices.
Address
On arrival in Phuket, a transfer from the airport to
the Sunsail Thailand Base can be arranged (30 minutes
away). To utilise this service, flight arrival details
must be provided to the Sunsail Reservations team. There
will then be a Sunsail driver waiting to transfer them
directly to the marina. Taxis can also be found at Phuket
Airport and Thai Airways have a limousine service.
Please note: Clients are not able to pre-book a Tuk
Tuk. These must be flagged down on the street, which
can sometimes involve a long walk and lengthy wait.
Rooms at the Phuket Boat Lagoon Resort,
200m from the base, are available at a cost of 2,600
Thai Baht per
night** and may be booked through the Sunsail base office.
Room types are Twin or Double with full air conditioning
and include breakfast. One bedroom Suites and Family
Suites (two bedrooms) may be available. Contact the base
for prices and availability.
Payment is made locally to the Thai office and bookings
should be made with the Sunsail Thailand office to obtain
these special rates. We suggest bookings are made well
in advance as this is a very busy resort and is part
of the marina complex.
**Prices may be subject to change.
Phang Nga Bay
In the north is Phang Nga Bay, a marine
national park and an area of beautiful unspoilt scenery.
The sailing
is safe all year round for both the experienced and the
novice sailor.
Here you can anchor at Koh Yang and take a long tail
boat to the world famous James Bond island, and a typical "Sea
Gypsy" village ( a Muslim village built on rafts)
called Panjee. There is also the Koh Hong group of caves
to explore.
East Coast Phuket
There are many small islands down the east coast of
Phuket, with beautiful long white sandy beaches and coconut
groves. The water is crystal clear, with good sailing
and good holding for anchorages. This is perfect for
novice sailors chartering a bareboat yacht from Sunsail
for the first time. The wildlife is spectacular - monkeys,
sea eagles, fruit bats, jumping fish and more to keep
you on your toes during your sailing holiday.
There is a great deal to see and do, including a visit
to Koh Naka Noi, a pearl farm with lunch time seafood
restaurant, educational demonstrations and pearl shop.
There is also Koh Phi Phi Don, where dry goods and beverages
can be bought, and other small shops sell some fruit
and vegetables. There are dive trips, big game fishing
trips, masseurs, restaurants and bars. A daily ferry
also operates to Phuket.
You may choose to visit Koh Phi Phi Lee, from where
you can go to Maya Bay (where "The Beach" was
filmed), a scenic sandy lagoon with white sandy beaches
surrounded by limestone cliffs and absolutely breathtaking
views. Viking Cave is well known for its bird nests,
which are harvested by locals to make the famous 'Bird's
Nest Soup'. Swimming and snorkelling in the area is excellent.
We recommend that Koh Phi Phi Lee is visited by longtail
from Phi Phi itself as the anchorages around Phi Phi
Lee are very deep (approx. 25 metres).
From Bamboo and Mosquito Islands, you can visit 'Hin
Klang' reef by either dive boat or longtail, which has
the best diving outside of the Similan Islands. Take
time out from your sailing to experience the wonders
of the local Thai sea life.
Sunsail also offers Bareboat Yacht Charter
holidays from its base in the Gulf of Thailand on the
island of
Koh Samui, located 80 kms off the coast of Suratthani
and about 560 kms south of Bangkok.
The Koh Samui base operates from May through to October.
Koh Samui is a tropical oasis characterised by silica
white sand and stylish bungalows. Serviced by its own
airport with regular flights from Phuket and Bangkok,
the island is a mecca for sailing and diving enthusiasts.
Due to its unique location, Koh Samui and its surrounding
islands offer fine and dry weather from May through to
October.
Located 80 kms off the
coast of Surat Thani and about 560 kms from Bangkok,
the easiest and fastest way to
reach Koh Samui is by air from Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi
or Singapore with Bangkok Airways, the only airline to
serve Koh Samui. http://www.bangkokair.com/
The airport must rank as one of the most beautiful in
Asia, with tropically planted gardens bursting with flowering
glory and greenery all year round.
