Less than a 20-minute boat ride from Phuket’s Ao Por Pier is Koh Phae, a tiny island that’s almost completely covered by water at high tide. Traversable in less than 10 minutes, the island can even be booked out for your own party. First you’ll have to get permission from the puu yai baan (village leader), which is a service Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa offers to take care of free of charge for its guests.
You’ve got two options to get there—a spot on one of Andaman Passion‘s catamarans will cost you B3,900/person return ($159/person return), including food and drink buffet. You can also book the entire boat for your crew (max 45 people), with the price ranging from B60,000-100,000 ($2,444-4,074).
Cheaper is a long-tail boat at B1,500 return, ($62) which can be split between 20 people. Bookings at +66 (0) 98-064-5104.
Room rates at Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, on Mai Khao Beach, start at B4,200/night (from $171) including breakfast for two. They also offer a package especially for LGBT couples called Pride & Joy, which gets you a bottle of prosecco and daily chef’s special of the day served in your room for B4,550/night ($185). One-way transportation to Ao Por Pier is B800 ($33) for a taxi, B1,000 ($48) or a van for B1,700 for Renaissance’s van service.
Note, there’s no electricity on Koh Phae, so daytime visits are recommended.
