Oceans Sunset – Sunset Charter in Koh Samui

There is a particular hour in the Gulf of Thailand when the heat softens, the water turns to hammered copper and the islands offshore go from green to violet. Oceans Sunset is built entirely around that hour. It is a private three-hour charter that leaves the beach behind at 3:30 PM and brings you back to Koh Samui at 6:30 PM, having spent the best part of the afternoon among the quiet beaches of Koh Tan and the scattered outcrops of the Five Islands.

The vessel is yours alone for the duration. No shared decks, no fixed seating plan, no waiting for a coach party to reboard. Just your group, a professional crew who handle the navigation and the anchoring, and a stretch of water that most visitors only ever see from a hotel terrace. Cocktails and canapés come out as the light drops, which is the moment the whole charter has been quietly building towards.

It is short enough to slot into an arrival day or a last evening, and relaxed enough that nobody needs to plan anything beyond deciding what to wear.

Enjoy a Private Sunset Charter in Koh Samui

Oceans Sunset is a private afternoon-into-evening cruise along Koh Samui’s southern waters. Pick-up is from your hotel or villa, and within an hour of leaving reception you are on the water heading for the Five Islands — a small cluster of limestone islets that sit just off the coast and are far more dramatic up close than they appear from the shore.

From there the route curves around to Koh Tan, an island with almost no development and a handful of deserted beaches that rarely see more than a few visitors at a time. There is time to swim, to take the tender in, or simply to stay on deck with a drink and watch the coastline go past. On-board sporting equipment is available throughout if you want to be more active.

By around 5:30 PM the crew set out cocktails and canapés and the vessel settles into position for the sunset. You watch the sun drop behind the islands from open water rather than from a crowded beach bar, then cruise back into Koh Samui as the lights come on along the coast. The whole thing runs three hours door to deck to door.

Oceans Sunset Charter Duration

Oceans Sunset runs for three hours on the water, from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Allow roughly an extra hour at the front for transfers: pick-up from your hotel or villa begins at around 2:30 PM, followed by the short transfer to the departure point and boarding. You are back on Koh Samui by 6:30 PM, which leaves the evening free for dinner.

At a glance: 3 hours · 3:30 PM–6:30 PM · Koh Tan and the Five Islands · private vessel and professional crew · return transfers included.

Departure point and pick-up time are confirmed at booking and can shift slightly with the season and sunset time — worth stating on the page so the schedule reads as indicative rather than fixed.

What's Included in the Oceans Sunset Charter?

Every Oceans Sunset booking covers the following as standard:

Full use of the vessel

The charter is exclusive to your group for the full three hours — decks, shaded seating, sun pads, swim platform and interior space all included. Nothing is shared with another party. The specific vessel depends on what you book; options run from luxury yachts and catamarans to speedboats and party yachts.

Professional crew

A licensed captain and crew handle navigation, anchoring, safety briefing and service throughout. They know where the light falls best at that time of year and where to position the vessel for the sunset, which is the sort of local knowledge that separates a good sunset cruise from a forgettable one.

Full use of on-board sporting equipment

The sporting equipment carried on board is yours to use during the charter. Exactly what is available varies by vessel, so if paddleboards, snorkelling gear or anything specific matters to your group, confirm it when you enquire and we will match you to a boat that carries it.

Return transfers

Private road transfers from your hotel or villa to the departure point and back again are part of the package. No taxis to arrange at either end, and no working out where the pier is in the dark on the way home.

Admission fees

Any applicable admission or entry fees for the islands visited on the itinerary are covered, so there is nothing to settle in cash on the day.

Oceans Sunset Sample Schedule

A typical Oceans Sunset afternoon runs as follows.

Hotel / Villa Pick-Up – 2:30 PM

A private transfer collects your group from your hotel or villa. Bring swimwear, a layer for the ride home and a camera — the light in the last hour does most of the work for you.

