Phuket is a destination in its own right, but the islands scattered around it are the reason so many travellers extend their stay. Limestone karsts rise from jade-green water in Phang Nga Bay, coral gardens shelter thousands of reef fish less than an hour offshore, and quiet fishing villages sit undisturbed just across the bay. Whether you want a full-day snorkelling adventure, a paddling trip through sea caves, or a slow morning watching the tide come in over white sand, there is an island nearby that fits.

This guide covers seven of the best islands accessible from Phuket — what makes each one worth the boat ride, the best time to visit, and what to do when you get there. All details have been confirmed for 2026.

Phuket offers one of the most impressive accommodation scenes in Southeast Asia, with properties ranging from beachfront resorts on Kata and Karon to boutique villas tucked into the hills above Kamala. Booking a base on hotels through Traveloka gives you access to hundreds of verified options at every price point.

Maya Bay is the most photographed stretch of water in Thailand — a curved white beach enclosed by sheer limestone cliffs dropping straight into turquoise shallows. The bay became world-famous after featuring in the 2000 film The Beach, and after a multi-year rehabilitation period it reopened with strict visitor caps to protect the coral beneath. Morning arrivals by speedboat are the best way to see it before the midday rush, with the cliffs casting long shadows across the water and the sand still cool underfoot.

Loh Samah Bay, on the southern side of Phi Phi Leh, is a calmer alternative that rewards those willing to walk a short trail from the main landing. The water here is a deeper shade of blue and the snorkelling is excellent, with hard and soft coral formations home to butterflyfish, parrotfish, and the occasional reef shark resting on the sandy bottom. Speedboats from Phuket cover the roughly 45-kilometre journey in about 45 minutes depending on conditions. National park entry fees apply — currently 400 baht per person, payable in cash at the pier.

The Phi Phi Viewpoint sits about 180 metres above sea level at the top of a steep, well-marked trail that takes around 20 to 30 minutes to climb. The reward is a panoramic view across both Tonsai Bay and Loh Dalam Bay, with the narrow strip of land between them clearly visible — a landscape that looks as though someone has folded two seas together. Sunrise and late afternoon light give the best colour. The village below has plenty of cafés and seafood restaurants where you can rest after the descent.

Bamboo Island (Koh Mai Phai) lies a short ride north of Phi Phi Don and is typically included on full-day Phi Phi tours as a quieter final stop. The beach is long, flat, and edged with casuarina pines, and the water is shallow enough to stand in for quite a distance from shore. Snorkelling around the northern tip turns up healthy coral and schools of blue-striped snapper. It is an ideal spot to have a meal from the small beachside vendors and let the afternoon settle before heading back to Phuket.

The Similan Islands are a group of eleven islands about 84 kilometres northwest of Phuket, administered as Mu Ko Similan National Park. The park opens each year on 15 October and closes on 15 May to allow the marine environment to recover during monsoon season. Entry fees are 500 baht for adults and 250 baht for children, payable at the park office. The journey from the mainland pier at Tab Lamu takes roughly 60 to 90 minutes depending on the vessel, and the water clarity upon arrival is immediately striking — visibility often exceeds 20 metres.

Donald Duck Bay on Island No. 8 is the park's signature site, named for a granite boulder formation on the headland that resembles the cartoon character from a certain angle. It sits above a dive site famous for deep granite formations, sea fans, and large pelagic fish including manta rays and whale sharks during peak season. The boulder trail above is short but steep, and the view from the top across the Andaman Sea makes the effort worthwhile.

The Similans are widely regarded as among the top ten dive destinations in the world, with conditions varying dramatically between the sheltered eastern sides of the islands (best for snorkelling, gentle currents, shallow coral gardens) and the exposed western walls (best for advanced divers, dramatic drop-offs, strong surge). Day trips from Phuket include snorkelling equipment and typically visit two or three islands with multiple water stops. Liveaboard vessels operate out of Tab Lamu pier for those wanting multi-day immersion in the archipelago.

