We made this trip with our three children (age 8, 8, and 10) and so it has a good mix of relaxing beach time, fun family-friendly activities, local culture, nature, as well as (ethical) animal encounters.
We booked a private long-tail boat for this tour and it cost just 2,500 TBH (67 EUR) for the five of us for the whole day. It was our kids first encounter with local life in rural Thailand.
I too am a mom of 3 (13, 11, 6 right now) that normally travel everywhere with us but we have a very special trip planned Feb 2020 for our 15 year wedding anniversary - no kids! Here are some of the best Phukettours that I had shortlisted for our trip: Phuket might have beautiful beaches, but if you want to dive or snorkel, you will have to visit one of the nearby islands that have better reefs. It just felt too far for our time limit of 2 weeks. We dont want to change hotels frequently and would consider staying on two islands.
It might have also helped a bit that we went early in the morning. READ ALSO: Bangkok Neighborhood Guide & Insider Tips on Where to Stay.
Nowadays, more and more places in Thailand seem to realize that responsible tourism and ethical animal experiences are the future. We visited many small islands around Koh Tong and spent the whole day snorkeling at various locations. The most popular day trips that you can book on the island are the so-called A and B trips. I just wish everyone would stop portraying Thailand only as an extremely cheap destination - as I somehow had that idea before starting to book this trip (and was quickly disillusioned. We visited Koh Phee (The Skull Island), where after some really adventurous climbing we explored the impressive caves that open up to the sea through the eyes of the skull. Long-tail boat from Ao Nang Beach to Railay Beach takes just 15-20 minutes and is an absolute must when in Krabi! We also heard that this tiny island has a reputation for being a party island, so not our thing at all. We all get seasick very easily, but in Thailand, we didnt even use any of the pills that we brought. Here are some more practical tips and advice to help you plan your island-hopping adventure: When planning any Thailand island hopping itinerary, you will inevitably find yourself looking forboat transfers in southern Thailand. Its so much more comfortable in an air-conditioned van than on a boat! I am struggling to find the perfect island to stay on.
You could also extend this trip by adding other popular places like Ko Samui or Khao Lak, or maybe visit the less known islands like Ko Yao Yai or Ko Yao Noi, and others. All the tours in Phuket offer complimentary hotel pick-up.
Our hotel was located just by the beautiful Nai Yang Beach, part of Sirinat National Park.
Sunsets in Koh Lipe are amazing, but if you dont like the crowds, Id stay clear from the Sunset Beach.
If we had two days in Koh Lanta, we would have definitely done this trip, but instead, we chose something else that involved a bit more adventure and variety. All the tours to Phi-Phi islands offer pretty much the same itinerary. It was a simple local tour, but Id much rather have done something more special, like the James Bond Island or one of the tours we had shortlisted for our trip (see day 3 for suggestions).
We had just one night in Krabi, so we booked the hotel close to the famous Ao Nang Beach.
Without further ado, here is how our Thailand island hopping itinerary looked like.
Vacation can be as simple as that! Use this as an inspiration to make your own perfect island hopping itinerary.
And it really was we loved every minute of our stay here. We were just starting to research the itinerary for this trip, so it was perfect timing!
We were given vouchers with very clear information for each part of our journey. We fell in love with this place! We took the bikes offered by our resort and explored a nearby local village on Coconut Island by bike.
We booked a 3 day/ 2 night Jungle Lake Safari tour.
We could meet a couple of elephants, see them bathe, prepare the food for them, feed these magnificent animals, and even wash them.
We always heard that Phuket island is busy, crowded with tourists, and all in all maybe not the best place for people who like to avoid the crowds at all costs. I also indicated our accommodation choices for each place that we visited. In two weeks?! So I think it is prudent for people to realize that if you don't have (or don't want to waste) time to haggle and search once landed, you certainly do want to pre book. We started our 3-day adventure in Khao Sok National Park with a pick-up and transfer from our hotel in Krabi to Elephant Hills,a luxury tented jungle camp in Khao Sok NP. However, when the elephants were not allowed to work anymore, many of them were left homeless. We took a tour that included mangroves, some cool islands, and kayaking - a great day! On top of that, Phuket is very well located for a variety of day trips and excursions in the area. Just as the previous boat transfers, we got this booked through Phuket Ferry. What a great trip! Our accommodation for the night Rainforest Camp is a floating tents camp, located deep in the jungle of Khao Sok National Park. Accommodation: 3 nights atMali Resort Sunrise Beach.