Journey to the Five Islands – 2:45 PM

Board the vessel and head out towards Koh Tan and the Five Islands. The crew run through the safety briefing, and the coastline of southern Samui opens up behind you as you clear the shallows.

Explore the Five Islands – 3:30 PM

Arrive at the Five Islands — a cluster of steep limestone islets rising straight out of the water, ringed by birdlife and the occasional fishing boat. This is a relaxed stop: settle on deck, take in the scenery, and use the on-board sporting equipment if you feel like it.

Cruise Around Koh Tan – 4:30 PM

Continue round to Koh Tan, one of the quietest islands in the Samui archipelago. Its beaches are largely deserted and its shallows are clear enough to see the bottom from the deck. There is time here to swim, wade ashore or stay aboard, depending on what your group wants from the hour.

Sunset, Cocktails & Canapés – 5:30 PM

The crew set out cocktails and canapés and the vessel takes up position for the main event. The sun drops behind the islands, the sky runs through orange and pink into deep blue, and for twenty minutes or so nobody says very much. This is the part guests remember.

Return to Koh Samui – 6:30 PM

A gentle cruise back across darkening water to Koh Samui, where your transfer is waiting to return you to your hotel or villa in good time for dinner.

Why Choose the Oceans Sunset Charter?

• Genuinely private. The vessel is booked for your group alone — no strangers on deck, no shared itinerary, no fixed schedule beyond the sunset itself.
• A professional crew who know these waters. Navigation, anchoring and service are handled for you, including positioning the boat for the best view of the sun going down.
• Return transfers included. Collected from your hotel or villa and returned there afterwards, with no transport to arrange at either end.
• A scenic route, not a straight line. The Five Islands and Koh Tan are among the most photogenic stretches of water off southern Samui.
• Time actually ashore. Koh Tan’s deserted beaches are part of the itinerary, not an optional extra squeezed into the last ten minutes.
• Sunset from open water. A completely different experience from watching it over the heads of a crowded beach bar.
• Cocktails and canapés at golden hour. Served on deck as the light changes, at the natural high point of the afternoon.
• On-board sporting equipment. Available throughout for anyone who would rather be in the water than on the deck.
• Short enough to fit anywhere. Three hours works as an arrival-day opener, a rest-day treat or a final evening before flying home.

Explore Koh Tan and the Five Islands

Koh Tan

Also written Koh Taen, this small island sits a short cruise south of Samui and has remained almost entirely undeveloped. Its shoreline is a run of quiet, largely empty beaches backed by coconut palms, with shallow clear water that makes it a natural swimming and snorkelling stop. Our full Koh Taen travel guide covers the island in more depth if you want to read about it before you go.

The Five Islands

A cluster of sheer limestone formations rising abruptly out of the sea off Samui’s west coast, the Five Islands are one of the island’s most recognisable sights and a favourite subject for photographers. Seen from a boat at eye level rather than from a distant viewpoint, their scale is far more obvious.

Island scenery and beaches

The route strings together steep rock, quiet sand and open water in a single loop. The beaches on Koh Tan are the kind that are still empty on a weekday afternoon, and the surrounding shallows are calm enough for easy swimming.

Marine surroundings

These are protected, sheltered waters with clear shallows around the islands. Conditions vary with the season and the tide, and the crew will pick anchorage points on the day based on what the water is doing.

Sunset views

Samui’s western aspect means the sun sets over the water and behind the islands, which is exactly what the timing of this charter is designed around. If you want more time out there, the full-day Oceans Adventure and Oceans Discovery itineraries cover a wider stretch of the archipelago.

Relax and Enjoy the Journey

The vessels we charter for Oceans Sunset are set up for exactly this kind of afternoon: open deck space, shaded seating for when the sun is still high, sun pads for when it is not, and a swim platform for getting in and out of the water without ceremony. Because the boat is exclusively yours, you can spread out. We work across a wide range of boats — see the full fleet to get a sense of the options.

The crew stay in the background and step in when needed. They handle the anchoring, keep an eye on conditions, and know which side of the island gives the better light on a given afternoon. Sporting equipment is available throughout for anyone who wants to make more of the Koh Tan stop.

