Koh Racha Yai
Koh Racha Yai
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.0
565 reviews
Excellent
291
Very good
160
Average
59
Poor
23
Terrible
32
Mandy S
Saint-Nicolas-lez-Arras, France23 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
What a fabulous resort and island. Amazing place, staff extremely friendly and helpful. Spa soooo relaxing. Choice of 3 pools. Good choice of food in the restaurants. The only slight downside was part of the beach being busy during the day with boat trips.
Book a trip for snorkelling round the island and venture out of the resort to try the local food. Can't praise it highly enough.
Book a trip for snorkelling round the island and venture out of the resort to try the local food. Can't praise it highly enough.
Written 12 August 2020
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.
BangkokSachse
Bangkok, Thailand51,439 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
We stayed one night at the Racha Resort on Koh Racha in March 2024. The resort provided free boat shuttle. The beach was beautiful after tourists left in the late afternoon. The water was clear. The island was well maintained. The sunset was amazing. We didn’t have time to explore the island. We swam at the beach and in the Racha’s swimming pool. I recommend two night stay at Koh Racha.
Written 10 March 2024
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.
Leannie
Hanoi, Vietnam2,472 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
What a lush beach!! Came here on a boat trip, the snorkeling just off the island wasn't anything special as the water was too murky. The island however we had lunch followed by some downtime on the beach. None of us wanted to leave the lush waters
Written 14 February 2024
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.
Ryan
The Netherlands91 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
By far one of the prettiest beaches I've seen! It has all the ingredients for an amazing experience: looks very clean, beautiful clear water, white sands, amazing palm trees, enough places to grab some food and/or drinks and above all a great ambience and it's less crowded that other beaches I've been too. You can even go snorkeling in the area or partake in other fun activities. Definitely recommend visit Racha Island 💚
Written 5 January 2020
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.
madre&padre
Montenegro2,814 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Big white sand beach but little problem is small rock in water when tide is low. Colour water is tirquose. Too many boat and speed boat. No sunbeds and umbrella for hire. No shadow, this is big problem!!!
Written 15 January 2020
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.
KSRocks
Mumbai, India156 contributions
May 2012 • Friends
People who are deciding whether to go to Phi Phi or Raya island can read the below comparison to chose their pick.
The Island: Raya Island is smaller than Phi Phi islands. The main island of Phi Phi is Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Racha Yai is the main island of Raya. Koh Racha Yai has only 2 beaches as compared to around 6 beaches in Koh Phi Phi Don. The landscape of Phi Phi is much prettier than Raya as it has more hillocks/limestone cliffs and a better lush green cover than Raya. Phi Phi is much more commercialized than Raya. There is much more activity to do in Phi Phi (water sports, Kayaking to neighboring islands, shopping etc) than on Raya. Phi Phi has a night life which is absent on Raya island.
It takes a longer time to reach Phi Phi (1 hr in speedboat and over 2 hrs in a ferry) than to reach Raya (half an hour in Speedboat).
The Beach: This is a comparison between Patok beach (Raya) and Loh ladum beach (Phi Phi) which are both the main beaches of their respective islands. The beaches of both the islands are beautiful but I personally liked the Loh ladum beach better. The reason for my choice is 1. The backdrop of Loh ladum beach is more scenic 2. The sand is much finer and softer than that of Raya. Walking on the sands of the Loh ladum beach was amazing 3. There are beach shacks lined up throughout the Loh ladum beach. The Patok beach has one beach shack and a 5 star hotel in its immediate vicinity 4. Water sports available here which is absent on Patok beach
However Patok beach does score above Phi Phi beach with regards to the following points 1. The beach is bigger. The breath of the Loh ladum beach is pretty small 2. It’s more fun swimming in the Patok beach as the water is slightly clearer and there are better waves as well.
Snorkeling: The snorkeling experience in Kon Kae bay of Raya Island was way superior to the experience I had in Maya bay of Phi Phi island. The waters are much more inviting at Kon Kae bay and there are many more fishes here. We never really had to use the snorkeling gear as the water was so clear and the fishes were plenty. You just had get into the water and leave some fish food at your side to see all those colorful fishes.