Lesson learned.
It's not as touristy as others, there's plenty to see and do (see some tours here), but it feels much more local. We left our hotel for a 20-min drive to Rassada Pier for our transfer to Ko Lanta. Accommodation: 1 night at Rainforest Camp (Elephant Hills) glamping at its best! The whole sky and sea colored red incredible! Its so close to Phuket, Krabi, and even Ko Samui, so its strange we never heard about this place. It sounds like an amazing trip, Meaghan. We didnt have an underwater camera, but here is the best image I found from snorkeling in Koh Lipe. We considered staying on Phi-Phi Don and visiting the islands on a boat tour from there, but after some research, we decided its better done as a day trip from Phuket. The scenery here is simply spectacular and the canoe trip was a real jungle experience we even saw a couple of snakes hanging in the trees! I have to add that we were extremely lucky with the weather and relatively smooth seas. In no time I found all the boat connections for our trip and had a much clearer picture of what was offered and where the price differences came from. The tents are beautiful and each has a terrace overlooking the lake.
First, it has an excellent location close enough to the airport and the main piers (for excursions and transfers), but far away from the crowds.
READ ALSO: Phuket Island Hopping: 15 Best Islands to Visit from Phuket. It would have been possible to end the trip in Krabi, Koh Samui, for example.
The views from the pool were amazing and the sunsets out of this world!
Elephant Hills can pick you up from any of these places. On this blog, I share our family's travel experiences from all over the world, coupled with lots of practical information and useful tips for your trips. All the boats were fully booked when we traveled. Below you can find our day-to-day itinerary for south Thailand.
Luckily, there was this one website that kept popping up in the search PhuketFerry.com.
Categories Thailand, Travel inspiration, Trip itineraries, Bangkok Canal Tour: How To Do It & What To Expect.
This Phang Nga Bay: Early Bird Tour is the best-rated James Bond Island tour from Phuket. This resort is located on Coconut Island, just 5 min by boat from Phuket, and is the only resort on this island. Also, my husband needs AC or he won't sleep so if you need certain accommodations they will cost more. Our practical tips and information will help you to plan and book your own dream trip. We could kayak and swim the whole morning, then take a shower, pack our bags, and have a nice lunch.
If you rather do more sightseeing, there are countless options in Phuket. In Krabi, just take a boat from Ao Nang beach to Railay beach and you have seen the best of that area too. Despite having just a day in Bangkok, we managed to see so many of the citys highlights. Despite the fact that we had to leave this place in the afternoon, it didnt feel rushed at all.
Their multi-lingual website was actually understandable and extremely easy to use. And yes, I really recommend using PhuketFerry.com for all your transfers when island-hopping in Thailand. Are you on Pinterest? Our first stop was atPhi Phi Leh, with its beautiful Maya Bay. So my advice to you is doing the things that are at the top of your island hopping list as soon as you can. Here you can find tours that go to Koh Racha Yai. If you have any questions about our experience with boat transfers in Thailand, dont hesitate to leave a reply below and Ill try to help. Keep in mind that you do all these activities with local guides and just a small group of other visitors. How to Use This Map:Use your computer mouse (or fingers) to zoom in or out. Before our trip, we heard that one of the absolute best things to do in Koh Lanta is taking the tour of the 4 Islands and Emerald Cave. Sunshine, beach, and cocktails Our jet lag was gone before it started. TIP: If you are planning an island-hopping trip in Thailand, I strongly suggest that you book your boat transfers in advance. It looks pretty much like the snorkeling locations that we visited. We chose to snorkel at the Sunrise Beach just next to our hotel, followed by lots of time by the pool. However, just as Koh Lipe or Koh Phi Phi, it was extremely busy.
So if you are looking for just one right answer or ultimate guide to island hopping in Thailand, you might be disappointed. It just didnt feel very safe and we were constantly on the lookout for the boats. If you have time for two islands, stay in one of them (Phuket area or Koh Samui) before you go to Elephant Hills and then in Koh Lanta at the end (that way, you get some of your transfers covered already). They were definitely impressed. Not once.