For the last hour, the pace slows right down. Cocktails and canapés come out, the engines go quiet, and the vessel sits on open water while the sky does its thing. Warm air, no schedule, nothing in the way of the view.

WHO IS THIS SUNSET CHARTER SUITABLE FOR?

Perfect for a Relaxing Sunset Escape

Oceans Sunset works well for:

• Couples — the three-hour format and the sunset finish make it a straightforward choice for an anniversary, a proposal or simply a good evening.
• Families — short enough to hold younger children’s attention, with swimming and beach time built in.
• Groups of friends — a private deck, drinks at golden hour and no closing time to work around.
• Private groups and corporate guests — a low-effort way to give visitors a memorable evening without organising anything yourself.
• Special occasions — birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoons and celebrations of most kinds.

For celebrations that need extra arranging — decoration, photography, dining reservations ashore — our concierge team can put the surrounding details together.

If three hours is not enough, the full-day and multi-day itineraries — Oceans Explorer, Oceans Voyager and Oceans Overnight — cover more of the archipelago, including Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Angthong National Marine Park.

Book Your Oceans Sunset Charter

Three hours, one private vessel, and the best light of the day over Koh Tan and the Five Islands.

Tell us your dates, your group size and the kind of boat you have in mind, and we will come back with the right vessels and a price. Get in touch or use the booking form on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Oceans Sunset Charter

How long is the Oceans Sunset charter?

Oceans Sunset is a three-hour charter running from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM. With hotel pick-up from around 2:30 PM and the return transfer afterwards, the full experience takes roughly four hours door to door.

What time does the sunset charter depart?

The charter departs at 3:30 PM. Pick-up from your hotel or villa starts at around 2:30 PM, with the transfer to the departure point at about 2:45 PM. Exact pick-up times are confirmed at booking and can vary slightly depending on where you are staying and the time of year.

What is included in the Oceans Sunset charter?

The package includes full use of the vessel, a professional crew, full use of on-board sporting equipment, return transfers and admission fees. Cocktails and canapés at sunset are part of the sample schedule — confirm the catering details with us when you book.

Does the charter include hotel or villa transfers?

Yes. Return road transfers between your hotel or villa and the departure point are included in the charter, so there is no transport to arrange at either end.

Which islands are included in the sunset itinerary?

The itinerary covers the Five Islands off Koh Samui’s coast and Koh Tan (also spelled Koh Taen) to the south. Both are reached within the first hour of the charter.

Can we explore Koh Tan during the charter?

Yes. The schedule sets aside time from around 4:30 PM to cruise around Koh Tan and explore its quieter, largely deserted beaches. Whether you go ashore, swim or stay on deck is up to your group and the conditions on the day.

Are cocktails and canapés included?

Cocktails and canapés are served at around 5:30 PM as part of the sunset segment of the sample schedule. Because catering arrangements can vary by vessel, we recommend confirming the exact details in your quote so there is no ambiguity.

Is sporting equipment available on board?

Yes — full use of the on-board sporting equipment is included. What is carried differs from boat to boat, so if there is something specific your group wants, mention it when you enquire and we will match you to a suitable vessel.

What time does the charter return to Koh Samui?

The vessel returns to Koh Samui at 6:30 PM, with your transfer waiting to take you back to your accommodation. That leaves the evening clear for dinner on the island.

How many guests can join the Oceans Sunset charter?

Capacity depends on the vessel you charter — the boats on our books range from compact speedboats to large catamarans and party yachts. Tell us your group size and we will recommend the options that suit it.

Who is the Oceans Sunset charter suitable for?

It suits couples, families, groups of friends, private groups and anyone marking a special occasion. The three-hour format is relaxed, requires no experience on the water, and is easy to fit around the rest of your trip.

What should we bring?

Swimwear, a towel, sun protection, a light layer for the cruise back and a camera. Everything else is handled on board.