Why Choose Barracudas Tour
Experience the islands with people who know them.
Barracudas Tour is a local, family-run boat operator that has been taking guests from Ao Nang to the islands of Krabi since 1992, with our own boats, local captains and local guides. This page sets out exactly how we operate, so you can compare us on facts rather than impressions.
Over more than three decades we have learned that a great island tour is not simply about following a fixed timetable. The sea changes. The tides change. The islands change. And we adapt.
From planning a visit to Tub Island around the sandbar that appears at low tide, to entering Hong Lagoon when the tide allows, our experience helps us make the most of each destination while keeping safety and nature at the centre of the day.
Why choose Barracudas?
01 / Since 1992
Thirty years of local island experience
Barracudas has run island trips out of Ao Nang continuously since 1992. Our office is at 216 Moo 2, Soi Ao Nang 11/1, the same neighbourhood we started in, a short walk from the beach our boats leave from.
Thirty years on the water is not a slogan. It is why our captains can tell you that the sandbar at Tub Island only appears at low tide, and why we plan the day around that instead of arriving at the wrong hour and calling it a stop.
Read the full story →02 / Safety comes first
Insurance, trained crews and certified equipment
Every Barracudas passenger is covered by accident insurance up to 1,000,000 THB. It is included in the price of every seat and every private charter, with no separate purchase and no surcharge collected on the day.
Our crews take CPR training every year, and the life jackets we provide meet the requirements set by Thailand's Marine Department. Life jackets are provided for everyone on board and worn on transfers between islands, strong swimmers included.
Read the full story →03 / Your photos, taken properly
Photography-trained tour guides
Photography training is part of how we prepare our guides, so the person looking after your group also knows how to frame a shot on Phra Nang beach or against the Hong Island cliffs. You do not have to hand your phone to a stranger or pay for a separate photographer.
Tell your guide at the start of the day what you would like, whether that is a family shot at every stop or being left alone to swim. Both are fine, and there is no photo package to buy.
Read the full story →04 / We care about the reef
Green Fins and Reef Watch
The coral reefs, marine life, beaches and islands that bring people to Krabi are living ecosystems, not just tourist attractions. We take part in environmental training and reef monitoring initiatives, including Green Fins and Reef Watch.
In practice that means responsible snorkelling for our crew and our guests, avoiding unnecessary contact with coral, and recording the condition of the reefs we visit so that changes over time can be tracked.
Read the full story →05 / No shopping stops. No pressure.
Your day is about the islands
A Barracudas day tour goes to the islands on the itinerary and nowhere else. No jewellery shops, no souvenir stores, no latex or pearl showrooms and no detour on the way back to your hotel.
Nothing is sold on board either. Our guides do not offer excursions, photo packages or upgrades once you are on the boat, and nobody will push you to buy anything. The itinerary published on the tour page is the itinerary you get.
Read the full story →06 / One price, published upfront
What you pay is what you were quoted
The price shown when you book is the full amount you pay Barracudas. It covers the boat, hotel pick-up and drop-off in Ao Nang, lunch on full-day tours, drinking water and fruit, snorkelling equipment, life jackets, an English-speaking guide and insurance.
Exactly two things can be added, and both are published before you book. The government National Marine Park entrance fee is collected in cash on the day, and pick-up from Krabi Town or Klong Muang is 100 THB per person. Ao Nang pick-up is free.
Read the full story →07 / Food that works for you
Dietary requirements welcome
Lunch on full-day tours is prepared by our own kitchen staff rather than bought in as a lunchbox, and fruit and drinking water are included through the day.
Halal, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, no pork, no seafood and specific allergies can all be prepared if you tell us before your trip. Add a note when you book, or message us before your tour date.
Read the full story →08 / If the sea says no, we listen
Clear reschedule and refund conditions
Safety comes before the itinerary. If weather or sea conditions mean a trip cannot run safely, by agreement the tour is rescheduled to another day or refunded in full. That is written into the cancellation policy on every tour page.
Your own cancellation terms sit in the same place. You can cancel up to 3 days before the tour date for a full refund minus the bank fee. From 3 days up to 1 day before, we reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee of up to 50%.
Read the full story →09 / Standards beyond the boat
Tourist Boat standards certification
Barracudas runs its own longtail boats and speedboats rather than chartering whatever happens to be free that morning. Boats are cleaned between trips and maintained on a schedule to the standard Thai regulations require for passenger boats.
Our operation has also been assessed against recognised Tourist Boat standards developed with King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi. If a boat is not fit to sail, it does not sail: guests move to another of our boats, or the trip is rescheduled or refunded in full.
Read the full story →10 / Local people. Local knowledge.
Captains and guides who know Krabi
Our captains and guides are from the area and know these waters through experience, not from a route sheet. They know where conditions are best, how the tide affects each stop, and when it is worth taking a little more time.
They speak English, and other languages can sometimes be arranged if you ask when you book. Knowing the area is also what lets a guide move a group ahead of the crowd, reaching Phra Nang or the Hong lagoon at a quieter moment.
Read the full story →More than thirty years on the water
There are many ways to see Krabi. We believe the best one is with people who know it.
Since 1992 Barracudas has grown up with Ao Nang and the islands around it. We know the tides, the seasons, the routes, the quiet moments and the days when the sea tells us to change our plans.
We know that safety comes before an itinerary. That the reef matters more than a photograph. That your lunch should work for you. And that your holiday should not include a shopping stop you never asked for.
Local experience. Responsible tours. Since 1992.
Ready to pick a day?
Choose your tour, boat and date. Booking takes a couple of minutes and your confirmation email arrives as soon as payment clears.