Private or shared, with the arithmetic
Private costs more, and above four or five people it stops costing more. Here is the exact point where that happens, and the cases where shared is the better trip regardless of price.
The arithmetic, first
Every other consideration on this page is secondary to one fact: a boat costs what it costs whether two people are on it or twelve. So the whole question is how many ways you are dividing a fixed number.
| Party size | Shared seats, four islands day | Private boat | Per head, private | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | USD 104 | USD 420 | USD 210 | Shared, clearly |
| 3 | USD 138 | USD 460 | USD 153 | Shared |
| 4 | USD 184 | USD 460 | USD 115 | Shared on money, private if it matters |
| 5 | USD 210 | USD 520 | USD 104 | Close. Private is worth it |
| 6 | USD 252 | USD 520 | USD 87 | Private |
| 8 | USD 336 | USD 520 | USD 65 | Private, comfortably |
| 10 | USD 420 | USD 620 | USD 62 | Private |
The break-even sits between five and six people on a boat and at three on a vehicle, where a private car with driver and guide costs less than three shared road-trip seats. Below those numbers private is a comfort purchase, and we will say so rather than let you convince yourself it is a saving.
What private actually buys
Four things, and it is worth being precise because the marketing usually is not.
The departure time
The single most valuable one. A private boat leaves when you say, which on the An Thoi route means you can be on the first reef at 08:50 instead of 09:20 and have it completely to yourself.
The route
Swap an island, skip a stop, stay an hour longer somewhere you like. On a shared boat twelve people have to agree, so the route is fixed.
The pace
Matters most with young children, with anyone who tires, and with photographers. On a shared trip the group sets the pace and the group is usually right.
Nobody else
Worth a lot to some people and nothing to others. We are not going to tell you which you are.
What private does not buy: a better boat, a better guide, better coral or a better lunch. Those are the same. Anyone selling private on the basis that the shared product is worse is telling you something about their shared product.
When shared is the better trip
There are cases where we would recommend shared even if the money were identical, and it is worth saying so out loud on a page that could easily be an upsell.
- Two people travelling alone for a week. A shared boat is the only place on this island where you will meet other travellers, and a lot of people book a private boat and then wish they had not.
- Teenagers. A boat of twelve with other people on it is a considerably better day for a fifteen-year-old than a boat of four with their parents.
- First-time snorkellers. Watching six other people get in the water first is genuinely useful, and it does not happen on a private charter.
- Anyone on a tight budget who would otherwise skip the trip. A shared seat at USD 42 is the same reefs as a private boat at USD 210 a head. The water does not know.
When private is the right answer
- Five or more of you. On money alone.
- Young children. The freedom to turn round at 13:00 because a four-year-old has had enough is worth more than the price difference.
- Anyone with a mobility issue or who tires. A private vehicle can stop, wait and shorten. A shared one cannot.
- Photographers. The light you want is not the light the schedule gives you.
- A specific itinerary. If you want Bai Thom and Rach Tram rather than Ganh Dau and Rach Vem, that is a private day and there is no shared version of it.
- People who genuinely dislike group travel. That is a legitimate preference and it does not need justifying with arithmetic.
A five-step decision
- Count your party. Five or more, book private and stop reading.
- Check for a constraint. A small child, a mobility issue, a fixed departure time, a non-standard route. Any one of those points to private at any party size.
- Ask whether you want to meet people. If yes, shared, regardless of the money.
- Check the season. In July and August the shared boats sometimes do not fill and run anyway; in January they fill weeks ahead. A private charter removes that uncertainty and in high season that is worth something.
- Compare the actual numbers for your dates. Ask us. We will send both, side by side, including the case where we think you should take the cheaper one.
Ask for both prices
Tell us party size and dates and we will send the shared and private figures side by side, with a recommendation that is sometimes for the cheaper option.
Private charter rates in one place
| What | Per day | Holds | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snorkelling boat | USD 380 – 620 | 12 | Groups of 5+, families, photographers |
| Squid fishing boat, evening | USD 240 – 340 | 12 | Families, groups who want a private evening |
| Car, driver and guide | USD 145 – 195 | 4 | Any party of 3 or more on a road day |
| Van, driver and guide | USD 195 – 245 | 8 | Groups of 5 – 8 on a road day |
| Private dive guide | +USD 70 | Your party | Nervous divers, photographers |
| Private trek guide and permit | +USD 60 | Your party | Anyone wanting to set the pace |
Full price list on the prices page, including what we pay suppliers for each of these, so you can check the margin yourself.
Questions travellers ask most
Is the private boat a better boat?
No. It is the same hull, the same crew and the same gear. What changes is who else is on it and who decides the timings. Any operator implying the private boat is a nicer boat is telling you their shared boat is not good enough, which is a different problem.
How many people are usually on a shared trip?
Six to nine on average, twelve at the peak of the season, and as few as three in September. We cap at twelve and we run at two, which means the trip is not cancelled because it did not fill.
Can we book private and share the cost with another party?
You can, and a few people do. In practice, once two unconnected parties share a boat you have bought a shared trip at a private price, so we would usually just put you both on the shared departure and charge you both less.
Do you push people toward private because it earns more?
It does earn more in absolute terms and less per person than you would expect, because the boat cost is the boat cost. The supplier table on the prices page lets you check that yourself, which is why it is published.
Read next
Tell us what you want out of the island
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.