Transfer time from the airport to the Sunsail base is
approximately 15 minutes.
It is also possible to fly into Suratthani and connect
to Koh Samui by ferry transfer.
Getting There (Land):
If you are travelling by land, Suratthani is a hub for
most main bus and train travel through Thailand. There
are 15 ferries crossing between Surathani /Donsak Pier
on the Thai mainland and Koh Samui per day. Ferry crossing
time is
approximately 1.5 hours.
Sunsail has expanded even further into Asia
and now offers Bareboat and Crewed Yacht Charter holidays
from
its new seasonal base in the eastern Gulf of Thailand
on the island of Koh Chang.
Based in the province of Trat, our new location offers
amazing sailing throughout the Koh Chang archipelago.
This area incorporates Koh Chang National Park which
includes the islands of Koh Chang, the second largest
in Thailand after Phuket, Koh Kut, Koh Mak and around
50 other islands.
Koh Chang itself is surrounded by clear waters while
a terrain of high peaks and steep cliffs provide a magnificent
backdrop to its breathtaking coastline. The western side
of the island is slowly adapting to tourism, but the
eastern side has retained its traditional features. New
developments are limited to three storeys in a bid to
maintain the natural beauty of this island and it's working
- the majority of resorts in Koh Chang are thatched roof
bungalows nestling on inviting beaches.
The Koh Chang base operates from October through to
April.
The Sunsail base is located
at Koh Chang Marina, Salak Phet.
The easiest and quickest way to reach Koh Chang is by
domestic flight from Bangkok to Trat Airport.
Transfers from Trat Airport to the Sunsail base can
be arranged upon request. The base is located approx.
1 hour 10 mins from the airport. The transfer involves
both ferry and taxi.
Krabi (mainland) and the Koh Dam Group
In Krabi, the two
bays recommended for mooring do not have access to
the road system, so transport tends to
be water-based. However, the beaches and scenery in the
area are fantastic with excellent snorkelling. Clients
may take a 1 hour longtail trip up the river to Krabi
town, or jump into a tuk tuk (small Daihatsu truck) for
a 20 minute ride to obtain provisions from the fresh
markets and shops. The market in Krabi is open during
the mornings only. There are also many Thai restaurants
and bars with fantastic cuisine.
The snorkelling in the Koh Dam Group is excellent, with
many coral reefs to explore during your sailing trip
through Thailand. There is a restaurant for daytime dining
(during northeast monsoon only), and the island is worth
seeing on foot. Look out for Chicken Island! There are
few moorings in the cruising area - the majority of places
require anchoring.
Similan Islands
Situated 34 miles off the west coast of
Thailand, 52 miles NW of Patong, this marine park is
one of the world's
top dive destinations and a highly recommended inclusion
in your sailing agenda. The waters around The Similans
are teeming with fish and surrounded by coral . During
the NE Monsoon ( November to April) entry is allowed
to the National Park subject to payment of entry fees
which can be done in Phuket.
Due to the distance from the Sunsail Thailand base in
Phuket, clients will be asked to sign a disclaimer. Cruising
to and among The Similans is not permitted in Sunsail
charter yachts during the SW Monsoon. Additionally, passage
in early November and April may not be recommended due
to changeable weather conditions and a scarcity of protected
overnight anchorages.
Sunsail's bareboat yacht charter cruising ground
is the Andaman Sea in south west Thailand, which includes
the island of Phuket, Phang Nga Bay, Krabi Province,
the Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Lee Island group,
Koh Lanta, Koh Muk and the incredible "Emerald Cave" and
Racha island group.
For the more experienced, our cruising area reaches
north to the Similan and Surin Islands and south to Tarutao
and the Butang Islands.