The jagged limestone needle rising from the emerald water of Phang Nga Bay is one of the most recognisable geological formations in Southeast Asia. Known locally as Ko Tapu, the rock appeared in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, which gave the bay its popular tourist name. The surrounding scenery is extraordinary regardless of its cinematic fame — hundreds of karst islands covered in jungle rise from the bay at odd angles, their reflections doubling the drama on calm mornings.

Getting there from Phuket typically involves a one-hour drive north to a pier on the mainland side of the bay, followed by a longtail or big boat journey into the karst landscape. Tours almost always include lunch at Ko Panyi, a floating village built on stilts over the water where a community of around 1,700 people has lived for more than 200 years. The village has a market, seafood restaurants, and a floating football pitch that has become a minor attraction in itself.

Paddling through the sea caves and hongs — the Thai word for the enclosed lagoons hidden inside hollow limestone islands — is the highlight of any Phang Nga Bay trip. At low tide, kayaks pass through low tunnels that open into cathedral-like chambers with dripping fern gardens and colonies of bats roosting in the ceiling. Several caves can only be entered by lying flat in the kayak as the boat slides through on the tidal flow. Guided half-day and full-day kayaking tours depart from Phuket year-round, though November to April gives calmer conditions.

For anyone planning a day trip combining James Bond Island with sea cave kayaking, booking in advance through activities on Traveloka is the easiest way to compare tours, read verified reviews, and secure spots on smaller group departures.

Koh Hae sits just 15 minutes by speedboat from Chalong Pier, making it the most accessible island escape for travellers based in southern Phuket. The island has two main beaches — a busier northern bay lined with sun loungers, and a quieter stretch called Long Beach on the eastern side where the sand is finer and the water is calmer. Both are good for swimming, and the snorkelling just offshore the northern beach turns up reasonable coral coverage and plenty of reef fish including parrotfish and triggerfish.

The beach operators on the northern side offer a full menu of water sports — parasailing, banana boating, sea kayaking, and paddleboarding — which makes Koh Hae a natural fit for families travelling with children or groups looking for a structured activity day. Boats run throughout the day, so there is no need to commit to a fixed return time. Several beachside cafés serve Thai food and cold drinks, and Long Beach has a handful of low-key restaurants popular with the small number of resort guests who stay overnight.

The reef on the western side of the island offers the best snorkelling at Koh Hae, with brain corals, staghorn formations, and sea anemones hosting clownfish visible in the shallower sections. Visibility is best in the dry season months from November to April, when the water is glassy and a deep shade of turquoise. Snorkelling equipment is available to hire at the beach, and the proximity to Phuket means a half-day is enough time to swim, eat, and make it back before afternoon traffic builds on the main roads.

Koh Racha Yai lies approximately 20 kilometres south of Phuket and is reachable by speedboat in around 45 minutes from Chalong Pier. The island has several bays, with Ao Bungalow on the northern coast being the most visited — a wide, gently curving beach with clear, calm water that makes it popular with both snorkellers and open-water swimming enthusiasts. The island is large enough to explore on foot, with paved paths connecting the main bay to quieter spots on the eastern and southern sides.

The snorkelling at Racha Yai is consistently good, with coral coverage increasing towards the rocky headlands at either end of the main bay. Turtle sightings are reasonably common, particularly early in the morning before day-trip boats arrive. Full-day tours from Phuket often combine Racha Yai with the smaller, wilder Koh Racha Noi to the south, where there are no permanent facilities and the marine life is noticeably less disturbed. Divers regard the Racha Noi pinnacles as some of the best advanced diving within easy reach of Phuket.

Koh Racha Noi is uninhabited and receives far fewer visitors than its northern neighbour, which keeps the underwater environment in excellent condition. The dive sites here attract barracuda, leopard sharks, and pelagic fish rarely seen at the busier spots closer to Phuket. Snorkelling from the surface is possible in calm conditions, though the stronger currents mean it is better suited to confident swimmers. The island is best visited as part of a guided day trip that includes safety equipment and a briefing on the tidal patterns.