Overall: Raya island is primarily for the day trippers and Phi Phi is more for backpackers. All types of accommodations are available on both the islands (limited in Raya). Raya island is more for the people who want a relaxing & peaceful time and Phi Phi is more for the people who want to party. Raya island gets really crowded during the day (cause of the day trippers) and so does Phi Phi. Phi Phi has few areas where one can find peace and be away from the crowds and throbbing night life (areas where hotels like Holiday Inn is situated). If you are deciding a day trip, I would suggest that one does Phi Phi first and if time permits, do Raya as well. Both are worth the visit.
The Island: Raya Island is smaller than Phi Phi islands. The main island of Phi Phi is Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Racha Yai is the main island of Raya. Koh Racha Yai has only 2 beaches as compared to around 6 beaches in Koh Phi Phi Don. The landscape of Phi Phi is much prettier than Raya as it has more hillocks/limestone cliffs and a better lush green cover than Raya. Phi Phi is much more commercialized than Raya. There is much more activity to do in Phi Phi (water sports, Kayaking to neighboring islands, shopping etc) than on Raya. Phi Phi has a night life which is absent on Raya island.
It takes a longer time to reach Phi Phi (1 hr in speedboat and over 2 hrs in a ferry) than to reach Raya (half an hour in Speedboat).
The Beach: This is a comparison between Patok beach (Raya) and Loh ladum beach (Phi Phi) which are both the main beaches of their respective islands. The beaches of both the islands are beautiful but I personally liked the Loh ladum beach better. The reason for my choice is 1. The backdrop of Loh ladum beach is more scenic 2. The sand is much finer and softer than that of Raya. Walking on the sands of the Loh ladum beach was amazing 3. There are beach shacks lined up throughout the Loh ladum beach. The Patok beach has one beach shack and a 5 star hotel in its immediate vicinity 4. Water sports available here which is absent on Patok beach
However Patok beach does score above Phi Phi beach with regards to the following points 1. The beach is bigger. The breath of the Loh ladum beach is pretty small 2. It’s more fun swimming in the Patok beach as the water is slightly clearer and there are better waves as well.
Snorkeling: The snorkeling experience in Kon Kae bay of Raya Island was way superior to the experience I had in Maya bay of Phi Phi island. The waters are much more inviting at Kon Kae bay and there are many more fishes here. We never really had to use the snorkeling gear as the water was so clear and the fishes were plenty. You just had get into the water and leave some fish food at your side to see all those colorful fishes.
Overall: Raya island is primarily for the day trippers and Phi Phi is more for backpackers. All types of accommodations are available on both the islands (limited in Raya). Raya island is more for the people who want a relaxing & peaceful time and Phi Phi is more for the people who want to party. Raya island gets really crowded during the day (cause of the day trippers) and so does Phi Phi. Phi Phi has few areas where one can find peace and be away from the crowds and throbbing night life (areas where hotels like Holiday Inn is situated). If you are deciding a day trip, I would suggest that one does Phi Phi first and if time permits, do Raya as well. Both are worth the visit.
Written 25 June 2012
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.
Easy229
Sydney, Australia51 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
I don't like to give a poor review because everyone's thoughts are different. My rating will say what I think but you my friends will make up your mind. This is just how our day went. Pickup from hotel was spot on time. Speedy minibus until we get to another hotel. 20 minute wait for two immaculately dressed and prepared young guests. Arrive at meeting place for the all day pre paid snorkelling tour. Wait for more buses. Then we are told thre are no fins supplied for tour only our masks and snorkel. Also fins are necessary to protect you from dangerous marine life. Safety will cost you 100 baht a set.
Then to the speedboat. I know travelling is all about experience. But I rate safety pretty high when my family is involved. I know it's the beginning of the wet season and the tides are high BUT 30 people including children with most wearing Hello Kitty floatation vests, on a boat for a 40 minute trip in open water with a two metre plus swell running.........any way thanks to the grace of Neptune and Poseidon we made it to Racha Island.
Safety brief and day instructions. We were told that today was NO GOOD for snorkelling. Also add to this that if you wanted a seat off the rock and dirt it was 100 baht per seat. Also add to this a 20 baht cost for the toilet. Okay.......
