Gorgeous Raya Island

Raya Island, also known as Racha island, is a small island in the Andaman Sea, located about 12 kilometers south of Phuket, Thailand. Raya Island has two smaller islands – Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi. These two also go by the names Koh Raya Yai and Koh Raya Noi respectively. So to distinguish which is which, ‘Yai’ in Thai means ‘Big’ whereas Noi means ‘little’. Both small islands have crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches. These islands are infamous for being excellent diving and snorkeling spots in Thailand because they are host to challenging diving sites which are very popular with beginners and advanced divers. This small little island is the closest to Phuket, about an hour speedboat ride. If you are planning on staying overnight at Raya Island, this is where you will find all the resorts. There are 3 resorts on the island namely, The Racha Phuket Resort, Baan Raya Resort and Bungalow Raya Resort. Just like the other islands in the area, Raya island is very popular for day trips. We did a day tour from Kata Beach and thoroughly enjoyed the snorkelling, scuba diving and buffet lunch provided. It gets quite busy in the afternoon hours but at night, it’s pretty serene as it only hosts a few bars and restaurants. Getting to these two islands from Phuket is easy. Usually, tour operators and travel agents organize all-inclusive day trips. You can also charter long-tail and speedboats from Rawai or Chalong Pier. It takes about 2 hours via a long tail boat whereas speedboats take an hour. Make sure you check the availability and the conditions of the island before booking. And if you are planning on snorkelling which I highly recommend, remember to carry things like sunglasses, sunscreen, towel, a sun cap and of course your snorkelling gear. They are also provided at no fee from tour operators and fins can be rented at 100 thb. For hygiene reasons, I prefer to bring my own snorkelling gear.