Enjoy the time without the kids - I often wish we could do at least one trip with just the two of us Pin this image! As I said, there are many ways to organize your Thailand island hopping trip. We are landing Phuket, staying at an airport hotel that night (we get in super late) then on the ferry next morning. Every family I know who visited there, really liked it as well and most people we met on the island were there for at least a week. Anyway, Im sure youll have better luck (tropical storms like Pabuk are really rare in Thailand). Luckily, we planned our trip 7 months in advance and still had plenty of choice of available accommodations at somewhat affordable prices. If you found this post useful, dont forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. In the morning we could take the kayaks again and set to explore the lake and the jungle on our own.
Which, luckily, we didnt do as that coast was hit by Storm Pabuk just at the time we would have been there But just before you get scared, this was a once-in-68-years type of storm, so the chances of you encountering a similar storm are pretty slim. We also visited a local gibbon sanctuary and Bangpae waterfall. Here you can read about ourBangkok canal tour and why we think its a must in Bangkok! In Phuket, it's just too much like a big city. From everything we have read and witnessed, Elephant Hills is a place that treats their elephants well.
As I mentioned, there are many possibilities to go snorkeling or diving from Koh Lipe. Click the arrow on the left top corner for the index. Obviously, you can find other accommodations on the same islands and make this trip as expensive or as cheap as you like. We took a 9.30 AM boat from Koh Lipe to Pak Bara Pier (1,5 hrs), followed by a minivan transfer to Krabi (4,5 hrs). We visited the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Bangkok canals, a flower market, and Khao Sarn Road. It's all about the choices.
We traveled to south Thailandduring Christmas New Year, which is by far the busiest and the most expensive time of the year.
Hi, and thanks for stopping by! Another advantage of taking such an early morning tour was that we still had plenty of time to relax at the beach of our hotel in the afternoon. Learn how your comment data is processed. It might look a bit overwhelming to plan a trip like this on your own at first, but its actually really easy to do.
See their website for all the transfers info. We are looking for a beautiful beach, tranquility, high-end accommodations, and local charm. Our flight back home went via Bangkok, where we had a 12-hour layover.
There are lots of diving courses and diving day trips available as well. They said that they only work with companies that have a proven record of reliability, good service, and safety. You can jump in for a swim straight from your tent and our younger kids spent hours doing just that!
We had planned this amazing sunrise trip at the end of our trip, but we should have done it on day 4, thus I mention it here.
In the afternoon we set to explore the Walking Street of Koh Lipe a busy pedestrian road lined with restaurants, street-food stalls, shops, Thai massage parlors, and pretty much any other imaginable business you find in any town in Thailand. All the boats were ordered to stay ashore for three days. I hope that our itinerary will give you a good idea of what there is to see and how to do it.
Speedboats from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe take about 3 hours really long, considering that you have to sit still all the time. Hotel prices were completely insane in Phi Phi at Christmas.
If you travel in the off-season, without children, and have more flexibility, you can also just wait and look for boat connections as you go.
Here you can read more about me, my family, and our trips all over the world 2015-2022 https://fullsuitcase.com All Rights Reserved. Railay Beach is probably the most beautiful beach we visited in Thailand.
Here is the map indicating all the main places mentioned in our island hopping itinerary. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to help you plan your trips. The island also has many beaches and it's really great for families. This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, for qualifying purchases. The hotel boat brings you to a nearby hotel (see map),which is just a 5-minute boat ride away, so you can ask the tours to pick you up from there. Accommodation: 1 night at Elephant Hills Camp.
Thanks for the great recommendations! It felt more authentic, more green, and less touristy than Phuket, Koh Lipe, or Krabi. After check-in and a quick dip in the pool, we headed to the beach from where we took a long-tail boat to Railay. It was busy, but it somehow didnt disturb much as there was plenty of space. Your post has been very helpful and I love your honesty about price.
Before our trip, I was really unsure what there is to see and do in Koh Lanta, but our experience shows that you could easily spend 3-5 days exploring this island and the nearby places. The tourism industry took care of this problem by starting to use elephants for tourism entertainment, rides, etc. When the long-tail boat came to bring us back to civilization, nobody wanted to leave.
So we decided to do some research and see if we could take advantage of its location, without having to sacrifice on our travel experience.
READ MORE about our stay at Elephant Hills in Khao Sok NP. We only spent a day there and really liked it.