Lunch was good, filing, well prepared and plenty of it.
With no snorkelling to be done we tried to for a swim at two different beaches. Be so careful here. It's a bit like Fred Flintstones quarry. Rock everywhere all very hard on the feet and many jagged.
Back on the boat for the trip home. Again safety was an issue for us. We made it but it was a very bad and an unsafe journey. To add insult we were asked to give the boat driver a tip.....I had a tip for him.
We have now been told that it was the wrong season and the wrong tides etc for a trip to Racha so some of it was our fault. But the pursuit of the tourist dollar should not outweigh what you are supposed to get on a tour, hidden costs for the basics and safety. Please make up your own mind on this trip. This was just our day .
Then to the speedboat. I know travelling is all about experience. But I rate safety pretty high when my family is involved. I know it's the beginning of the wet season and the tides are high BUT 30 people including children with most wearing Hello Kitty floatation vests, on a boat for a 40 minute trip in open water with a two metre plus swell running.........any way thanks to the grace of Neptune and Poseidon we made it to Racha Island.
Safety brief and day instructions. We were told that today was NO GOOD for snorkelling. Also add to this that if you wanted a seat off the rock and dirt it was 100 baht per seat. Also add to this a 20 baht cost for the toilet. Okay.......
Lunch was good, filing, well prepared and plenty of it.
With no snorkelling to be done we tried to for a swim at two different beaches. Be so careful here. It's a bit like Fred Flintstones quarry. Rock everywhere all very hard on the feet and many jagged.
Back on the boat for the trip home. Again safety was an issue for us. We made it but it was a very bad and an unsafe journey. To add insult we were asked to give the boat driver a tip.....I had a tip for him.
We have now been told that it was the wrong season and the wrong tides etc for a trip to Racha so some of it was our fault. But the pursuit of the tourist dollar should not outweigh what you are supposed to get on a tour, hidden costs for the basics and safety. Please make up your own mind on this trip. This was just our day .
Written 12 July 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.
andrewstuart
Sydney34 contributions
Jun 2015 • Solo
This place is nothing more than a way to exploit Chinese tourists. There is no live coral. No fish. And seeing 1500 Chinese people taking over the supposedly "serene deserted" beach made me think, now I know what Chinese soup looks like.
There is nothing fun about this tour. It is a rort. The neverending hordes of Chinese tourists have ruined it. The island is dead. Save your money...
There is nothing fun about this tour. It is a rort. The neverending hordes of Chinese tourists have ruined it. The island is dead. Save your money...
Written 27 May 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.
Kumquatlikeur
Singapore, Singapore9 contributions
Apr 2016 • Couples
We booked a tour from Phuket to both Racha and Coral island for snorkeling.
The minivan that took us to Chalon pier arrived 10 minutes early and was rushing us to come down. Upon arriving at Chalon, we were given wristbands to determine which boat/group you were on. A speech was given in 3 different languages, English, Chinese and Thai, we had to wait in a very hot and crowded shelter filled with at least 200 persons, there was no ventilation and there was a strong scent of exhaust fumes.
After 30 minutes we were told to depart to the speedboat which was too small for our group of 40 and we felt like cattle being deported to the slaughterhouse, only to find out that this is common practice and the worst was yet to come.
We first went to Corel island which was only 10 minutes away from Phuket, we were told before we booked that we would snorkel at both islands, this turned out to be a lie and we only went to the beach and did not snorkel at Coral island! We had to stay 1.5 hours on Coral island where you have to pay 140 Baht for an icecream and 100 baht for a chair and 200 baht for a sunbed!
Our next stop was Racha island where we went snorkeling, the underwater view was a big disappointment and did not resemble the brochures at all, there were hardly any fish, not to mention the non-existing coral. Instead, there were plenty of jellyfish as one of our fellow livestock companion experienced when he got stung.
After some snorkelling we were dropped off at Racha island for lunch. The transporting to the "restaurant" consisted of a tractor with an open trailer that had some home-made wooden benches on which we had to sit. The road to the "restaurant" was bumpy and you had to watch out for tree branches.
