Tourist reveals 'awful' reality of picturesque boat ride to popular holiday island
While the views are spectacular, many travellers say it's 'not worth' the trip after having bad experiences while embarking on the one hour journey.
Tourists visiting some of the world's most picturesque hotspots might be surprised to learn that, in reality, there's often more than meets the eye.
That's certainly the case for some travelling by boat to the popular Koh Phi Phi island from Phuket in Thailand, with a video showing what tourists might expect during their journey. And it's put some people off visiting altogether.
The video shared on TikTok shows a group of travellers on board a speed boat embarking on their hour-long journey as they sail crystal blue waters and pass steep and mesmerising cliff faces. But the rough ride often causes sea sickness among passengers with many seen feeling unwell.
"The boat from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi will haunt me forever," the female traveller captioned her video. She's seen in it with her head in a bucket while a friend holds back her hair — but it wasn't just her, others admitted they experienced it too.
"I have taken that ride. People were puking everywhere," one said. While another revealed that their boat journey was "one of the worst days of my life". Others agreed it's "so awful" with some admitting it's "not worth" doing.
How travellers can prepare for 'poor weather and rough seas'
In fact, it's extremely common in island countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, Natalie Smith, head travel expert for 1Cover, told Yahoo News Australia. Travellers previously detailed a similar experience on board ferries and speed boats from Bali to surrounding islands. In Thailand, it's particularly bad from May to October.
Smith said poor weather and rough seas are expected and so any injuries or illnesses as a result are usually covered by travel insurance
"Travel isn’t always straightforward and turbulent, rough seas are often an unexpected part of boat transfers," she said. "Poor weather conditions and rough seas can make for an unpleasant and even hazardous experience."
Additionally, when being transferred by boat transfer or ferry between islands travellers would usually be automatically covered also. But tourists should still check with their booking agent or accommodation providers prior to booking a boat service and always heed travel warnings and recommendations.
"Boat transfers would be covered automatically by travel insurance. Provided the ferry or charter boat you are travelling on doesn’t fall under the category of cruise ship, and is primarily for transportation, you wouldn’t be required to pay an additional premium," she said.
"Seek advice from local travel experts to ensure you’re choosing the safest boat operators and services and always listen to the crew once onboard to ensure you know all safety instructions. Insist on wearing a life jacket even if you aren’t required to do so."
Warning to tourists when island hoping
Lastly, Smith reminds travellers to add all required destinations to their travel insurance policy when island hopping as an extra safety measure.
“If you’re travelling to multiple islands by boat, check with your insurer to see if you’d be covered for all destinations. For instance, be sure to select Indonesia if you’re planning to visit multiple islands around Bali such as Gili and Lombok."
The same goes for islands around the mainland of Thailand.
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