From the 8am pickup to the 5pm return, what actually happens and when.
Pickup is between about half past seven and half past eight depending on where your hotel sits on the route. The minibus collects from several hotels, so the first passengers have a longer ride than the last.

The boat leaves the marina between half nine and ten, once the port police have cleared the passenger list — this is a fixed administrative step and no amount of being early changes it. The first reef stop is usually an hour out, and it is the longer one, around an hour in the water.
Lunch is served on board around one, almost always a buffet of rice, chicken or fish, salad and bread, with soft drinks included and alcohol not. The second stop or the island landing follows, then the inflatables in the middle of the afternoon.


The boat leaves the marina between half nine and ten, once the port police have cleared the passenger list — this is a fixed administrative step and no amount of being early changes it.
The return crossing starts around half past three and the marina comes up at half four or five, with the minibus dropping in reverse order. Take a towel, a dry bag for your phone, more sunscreen than you plan to use, and cash for the bar and the tip.