These outlying islands are more challenging to sail
due to their distance from the Sunsail Thailand base
in Phuket and involve longer offshore passages.
Our total available cruising area covers more than 10,000
square miles! From November to April during the northeast
season, yachts can sail in all Thai waters from the Similans
and Surin islands to the northwest of Phuket through
Phang Nga bay to Krabi and Koh Phi Phi and on down to
Ko Lanta, Tarutao and the Butang islands on the border
with Malaysia.
Charters of less than seven days normally stay within
the Phang Nga bay and Phi Phi area as a minimum of two
weeks are recommended to visit the Surin islands to the
northwest or the Butangs to the south.
If on a longer charter (of more than 20 days), Customs
and Immigrations procedures may be done in Thailand in
advance so that the yachts may cross into Malaysia to
visit the Langkawi base, before returning to Phuket.
One-Way Charters
Ten-day charters between Phuket and Langkawi are also
available at any time of the year.
Ask your Sunsail consultant for more information on
one way charters or follow the link to One Way Charters.
National Park Fee
A charge of 200 Baht/night/person for cruising the National
parks of Thailand may be charged locally.
A fee for travelling between Malaysia & Thailand
is $175RM/person + 50 RM/yacht.
Moorings
Swinging anchor moorings only available for our Sunsail
charter yachts at present.
All Sunsail yachts carry a local cruising
guide written by the Sunsail staff detailing the favourite
anchorages.
No official qualifications
or licenses are required to charter a yacht or catamaran
in Thailand. However, Sunsail does insist that at least
one member of your party has sailing experience to Level
3.
Level 1:
Handling a yacht under motor, basic wind awareness, mooring
and anchoring skills and/or flotilla course at a Sunsail
Club or Sailing School.
Level 2:
Handling a yacht under sail, reefing, reading a chart,
line of sight navigation, competent at bows to and
stern to mooring.
Level 3:
As above plus previous skipper experience on flotilla
holiday or equivalent experience. You will need to
be competent of handling a yacht in close quarters
and picking up a mooring buoy in varying conditions.
Passages are longer with more varied conditions and
stronger winds.
Level 4:
More taxing sailing areas where extended coastal experience
is beneficial. RYA Day Skipper or equivalent experience,
you should be able to:
* handle longer passages cope with tides and currents
* call on navigation and pilotage skills
* know your position at any one time
Thailand is an ALL
YEAR ROUND sailing destination. There are two main sailing
seasons, which are called the wet and dry season, or
the SW or NE monsoon, respectively. Seasons tend to be
predictable, although there may be inconsistencies as
they change from one to the other.
BEST SAILING MONTHS
December, January, February
North East Monsoon (Dry - Nov to Apr)
The NE monsoon, as the months from November to April
are called, have wind speeds of force 2 to 5 from the
NE. The winds are quite light during this period and
temperatures are stable and usually in the region of
30 deg C.
It is consistently dry and sunny, with ideal winds for
sailing. Clients wishing to sail to the Similan Islands
can do so during the north east monsoon but will be asked
to sign a Sunsail Yacht Charter disclaimer before they
leave the base and they must also obtain permission from
the National Park Authorities (there may be a charge
for this).
South West Monsoon (Wet - May to Oct)
The SW monsoon, takes place from May to October with
winds force 2 to 6, from the SW. There is slightly more
wind during this season, making sailing a bit more exhilarating
than the NE season.
During this season there are also some rainy periods
which come in from the Indian Ocean, only lasting approx
1 to 2 hours in the late afternoon/early evening. The
direction of the prevailing wind means that the anchorages
on the west coast can be exposed and therefore uncomfortable
due to the swells.
Our yacht charter clients are advised to anchor on the
East coasts of the islands or in sheltered bays. There
is still safe sailing in Phang Nga Bay right down to
Koh Phi Phi. Unfortunately it is not possible to visit
the Similan Islands by yacht during the south west monsoon
due to the direction of the prevailing wind.