In the evening we visited the famous Sunset Beach of Koh Lipe, which looked more like Woodstock festival terrain than a beach.
Second, it has a beautiful private beach, water sports, kids club, and a huge choice of family villas (many with a private pool) for various budgets.
Would you recommend staying on Raley beach or Ao Nang? After acclimatization on Coconut Island and some short day trips, it was time for some real island hopping! Thanks again!!
At the same time, tourism money helps to preserve so many elephants that are not capable of living in the wild. Compared to huge hotels with thousands of guests located on the most popular beaches of Phuket, Coconut Island looked like a paradise. READ ALSO our complete guide to island hopping from Phuket. Click on the icons to get more information about each place. Although, I have the feeling that sunrise trips are even more popular than regular day trips. Sunrise and fewer crowds make it worth getting up a bit earlier.
Here you can find our tips on how to see the best of Bangkok in one day. To summarize, if you just pick one island, I would really recommend Koh Lanta with kids. The coastline here is amazing and the famous Railay beach is also really picturesque. If you just cant get enough of the underwater world, you could opt for one more snorkeling day trip from Koh Lipe. Disclosure: We contacted Elephant Hills to arrange the trip and were offered a discount in exchange for a mention in this article. So glad we opted for a speedboat trip from Phuket to Koh Lanta! We left Phuket around noon and two hours later we were sipping cocktails and shakes by the pool of our hotel in Koh Lanta. Our 2-week Thailand island hopping itinerary covers many of the must-see islands, such as Phuket, Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, andKhao Ping Kan (James Bond Island).
It's also easier to find affordable accommodations there and there are many fun tours too. Hi Brittany, depending a bit on how you plan your trip, I think you could go to either Phuket or Koh Samui after Bangkok (there are direct flights to both) and stay there for a few days. We started and ended our Thailand island hopping trip in Phuket, since it has an international airport with lots of flight options.
However, in every single town and every single hotel during our trip, we saw plenty of brochures promoting elephant riding tours. Whereas when we were just passing by, we chose good price/quality accommodations that had big family rooms and the most convenient location for our transfers. There are lots of restaurants on this beach and also a couple of quirky bars with fun entertainment, like this fire show in the picture below.
It contains additional options, suggestions, and tips for your trip.
We booked a private long-tail boat for this tour and it cost just 2,500 TBH (67 EUR) for the five of us for the whole day. It was our kids first encounter with local life in rural Thailand.
I too am a mom of 3 (13, 11, 6 right now) that normally travel everywhere with us but we have a very special trip planned Feb 2020 for our 15 year wedding anniversary - no kids! Here are some of the best Phukettours that I had shortlisted for our trip: Phuket might have beautiful beaches, but if you want to dive or snorkel, you will have to visit one of the nearby islands that have better reefs. It just felt too far for our time limit of 2 weeks. We dont want to change hotels frequently and would consider staying on two islands.
It might have also helped a bit that we went early in the morning. READ ALSO: Bangkok Neighborhood Guide & Insider Tips on Where to Stay.
Nowadays, more and more places in Thailand seem to realize that responsible tourism and ethical animal experiences are the future. We visited many small islands around Koh Tong and spent the whole day snorkeling at various locations. The most popular day trips that you can book on the island are the so-called A and B trips. I just wish everyone would stop portraying Thailand only as an extremely cheap destination - as I somehow had that idea before starting to book this trip (and was quickly disillusioned. We visited Koh Phee (The Skull Island), where after some really adventurous climbing we explored the impressive caves that open up to the sea through the eyes of the skull. Long-tail boat from Ao Nang Beach to Railay Beach takes just 15-20 minutes and is an absolute must when in Krabi! We also heard that this tiny island has a reputation for being a party island, so not our thing at all. We all get seasick very easily, but in Thailand, we didnt even use any of the pills that we brought. Here are some more practical tips and advice to help you plan your island-hopping adventure: When planning any Thailand island hopping itinerary, you will inevitably find yourself looking forboat transfers in southern Thailand. Its so much more comfortable in an air-conditioned van than on a boat! I am struggling to find the perfect island to stay on.
You could also extend this trip by adding other popular places like Ko Samui or Khao Lak, or maybe visit the less known islands like Ko Yao Yai or Ko Yao Noi, and others. All the tours in Phuket offer complimentary hotel pick-up.