The lunch was basic but edible though there were lots of flies and not enough chairs for our group.
After lunch we were taken to the other side of the island which had a nice beach but absolutely no shadow what-so-ever. My girlfriend has a very fair skin and she had to take shelter, she was not the only one as we saw many people from our and other groups taking shelter from the sun. After idling for 1.5 hours we were finally taken back to Phuket.
We really felt cheated about the whole trip and it seemed the rest of our group felt the same as hardly anyone seemed to have a great time.
Racha island is NOT what they tell you it is, it is NOT a deserted island with white beaches where you can relax and snorkel. The island is filled with Chinese people, it is crowded and dirty. Don't go to Racha island and what ever you do, don't book through golden region travel (their folders are everywhere!)
The minivan that took us to Chalon pier arrived 10 minutes early and was rushing us to come down. Upon arriving at Chalon, we were given wristbands to determine which boat/group you were on. A speech was given in 3 different languages, English, Chinese and Thai, we had to wait in a very hot and crowded shelter filled with at least 200 persons, there was no ventilation and there was a strong scent of exhaust fumes.
After 30 minutes we were told to depart to the speedboat which was too small for our group of 40 and we felt like cattle being deported to the slaughterhouse, only to find out that this is common practice and the worst was yet to come.
We first went to Corel island which was only 10 minutes away from Phuket, we were told before we booked that we would snorkel at both islands, this turned out to be a lie and we only went to the beach and did not snorkel at Coral island! We had to stay 1.5 hours on Coral island where you have to pay 140 Baht for an icecream and 100 baht for a chair and 200 baht for a sunbed!
Our next stop was Racha island where we went snorkeling, the underwater view was a big disappointment and did not resemble the brochures at all, there were hardly any fish, not to mention the non-existing coral. Instead, there were plenty of jellyfish as one of our fellow livestock companion experienced when he got stung.
After some snorkelling we were dropped off at Racha island for lunch. The transporting to the "restaurant" consisted of a tractor with an open trailer that had some home-made wooden benches on which we had to sit. The road to the "restaurant" was bumpy and you had to watch out for tree branches.
The lunch was basic but edible though there were lots of flies and not enough chairs for our group.
After lunch we were taken to the other side of the island which had a nice beach but absolutely no shadow what-so-ever. My girlfriend has a very fair skin and she had to take shelter, she was not the only one as we saw many people from our and other groups taking shelter from the sun. After idling for 1.5 hours we were finally taken back to Phuket.
We really felt cheated about the whole trip and it seemed the rest of our group felt the same as hardly anyone seemed to have a great time.
Racha island is NOT what they tell you it is, it is NOT a deserted island with white beaches where you can relax and snorkel. The island is filled with Chinese people, it is crowded and dirty. Don't go to Racha island and what ever you do, don't book through golden region travel (their folders are everywhere!)
Written 30 April 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.
ekoyudi
Jakarta, Indonesia127 contributions
May 2012 • Friends
Remember this : don't go to Racha Island on low season between May and November.
Why? First the sea are not friendly, many big wave; second the weather are unpredictable.
Usually tour to Racha Island offer activities like dive, snorkeling, and relax on the beach, this will be a serious problem if the sea wave are big, and the weather are always changing.
I follow the tour with speed boat, with 2 main activities : Snorkelling and Relax on the beach.
The tour price itself are more expensive than tour to Phi phi, Maya Bay, and Pha Nga, maybe because the tour are using speed boat.
The transfer between hotel and the pier are very smooth, the problem started on the way to the island.
Because of the big wave, the speedboat were up and down everytime, many people are still got sea sickness even they already got the medicine. Because of this many people choose not go snorkeling and just go to the beach to relax, it means they will be stay on the beach on the whole day.
It seems so ok wright? You are relax on the beach, I bet you must want to lay down on the sand, swim, and the important thing is the sun for sunbathing, and this what happen : I count there are more than 6 times weather changes for a whole day, sunny, rainy, sunny again, back rainy again. How can you be relax?
