What’s Left To Explore? Some Ideas for The Upcoming Christmas Break!
By October 26, 2020 Island Hopping, Private Boat Charter Comments Off

What’s Left To Explore? Some Ideas for The Upcoming Christmas Break!

With travel looking like it will still be restricted in the upcoming Christmas break some of us are looking at what we can do to keep our kids entertained and maybe explore something that we have not seen before.

The good news is that in the December / January period we are past the Wet Season and into our Dry Season which means flat seas, clear water, sunny skies, and the opening of all of the national parks around the Phuket area.

As an owner of a Phuket Private Boat Charter company, my recommendations are a little biased but they are based on firsthand experience.

Multi-Day Island Hopping Trip

Over the last past few weeks, we have done trips like this.  Where we pack onto the boat and head off exploring.  Booking accommodation last minute, jumping from island to island, and just living a free life on the sea.

The first trip we did was a 3 Day 2 Night trip that took us to Phi Phi, Krabi, Yao Yai, and beyond.  We had some adventurous customers on board so we went snorkeling, swimming, lagoon hopping, and even went and snorkeled with some reef sharks.

The second trip we did was a 3 Day 2 Night trip that took us to Koh Haa, Koh Rok, Koh Lipe, and Koh Lanta.  A truly stunning trip with some of the most amazing snorkeling that you have ever seen.  If you really want to find the untouched paradises this is the trip for you and it’s suitable for people of all ages.

Koh Haa / Koh Rok / Koh Lipe

Out past, Phi Phi is these 3 paradise islands.  Koh Haa is a beautiful spot for snorkeling where you have a high chance of seeing turtles and other amazing marine life.  The coral reefs are alive with color and marine life.  Do yourself a favor and while the international borders are restricted take a break out to Koh Haa.

Koh Rok is just 35 minutes past Koh Haa and again has the most amazing reef.  You will see heaps of Clown Fish and other amazing varieties.  What we love about Koh Rok is the colorful reef as well as the clear water.

Koh Lipe is a bit of a ride from Phuket, so take a few days to stay over while out there and explore things like 8 Mile Rock and the Black Beach.  See Whale Sharks and more at locations like this.  Truly an idealistic paradise.

Similan Islands / Surin Islands

With the change of season islands like Similan Island and Surin Island open up as possible destinations and are great places for relaxation, snorkeling, and exploration.  Similan is a set of islands and Surin is just a beautiful untouched paradise.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started on what you could be doing this Christmas holiday.  If you would like some custom recommendations just contact us and let us know what you’d like to experience and we will tailor something for you.x

What Happens To A Private Boat Tour If The Weather Is Poor?
By October 6, 2020 5 Star Marine News, Private Boat Charter, Weather Update Comments Off

What Happens To A Private Boat Tour If The Weather Is Poor?

We have been asked a lot the last month or so what happens to a Private Boat Tour if the weather is bad, the wind is high or the sea is rough.  It’s a good question and relevant this September and October as we are still in the Phuket Wet Season.

The answer is different from company to company.  For example, today as I write this the rain is bucketing down but I am seeing video footage of tours going out.

Now in some cases, the Private Boat Tours will go out in bad weather as the customer requests it but in other cases, the companies do not allow for cancellations.

Here at 5 Star Marine Phuket, we offer a flexible cancellation policy.  The policy allows you to cancel a tour up to the day before the tour for any reason without needing to lose a deposit or make full payment.

On the day of the tour if the weather is poor cancellation is allowable weather.  This means we will not force you, your family, or friends to take a tour in bad weather, sea conditions, or wind conditions.

We wish your private boat experience to be a GREAT experience and the only way to do that is to ensure we have good conditions for you, our customers.  So to be clear, as a responsible Private Boat Company we will always give you the option to cancel ON THE DAY of your TOUR if the weather is bad.

IF you wish to go out this is your choice but we will never force you to take a trip just because you are booked.  This is something that our company does differently from most private boat companies in Phuket.

Why You Should Support Local Businesses During Covid 19 Pandemic
By September 28, 2020 5 Star Marine News, COVID 19 DONATION, Private Boat Charter Comments Off

Why You Should Support Local Businesses During Covid 19 Pandemic

 

During this difficult time of the COVID, 19 Pandemic as many as 70% of tourism businesses have not been able to re-open here in Phuket.  Whether that is from a lack of customers, financial problems, or staffing problems it doesn’t matter, what matters is that this means a lot of people are without work.