Our hotel was located just by the beautiful Nai Yang Beach, part of Sirinat National Park.
Sunsets in Koh Lipe are amazing, but if you dont like the crowds, Id stay clear from the Sunset Beach.
If we had two days in Koh Lanta, we would have definitely done this trip, but instead, we chose something else that involved a bit more adventure and variety. All the tours to Phi-Phi islands offer pretty much the same itinerary. It was a simple local tour, but Id much rather have done something more special, like the James Bond Island or one of the tours we had shortlisted for our trip (see day 3 for suggestions).
We had just one night in Krabi, so we booked the hotel close to the famous Ao Nang Beach.
Without further ado, here is how our Thailand island hopping itinerary looked like.
Vacation can be as simple as that! Use this as an inspiration to make your own perfect island hopping itinerary.
And it really was we loved every minute of our stay here. We were just starting to research the itinerary for this trip, so it was perfect timing!
We were given vouchers with very clear information for each part of our journey. We fell in love with this place! We took the bikes offered by our resort and explored a nearby local village on Coconut Island by bike.
We booked a 3 day/ 2 night Jungle Lake Safari tour.
We could meet a couple of elephants, see them bathe, prepare the food for them, feed these magnificent animals, and even wash them.
We always heard that Phuket island is busy, crowded with tourists, and all in all maybe not the best place for people who like to avoid the crowds at all costs. I also indicated our accommodation choices for each place that we visited. In two weeks?! So I think it is prudent for people to realize that if you don't have (or don't want to waste) time to haggle and search once landed, you certainly do want to pre book. We started our 3-day adventure in Khao Sok National Park with a pick-up and transfer from our hotel in Krabi to Elephant Hills,a luxury tented jungle camp in Khao Sok NP. However, when the elephants were not allowed to work anymore, many of them were left homeless. We took a tour that included mangroves, some cool islands, and kayaking - a great day! On top of that, Phuket is very well located for a variety of day trips and excursions in the area. Just as the previous boat transfers, we got this booked through Phuket Ferry. What a great trip! Our accommodation for the night Rainforest Camp is a floating tents camp, located deep in the jungle of Khao Sok National Park. Accommodation: 3 nights atMali Resort Sunrise Beach.
Lesson learned.
It's not as touristy as others, there's plenty to see and do (see some tours here), but it feels much more local. We left our hotel for a 20-min drive to Rassada Pier for our transfer to Ko Lanta. Accommodation: 1 night at Rainforest Camp (Elephant Hills) glamping at its best! The whole sky and sea colored red incredible! Its so close to Phuket, Krabi, and even Ko Samui, so its strange we never heard about this place. It sounds like an amazing trip, Meaghan. We didnt have an underwater camera, but here is the best image I found from snorkeling in Koh Lipe. We considered staying on Phi-Phi Don and visiting the islands on a boat tour from there, but after some research, we decided its better done as a day trip from Phuket. The scenery here is simply spectacular and the canoe trip was a real jungle experience we even saw a couple of snakes hanging in the trees! I have to add that we were extremely lucky with the weather and relatively smooth seas. In no time I found all the boat connections for our trip and had a much clearer picture of what was offered and where the price differences came from. The tents are beautiful and each has a terrace overlooking the lake.
First, it has an excellent location close enough to the airport and the main piers (for excursions and transfers), but far away from the crowds.
READ ALSO: Phuket Island Hopping: 15 Best Islands to Visit from Phuket. It would have been possible to end the trip in Krabi, Koh Samui, for example.
The views from the pool were amazing and the sunsets out of this world!
Elephant Hills can pick you up from any of these places. On this blog, I share our family's travel experiences from all over the world, coupled with lots of practical information and useful tips for your trips. All the boats were fully booked when we traveled. Below you can find our day-to-day itinerary for south Thailand.
Luckily, there was this one website that kept popping up in the search PhuketFerry.com.
Categories Thailand, Travel inspiration, Trip itineraries, Bangkok Canal Tour: How To Do It & What To Expect.
This Phang Nga Bay: Early Bird Tour is the best-rated James Bond Island tour from Phuket. This resort is located on Coconut Island, just 5 min by boat from Phuket, and is the only resort on this island. Also, my husband needs AC or he won't sleep so if you need certain accommodations they will cost more. Our practical tips and information will help you to plan and book your own dream trip. We could kayak and swim the whole morning, then take a shower, pack our bags, and have a nice lunch.
