I spent almost two weeks in Phuket over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Besides taking care of some personal business, I also planned to go on a two-day snorkeling tour to see the coral reefs with Love Andaman. I booked a tour to the Surin Islands for one day and then to Koh Rok for the other day.

Before I left, I was quite excited about the trip. I spent several weeks searching Google for reviews of affordable underwater cameras. Initially, I planned to buy a waterproof case for my existing Fujifilm X100s camera (to save money, or so I thought). However, after looking around, I realized that the price of a decent waterproof case was comparable to that of an affordable underwater camera. Besides, I had never taken underwater photos before, and I wasn't a strong swimmer. I wasn't sure if I could handle taking photos while swimming. My husband, on the other hand, is a good swimmer and diver, but he doesn't know how to take photos. Investing in a good underwater camera might be a waste of money, especially since we don't go on these types of trips often (we prefer city breaks and people-watching). In the end, we decided to buy a bright yellow FujiFilm Finepix XP80 at a bargain price (it was the cheapest among all the affordable underwater cameras). I brought it with me on this trip.


The day we were going on a tour of the Surin Islands, since we were staying in Phuket, Love Andaman picked us up at the crack of dawn to get us to the Thap Lamu Pier in time for the boat's departure. I was in the middle of getting dressed when the phone rang. I answered the phone and saw that it was 5:50 AM. The driver called to ask where the hotel was. It was still pitch dark, and I wasn't in the best mood because I had to wake up early, but my mind was racing. I told the driver, "I'm in Phuket Town, on Sakdidet Road 1, near your company. I'm a tourist, why are you calling me?" And then I hung up. Oh... Aunty was getting angry.

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Upon arriving at the pier, our group was the first to check in. We received green wristbands, signifying that we were headed to the Surin Islands. We had some time to grab snacks, rice porridge, milk, and coffee to keep us going. The food spread was quite impressive, resembling a buffet at a 2-3 star hotel. Our guide, Tommy, greeted us and called us to gather. I took the opportunity to change into my swimwear. After changing, it was time for the final briefing before leaving our shoes at the pier. We took a family photo as a souvenir (we could pick it up on the way back) and then boarded the boat to the Surin Islands.

The guide informed us that on the way there, our boat would be sailing against the waves, making the ride bumpier (highly likely to induce vomiting) and taking longer. On the way back, however, the boat would be sailing with the waves, resulting in a smoother ride and slightly shorter travel time.

Our first stop was the Moken village, where there were restrooms available. Those who wanted to change into their swimsuits could do so here. (The program stated that we would stop at a specific point first, but the final decision was up to the guide and the captain.) We took a few group photos with the sea gypsies here.


After that, we went to the first diving spot of the day. I handed the camera to the guide Tommy, leaving the future of this camera in the hands of the guide. I got many pictures and clips of interesting corals and fish. I would like to thank the guide here.



After that, we went to the Surin Islands and had lunch there. The food looked delicious, but my family is used to eating hot food. Whenever we eat food that has been cooked and left out like this, we always get diarrhea. But we were hungry, so we each took a little bit to fill our stomachs. We also mentally prepared ourselves for the fact that we would probably have some problems that night.


I don't think there's much to see on the island. I read in a review that sometimes you can see baby sharks on the beach behind the resort. I went to have a look myself, but I didn't see any. They must come at other times. After being there for a little over an hour, we went to the bathroom and then it was time to go to the next two diving spots. In the afternoon, Love Andman provided us with some snacks, including sausage rolls and fresh fruit (in a cooler), to keep us going. It was great.


After wrapping up with 2 more diving spots, it was time to head back. The older man started to show signs of seasickness on the way back, while the younger man, seeing the person next to him with a drooping neck, also started to show symptoms as if he had been hypnotized. The middle-aged woman was the only one who was tough, sitting and rubbing her husband's back with one hand, while the other hand reached for smelling salts, lozenges, and balm to give to her son.


We arrived at the pier safely. No one threw up or fed the fish. The children on the boat asked for their wristbands back. My son was disappointed. He really liked them and thought they were souvenirs. It was both sad and funny to see him like that.

After getting off the boat, I rushed to change my clothes. The father and son stopped by to buy a framed family photo that they had taken before boarding the boat. They also went into the souvenir shop to look around. My son was delighted to see that they were selling wristbands, so he bought a bag of them as souvenirs (there were 5 colors). I then joined the queue to get some coconut ice cream, which is the most delicious in the world (according to our guide). It was truly delicious, especially for someone like me who hasn't had coconut ice cream in over ten years. My son also liked it.


We took a car back to Phuket. Our mood was much better than this morning, like we were different people. We didn't forget to tip the driver (the same one) and said thank you. "There's nothing wrong with us, you know. It's just that the ghosts haven't come out yet this morning."


Back to see the underwater photos and clips from the Fujifilm XP80 camera. Although the colors are not very bright, but for a camera at this price level, I am very happy with the results. I only adjusted the level of the photos and videos. My son helped me edit the video using Adobe Premiere Pro.



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