As a responsible company that is invested in the local community, as you can see from our regular donations, we also choose to support local businesses by spending at local restaurants, booking local staycations, and supporting businesses that have been supporting local people.

This is something we promote heavily on our social media as we strongly believe that the only path for tourism here in Phuket is through Domestic Tourism until at least the end of 2021.  While the government has started to let in long-stay tourism the number of tourist arrivals is just not enough to sustain the local economy.

So we encourage you, if you can, to spend local, stay local and support local businesses.  Also, pay special attention to those local businesses that are investing in keeping the community going.

Businesses like ours here at 5 Star Marine that are offering significantly discounted COVID Rate trips, businesses like ours that are making regular community donations, and businesses like ours that are taking the time to promote and help other local businesses.

Stay Local, Support Local and You’ll Discover Places You Never Knew Existed!

Raya Island, A Special Place In The 5 Star Heart
By September 22, 2020 5 Star Marine News, Private Boat Charter Comments Off

Raya Island, A Special Place In The 5 Star Heart

 

Raya Island also is known as Racha Island or King Island has a special place in the heart of the team here at 5 Star Marine.  You see, the first place that we ever visited on our first ever boat, Lucus 1, was Raya Island.

Raya Island is a favorite location of Shaun and Lisa the Co-Owners at 5 Star Marine.  Prior to owning 5 Star Marine, they would often take short Staycation breaks to the Rayaburi Resort which is located on Raya Island.

When Lucus 1 was coming out of the factory and due to go to water it just happened to be Lisa’s birthday and as a celebration for both the boat and Lisa’s birthday, the very first trip on Lucus 1 was to Raya Island.

Some snorkeling, beach time, and lunch at the Rayaburi Resort were all enjoyed, and then off to Mai Ton where they were lucky enough to see Dolphins.  It was such a wonderful day for the 5 Star team, Lisa, Shaun, and their friends.

This is why Raya Island Private Speedboat Tours have a special spot in the hearts of the 5 Star Marine team here in Phuket.

What Is 5 Star Marine Doing To Make Private Boat Hires Safe Post Covid19?
By May 29, 2020 5 Star Marine News, Private Boat Charter Comments Off

What Is 5 Star Marine Doing To Make Private Boat Hires Safe Post Covid19?

What Is 5 Star Marine Doing To Make Private Boat Hires Safe Post Covid19?

We are very aware of how the Covid19 pandemic has affected us locally here in Phuket but also all of our international friends and customers.  Being parents of a 7-year-old boy we are as equally concerned as any other parent about ensuring every activity we undertake is safe, clean, and the right healthy choice.

With this in mind, during this slow down in tourism, we as a company have taken a number of steps to make sure we provide a clean and virus-free environment for all of our customers.

Boat Renovations and Deep Cleaning

We were one of the first companies in Phuket to pull our boats out of the water and book them in with the island’s best renovation team.  During the renovation of both of our VIP Private Speedboats, we had a deep cleaning undertaken.

All paint was sanded back to its original layer, new paint was applied, all surfaces were disinfected and cleaned.  This disinfection and cleaning happen on a weekly basis while the boat sits idle at our parking.

lucus1
boat

Equipment Disinfection

All of the equipment that we use onboard inclusive of life jackets, fins, ice boxes, ropes, and more were all disinfected, cleaned, and sealed in storage containers.  When we resume regular tours we will complete the disinfection process again prior to our first travelers joining us.

Single-Use Masks / Snorkels

If you follow us regularly on Facebook you will notice that we have opted to change our process of providing masks and snorkels to customers.  Instead of providing them, we will offer a “Covid Kit” to our customers that include a full face mask and snorkel which you can take home at the end of the tour.

Our Covid Kit will include a number of other items to ensure cleanliness and safety from the virus while onboard and visiting the islands.  Just contact us to ask what the kit includes.

boat view

Quarantine Of Staff

All of our Guide Team, Captain Team, Crew Team, and Admin Team undertook a 28-day Quarantine to ensure as the virus spread they were not in contact with anyone that was at risk of having the virus.

Additionally, our staff are all required to wear masks, carry hand sanitizer, and complete Airborne Pathogen Training so they know how to limit the risk of spreading a virus like Covid19.

Accreditation

The Thai Government is offering an accreditation program that allows businesses like ours to develop a set of guidelines for our employees, suppliers, and customers to follow to ensure the safe use of our private boats.

We are one of the first 1442 tourism businesses in all of Thailand to adopt this accreditation program.  We believe from our research we may be one of the only 2 Private Speedboat Tour companies in Phuket to adopt this accreditation process.