If you rather do more sightseeing, there are countless options in Phuket. In Krabi, just take a boat from Ao Nang beach to Railay beach and you have seen the best of that area too. Despite having just a day in Bangkok, we managed to see so many of the citys highlights. Despite the fact that we had to leave this place in the afternoon, it didnt feel rushed at all.
Their multi-lingual website was actually understandable and extremely easy to use. And yes, I really recommend using PhuketFerry.com for all your transfers when island-hopping in Thailand. Are you on Pinterest? Our first stop was atPhi Phi Leh, with its beautiful Maya Bay. So my advice to you is doing the things that are at the top of your island hopping list as soon as you can. Here you can find tours that go to Koh Racha Yai. If you have any questions about our experience with boat transfers in Thailand, dont hesitate to leave a reply below and Ill try to help. Keep in mind that you do all these activities with local guides and just a small group of other visitors. How to Use This Map:Use your computer mouse (or fingers) to zoom in or out. Before our trip, we heard that one of the absolute best things to do in Koh Lanta is taking the tour of the 4 Islands and Emerald Cave. Sunshine, beach, and cocktails Our jet lag was gone before it started. TIP: If you are planning an island-hopping trip in Thailand, I strongly suggest that you book your boat transfers in advance. It looks pretty much like the snorkeling locations that we visited. We chose to snorkel at the Sunrise Beach just next to our hotel, followed by lots of time by the pool. However, just as Koh Lipe or Koh Phi Phi, it was extremely busy.
So if you are looking for just one right answer or ultimate guide to island hopping in Thailand, you might be disappointed. It just didnt feel very safe and we were constantly on the lookout for the boats. If you have time for two islands, stay in one of them (Phuket area or Koh Samui) before you go to Elephant Hills and then in Koh Lanta at the end (that way, you get some of your transfers covered already). They were definitely impressed. Not once.
Enjoy the time without the kids - I often wish we could do at least one trip with just the two of us Pin this image! As I said, there are many ways to organize your Thailand island hopping trip. We are landing Phuket, staying at an airport hotel that night (we get in super late) then on the ferry next morning. Every family I know who visited there, really liked it as well and most people we met on the island were there for at least a week. Anyway, Im sure youll have better luck (tropical storms like Pabuk are really rare in Thailand). Luckily, we planned our trip 7 months in advance and still had plenty of choice of available accommodations at somewhat affordable prices. If you found this post useful, dont forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. In the morning we could take the kayaks again and set to explore the lake and the jungle on our own.
Which, luckily, we didnt do as that coast was hit by Storm Pabuk just at the time we would have been there But just before you get scared, this was a once-in-68-years type of storm, so the chances of you encountering a similar storm are pretty slim. We also visited a local gibbon sanctuary and Bangpae waterfall. Here you can read about ourBangkok canal tour and why we think its a must in Bangkok! In Phuket, it's just too much like a big city. From everything we have read and witnessed, Elephant Hills is a place that treats their elephants well.
As I mentioned, there are many possibilities to go snorkeling or diving from Koh Lipe. Click the arrow on the left top corner for the index. Obviously, you can find other accommodations on the same islands and make this trip as expensive or as cheap as you like. We took a 9.30 AM boat from Koh Lipe to Pak Bara Pier (1,5 hrs), followed by a minivan transfer to Krabi (4,5 hrs). We visited the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Bangkok canals, a flower market, and Khao Sarn Road. It's all about the choices.
We traveled to south Thailandduring Christmas New Year, which is by far the busiest and the most expensive time of the year.
Hi, and thanks for stopping by! Another advantage of taking such an early morning tour was that we still had plenty of time to relax at the beach of our hotel in the afternoon. Learn how your comment data is processed. It might look a bit overwhelming to plan a trip like this on your own at first, but its actually really easy to do.
See their website for all the transfers info. We are looking for a beautiful beach, tranquility, high-end accommodations, and local charm. Our flight back home went via Bangkok, where we had a 12-hour layover.
There are lots of diving courses and diving day trips available as well. They said that they only work with companies that have a proven record of reliability, good service, and safety. You can jump in for a swim straight from your tent and our younger kids spent hours doing just that!