Koh Yao Yai is the larger of the two Koh Yao islands in Phang Nga Bay, situated roughly equidistant between Phuket and Krabi. The ferry crossing from Bang Rong Pier on the northeast coast of Phuket takes around 30 minutes. Unlike the party islands and resort-heavy destinations that dominate Phuket's surrounds, Koh Yao Yai has deliberately kept its tourism profile low, which means long stretches of beach with almost no development and roads quiet enough to make cycling a genuine pleasure.

The island's Muslim fishing villages are the cultural centre of life here, with early mornings marked by the smell of charcoal fires and the sound of longtail engines heading out to sea. Visitors who hire a scooter or bicycle can loop the entire island in a half day, stopping at small markets, watching fishermen repair nets under the shade of palm trees, and eating fresh seafood at the handful of family-run restaurants near the piers. The pace is unhurried in a way that feels restorative after the intensity of Phuket proper.

The beaches on the western side of Koh Yao Yai face Phuket across the bay and catch the afternoon light at a golden angle. The water is calm in the dry season and the sand is clean, with no sun-lounge operators or beach hawkers interrupting the view. Kayaks can be rented from a few of the small guesthouses near the main pier, and paddling north along the coast gives access to small, unnamed beaches that are unreachable by road. For those interested in car rental on the mainland as part of a broader southern Thailand road trip, Phuket makes an excellent hub before taking the ferry across.

Koh Yao Noi is the smaller and more celebrated of the two Koh Yao islands, with a reputation built on its unhurried pace, strong artistic community, and spectacular views across Phang Nga Bay towards the karst formations. The ferry from Bang Rong Pier takes about 25 minutes, and the island can be explored independently on a rented bicycle or scooter without any fixed itinerary. Dawn kayaking trips departing from the island's eastern shore put paddlers on the water as the limestone towers emerge from the early mist — one of the most visually arresting experiences available anywhere near Phuket.

The seafood on Koh Yao Noi is among the freshest in the region, served grilled or steamed at open-air restaurants where the catch arrived that morning from boats moored out front. Evenings are quiet, with the island's small cluster of guesthouses and boutique villas attracting travellers who value calm over convenience. There are no nightclubs, no beach bars blasting music, and no jet-ski operators — just the sound of the sea and the occasional rooster. For an airport transfer directly from Phuket International Airport to the ferry pier, booking in advance avoids the uncertainty of negotiating with individual drivers on arrival.

A community of local artists has made Koh Yao Noi their home, and the island has a scattering of workshops and small galleries where batik fabric, handmade jewellery, and ceramic work are made and sold. Village life continues largely on its own schedule, with morning markets, afternoon prayers at the local mosque, and fishing boats returning in the late afternoon. Visiting the villages on foot rather than from a tour bus gives a more genuine sense of daily rhythms — residents are generally welcoming of respectful visitors who take the time to greet them and wander slowly rather than rush.

Finding competitive flights into Phuket International Airport from Australian cities is straightforward, with direct and one-stop services available from major Australian east coast hubs. Checking Traveloka promotions before booking often surfaces discounted fares and package deals that reduce the overall cost of the trip.

Traveloka is Southeast Asia's leading travel platform, used by over 100 million travellers to plan and book every element of a trip in one place. Whether you are locking in flights from Sydney or Melbourne into Phuket, comparing beachfront resorts with hillside villas, or browsing day-trip options across the islands covered in this guide, the app brings everything together in a single, easy-to-navigate interface with verified reviews, transparent pricing, and flexible payment options.

Beyond accommodation and transport, Traveloka offers a full suite of travel services designed for Australian travellers heading to Southeast Asia. The platform covers activities and experiences bookable in advance, so popular day trips to Phi Phi, the Similans, and Phang Nga Bay can be confirmed before you leave home rather than negotiated at the pier. Travel insurance and eSIM data plans are also available through the app, removing two common sources of last-minute stress from the pre-departure checklist.

The Traveloka app is free to download on iOS and Android and is designed to remain useful throughout the trip — not just at the booking stage. Real-time flight tracking, e-ticket storage, and booking management mean all your travel details are accessible in one place even when you are offline. For a trip that takes in Phuket and the islands around it, having that level of organisation in your pocket makes a genuine difference to how smoothly everything runs.