Additionally we have mandated our staff to undertake Airborne Pathogen accreditation and training as well.

first response

5 Star Marine Providing Safe, Health Conscious Private Boat Tours

Once travel is allowed to resume and it’s safe for you to join us on Private Boat Tours we look forward to welcoming you onboard and having a great, safe time with us.  We take pride in being industry leaders and hopefully you can see we have been taking major leaps forward to ensure you have a safe and fun time with us.

Family Celebrations and Experiences Done The 5 Star Way!
By May 28, 2020 5 Star Marine News, Private Boat Charter Comments Off

Family Celebrations and Experiences Done The 5 Star Way!

Family Celebrations and Experiences Done 5 Star Way!

You probably don’t know it, but the team here at 5 Star Marine are extensively experienced in creating and executing family celebrations, romantic experiences, and wedding receptions that integrate amazing scenery, beautiful blue water, and private islands.

Let me give you a few examples:

New Years Day Serenade –

We had a client join us from Spain and as part of his plans for New Years Day, he hired one of our VIP Private Speedboats for a custom program tour that included James Bond Island, Canoeing through the Hongs, and snorkeling at a quiet spot in Hong Krabi.

The client had specifically requested a Private Island Sunset Dinner complete with a live acoustic band.  To make this happen we split our teams up, we had the “on boat team” of Guide, Manager, Captain, Engineer, and Host looking after the customer as they did the tour.

The second team went to the private island, set up a romantic sunset dinner location, prepared their custom meal, set up the band, and did a sound test.  On arrival the band played a very special song that was specifically requested by the client, dinner was served as was a custom drinks menu.

After sunset, the band played into the evening and we transferred the client back via our VIP Private Boat.  This is just one example of a unique and special experience we can craft upon request.

50th Wedding Anniversary  –

We had a family group of 20 people join us on a private custom Phi Phi Island tour.  The tour was to celebrate the 50th Wedding Anniversary of our client.
We organized Snorkeling, Diving, Jet Skiing, and more while on tour.  While our “on tour team” were looking after the clients at Phi Phi we had our “Island Team” setting up a private island dinner for 20 people complete with a sound system for music and speeches.

A custom dinner menu was created, drinks were served, our DJ played an array of old and new songs and the speeches were moving.  At the end of the evening, we transferred the clients safely back to their hotels.  This is just one example of a unique and special experience we can craft upon request.

Post Wedding Tour –

We were delighted to have an Australian Bride and Groom select a Private Custom Tour to James Bond Island, Hong Island, Panyee Island, and more as part of their wedding plans.

Upon completing the wedding ceremony we transferred the Bride and Groom and their guest to our pier where we took them on a private tour complete with a wedding reception lunch.

Drinks were flowing on board as was a custom playlist on our VIP Private Speedboat sound system.  A truly unique way to have a post-wedding celebration and one that will be remembered by all who attended for years to come.

If you have a dream, an idea, or a plan that you would like to implement contact our team here at 5 Star Marine about how we can any dream come true and design a memorable experience for you and your friends, family, or even team members.

Can You Still Go Island Hopping During Low (Wet) Season In Phuket
By May 1, 2019 Island Hopping, Private Boat Charter, Weather Update Comments Off

Can You Still Go Island Hopping During Low (Wet) Season In Phuket

Anyone who has been in Phuket the last few days will have noticed that the season is starting to change. For the locals here, that is amazing news considering that our water supplies on the island were starting to run bare.

For Tourists, though this can be concerning. If you had grand plans to visit Phi Phi Island, Raya Island, or James Bond Island you may be wondering if that’s even possible right now.

The answer to the question is simple, YES you can still go island hopping but you need to be careful to select the right day, the right company, and the right tour itinerary.

For example, during High Season when we run our private boat tours most of the time we suggest a later leave and spending sunset on a private beach. This is because typically in High Season we have the very low wind in the afternoon, making it great conditions for being on the sea.

During Low Season though, we recommend a sunrise tour or a tour leave time around 7 am or 8 am because during Low Season we expect a high wind in the afternoon which makes traveling back from the islands a little bumpy and less fun.

This is just one example of how things can change in the Low Season. The reality is that most companies in Phuket will go every day of both High and Low Season as they want to make income.

Here at 5 Star Marine Phuket, we care about making your Private Boat Charter a wonderful experience so we will only recommend going out on tour when the weather is right for your selected tour program.

If you’d like to know what we recommend for you, please get in contact with us!