We had planned this amazing sunrise trip at the end of our trip, but we should have done it on day 4, thus I mention it here.
In the afternoon we set to explore the Walking Street of Koh Lipe a busy pedestrian road lined with restaurants, street-food stalls, shops, Thai massage parlors, and pretty much any other imaginable business you find in any town in Thailand. All the boats were ordered to stay ashore for three days. I hope that our itinerary will give you a good idea of what there is to see and how to do it.
Speedboats from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe take about 3 hours really long, considering that you have to sit still all the time. Hotel prices were completely insane in Phi Phi at Christmas.
If you travel in the off-season, without children, and have more flexibility, you can also just wait and look for boat connections as you go.
Here you can read more about me, my family, and our trips all over the world 2015-2022 https://fullsuitcase.com All Rights Reserved. Railay Beach is probably the most beautiful beach we visited in Thailand.
Here is the map indicating all the main places mentioned in our island hopping itinerary. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to help you plan your trips. The island also has many beaches and it's really great for families. This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, for qualifying purchases. The hotel boat brings you to a nearby hotel (see map),which is just a 5-minute boat ride away, so you can ask the tours to pick you up from there. Accommodation: 1 night at Elephant Hills Camp.
Thanks for the great recommendations! It felt more authentic, more green, and less touristy than Phuket, Koh Lipe, or Krabi. After check-in and a quick dip in the pool, we headed to the beach from where we took a long-tail boat to Railay. It was busy, but it somehow didnt disturb much as there was plenty of space. Your post has been very helpful and I love your honesty about price.
Before our trip, I was really unsure what there is to see and do in Koh Lanta, but our experience shows that you could easily spend 3-5 days exploring this island and the nearby places. The tourism industry took care of this problem by starting to use elephants for tourism entertainment, rides, etc. When the long-tail boat came to bring us back to civilization, nobody wanted to leave.
So we decided to do some research and see if we could take advantage of its location, without having to sacrifice on our travel experience.
READ MORE about our stay at Elephant Hills in Khao Sok NP. We only spent a day there and really liked it.
In the evening we visited the famous Sunset Beach of Koh Lipe, which looked more like Woodstock festival terrain than a beach.
Second, it has a beautiful private beach, water sports, kids club, and a huge choice of family villas (many with a private pool) for various budgets.
Would you recommend staying on Raley beach or Ao Nang? After acclimatization on Coconut Island and some short day trips, it was time for some real island hopping! Thanks again!!
At the same time, tourism money helps to preserve so many elephants that are not capable of living in the wild. Compared to huge hotels with thousands of guests located on the most popular beaches of Phuket, Coconut Island looked like a paradise. READ ALSO our complete guide to island hopping from Phuket. Click on the icons to get more information about each place. Although, I have the feeling that sunrise trips are even more popular than regular day trips. Sunrise and fewer crowds make it worth getting up a bit earlier.
Here you can find our tips on how to see the best of Bangkok in one day. To summarize, if you just pick one island, I would really recommend Koh Lanta with kids. The coastline here is amazing and the famous Railay beach is also really picturesque. If you just cant get enough of the underwater world, you could opt for one more snorkeling day trip from Koh Lipe. Disclosure: We contacted Elephant Hills to arrange the trip and were offered a discount in exchange for a mention in this article. So glad we opted for a speedboat trip from Phuket to Koh Lanta! We left Phuket around noon and two hours later we were sipping cocktails and shakes by the pool of our hotel in Koh Lanta. Our 2-week Thailand island hopping itinerary covers many of the must-see islands, such as Phuket, Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, andKhao Ping Kan (James Bond Island).
It's also easier to find affordable accommodations there and there are many fun tours too. Hi Brittany, depending a bit on how you plan your trip, I think you could go to either Phuket or Koh Samui after Bangkok (there are direct flights to both) and stay there for a few days. We started and ended our Thailand island hopping trip in Phuket, since it has an international airport with lots of flight options.
However, in every single town and every single hotel during our trip, we saw plenty of brochures promoting elephant riding tours. Whereas when we were just passing by, we chose good price/quality accommodations that had big family rooms and the most convenient location for our transfers. There are lots of restaurants on this beach and also a couple of quirky bars with fun entertainment, like this fire show in the picture below.
It contains additional options, suggestions, and tips for your trip.