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A review of June Bahtra’s Sunset Cruise
June Bahtra is a tour company that organizes cruises aboard an old Siamese Junk boat. I had no idea what a junk boat was before the tour, but now I can confidently tell you that it’s an ancient Chinese sailing ship that was often used for long ocean voyages back in the day. June Bahtra’s junk ship was really cool and made the evening feel more atmospheric as we cruised the ocean under the large red sails.
The tour includes a free hotel pick up from anywhere in Phuket, you just have to tell them where you’re staying. Trazy will help coordinate when and where you’ll be picked up and I can promise you they will be extremely punctual. So punctual that they were actually early to my hostel in Patong!
After we had everyone, we drove to Yacht Haven Mariana where the giant junk ship was waiting. We set sail into Phang Nga Bay about 5pm, excited to see the night’s sunset.
Setting Sail with June Bahtra
On board the ship, they provided water and soft drinks for free and had beer and wine for sale for anyone interested. Before dinner, they served us appetizers of peanuts, salad and spring rolls, which were delicious.
The junk ship sails at a relaxed pace of about 35 miles an hour over calm waters, so anyone who struggles with motion sickness should be ok. We sailed into Phang Nga Bay for about an hour before cutting the engine and slowly floating onward.
At about this time, dinner was served and we enjoyed rice, veggie stir fry, chicken curry, fish and veggies, and other dishes. They had fresh fruit and traditional Thai desserts as well which were fun to try. As the sun began to set behind the pretty limestone cliffs, we enjoyed our delicious dinner. I was impressed by the quality and amount of food. It was really quite a lot!
After dinner, we began to turn around and head back to the shore for our hour return. This was when the sunset really began to get beautiful. The once blue and yellow sky turned a vibrant pink, purple and orange and it was so pretty to see! We hadn’t expected such vibrant colors and were pleasantly surprised with the lovely show.
Once we returned to shore, we filed into the van and were dropped off in front of our hotels. I arrived back to my room around 9pm.
Final thoughts on James Bond Island & Phang Nga Bay Day/Sunset Tour by June Bahtra Cruise – from Phuket with Trazy
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with June Bahtra. The sunset tour is quite peaceful. The entire evening is spent sitting aboard the ship, looking out over the beautiful waters of Phang Nga Bay while enjoying great food and a colorful sunset. The staff on board were super friendly and attentive, and took very good care of us. I was able to chat with them for a bit and they gladly told me more about the boat and their company.
Unfortunately, the sunset cruise doesn’t actually sail all the way to James Bond Island, which is a bit misleading given the name. There are two options for this cruise, the lunch that visits James Bond Island, and the dinner that just sails an hour into Phang Nga Bay to see the sunset. I was slightly disappointed because I didn’t realize until already on the boat, but it was still a pleasant evening.
Who is this tour for?
I’d recommend this tour for couples looking for a chill romantic evening. Nearly everyone on board was with a significant other and most of the passengers were a bit older, visiting Phuket on a relaxing vacation. I wouldn’t recommend it for budget backpackers or solo travelers interested in more lively activities. The price tag is also a bit out of range for budget backpackers, but if it’s within your budget, the convenience is a great bonus.