The snorkeling spot is very good, clear water, many fish everywhere, there are a lot of fishing boat, but its ok. Again because of bad weather, we can only go to 1 snorkeling spot from 2 location as mention on brochure.
The beach is ok, white sands, clean water, scenery is good. But you have to walk carefully on the beach, because there are still many coral there.
Amazingly there are ATM on the island, but since the tour operator only provide snack and drinks on the boat and when lunch time, I suggest you to bring some food and drinks, the food and drinks on island are expensive.
Overall, I got bad experience there, but it seems to be a different story if I come at high season (November to April) when the weather is perfect.
Why? First the sea are not friendly, many big wave; second the weather are unpredictable.
Usually tour to Racha Island offer activities like dive, snorkeling, and relax on the beach, this will be a serious problem if the sea wave are big, and the weather are always changing.
I follow the tour with speed boat, with 2 main activities : Snorkelling and Relax on the beach.
The tour price itself are more expensive than tour to Phi phi, Maya Bay, and Pha Nga, maybe because the tour are using speed boat.
The transfer between hotel and the pier are very smooth, the problem started on the way to the island.
Because of the big wave, the speedboat were up and down everytime, many people are still got sea sickness even they already got the medicine. Because of this many people choose not go snorkeling and just go to the beach to relax, it means they will be stay on the beach on the whole day.
It seems so ok wright? You are relax on the beach, I bet you must want to lay down on the sand, swim, and the important thing is the sun for sunbathing, and this what happen : I count there are more than 6 times weather changes for a whole day, sunny, rainy, sunny again, back rainy again. How can you be relax?
The snorkeling spot is very good, clear water, many fish everywhere, there are a lot of fishing boat, but its ok. Again because of bad weather, we can only go to 1 snorkeling spot from 2 location as mention on brochure.
The beach is ok, white sands, clean water, scenery is good. But you have to walk carefully on the beach, because there are still many coral there.
Amazingly there are ATM on the island, but since the tour operator only provide snack and drinks on the boat and when lunch time, I suggest you to bring some food and drinks, the food and drinks on island are expensive.
Overall, I got bad experience there, but it seems to be a different story if I come at high season (November to April) when the weather is perfect.
Written 23 May 2012
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.
Hi , Is it possible to get to Racha Yai by road, I heard that there is a bridge connecting phuket to Racha.
Written 21 September 2022
How much does it cost to get from phuket to kok racha yai
Written 20 July 2019
We’ve been to racha and coral tour on 600B /per.(with hotel pick up)
Enjoy!
Written 8 August 2019
Giuseppina F
Naples, Italy
Salve, io sarò a Patong l’8 marzo in crociera, vorrei raggiungere Koh Racha Yai, se ho capito bene posdo farlo da Chalong. Ma quanto tempo si impiega ? Grazie
Written 25 February 2019
ciao. vorrei sapere come si arriva sull'isola raja. premetto che dall'aeroporto di phuket dovrei raggiungere l'isola, ma il mio resort non organizza il transfer. grazie
Written 16 November 2016
devi rivolgerti ad un'agenzia di viaggi, che sono molte a phuket, che organizza il trasfert in autobus fino a chalong bay e dopo con barche veloci di trasportano sull'isola.
se non vuoi la ressa, prenota una o più notti e potrai godere l'isola ed i ristorantini sulle spiagge senza la calca dei turisti giornalieri, per lo più cinesi completamente vestiti e con cappelli a larghe tese, per non parlare di quelli completamente fasciati di nero come guerrieri ninja.
Written 8 August 2018
what is there to do on the island itself if you go there on a day trip? and what is the Best way to get there?
Written 18 September 2016
You could snorkel, but the water is not very clear and little bit choppy! You could also go to the village where there is a nice Muslim family restaurant (if you want) and swim at the beach!
Written 28 October 2016
Does any one know how much it costs to get to the island from Rawai in a longtail boat or speed boat?
Written 29 April 2016
Подскажите на этом острове можно взять в аренду квадроциклы?
Written 16 March 2016
Hello
Does your home stay accommodate children? My boys are aged 14 & 5 years. I cannot stand staying at hotels or the dreaded resort..I much prefer the small B&B family run environment.
Written 28 December 2014
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