Exploring south Thailand with Bangkok as starting point
Over the years Thailand became more and more attractive as travel destination. It’s known for beautiful beaches, stunning nature and good fresh food and markets. A famous night market you shouldn’t miss is the Chatuchak Weekend Market where you literally can find anything from clothes to food. The good thing about Thailand: you don’t need much money because the prices are, compared to Europe and America, very low and that’s why it’s perfect for backpacking or just a luxury and affordable vacation if you like. Bangkog, the capital of Thailannd, is well known for its modern appearance. Flashing lights at night and gigantic skyscrapers attracts not only visitors from all over the world. Important international companies are located here as well.
From Bangkok to Surat Thani by a sleep train
If you start your trip from Bangkok you have many opportunities to reach other cities. Of course a cheap, easy and fast solution is taking the flight. But if you’re looking for a special adventure you should try the sleep train to Surat Thani. This is a unique chance to see Asias beautiful landscape. Surat Thani is rich of tradition and temples. The city pillar shrine is one of the most photographed buildings in Surat Thani.
Island hopping by Ferry to Koh Thao with sister islands Koh Phagnan and Koh Samui
A ferry from Surat Thani will bring you in around four or five hours to Ko Thao. The island offers beautiful beaches, sunsets and activities like hiking or scuba diving, which is the main tourist drag.
Next stop on our route is Koh Phagnan. A ferry from Koh Thao only takes around an hour to get there. The place is well known for its Full Moon Party at Haad Rin Beach. Renting a motor bike is the best way to explore the island and get to the awesome white sand beaches. Did you know that you can watch monkeys harvesting coconuts from the trees? You can see them almost on every island in Thailand.
Between 30 and 60 minutes away you’ll reach the second largest island of Thailand, Koh Samui. If you dived or explored the other islands with your motor bike and are tired of doing the same things here you can visit one of the national parks with its stunning waterfalls.
Koh Samui to Krabi and Railay Beach
Did you ever notice how small you actually are next to a huge rock? Krabi is full of them and you can climb on them. It takes between six and nine hours from Koh Samui to Krabi. Depends on what vehicle you choose. Krabi has a great variety of activities. Besides going from beach to beach (which are very beautiful such as the beaches of the phi phi islands) you should try rafting or, if you like it more calm, paddling and just listen to the sound of the ocean.
Railay Beach is only accessible by boat due to the large cliffs on each side cutting it off from the mainland. When you arrive at Railay you will not find any roads or cars because of its cut off location. You won’t find a lot of activities to do here but there’s one tip I can give you: Doing a cooking course (Railay Thai Cuisine did a great job!) is definitely a must do and it’s a great chance to cook your favourite Asian dish instead of ordering it as soon as you get back home.
If you can’t decide to what island you want to go you can hire a boat with a guide or just book a tour by boat with multiple islands included.
Koh Lanta, James Bond Island Tour and, Koh Panyee
Did you ever ask yourself how it feels like to be Indiana Jones? If yes, you can’t miss the Khao Mai Cave. If no, you should still go there! Koh Lanta is around three hours from Krabi away and belongs to Krabi Province, of which the largest and best-known island is Koh Lanta Yai. The Khao Mai Cave is part of a National Park. Armed with a headlight you’ll walk through the narrow cave. It might get a bit slippery, so good walking shoes are advisable. Are you scared of spiders? Well, you better don’t show any fear because you’ll find besides bats some really big spiders. You better show your inner “Indi” and walk through the whole without any fear! And if you can’t get enough of this adventure you can stay the night at this area. There are cute bungalows close to the cave for a really good price.
Now it’s time for another action hero: James Bond Island is a famous landmark in Phang Nga Bay, Phuket. It first found its way onto the international tourist map through its starring role in the James Bond movie ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’. This area is a popular destination for sailing as well as kayaking. Most of the organized tours to James Bond Island are combined with a visit to other popular islands and usually includes lunch. A visit to Koh Panyee, a nearby Muslim fishing village on stilts, is mostly part of the tour.
Kao Sok National Park
Khao Sok National Park is in Surat Thani Province, Thailand, which was our first stop of the route. The park is estimated to contain over five percent of the world’s species. Species such as elephants, tigers, bears and much more are domiciled. So if you want to see any of these animals their natural surrounding you should definitely see the National Park.
All good things come o an end. After this unforgettable experience it’s time to go back to Bangkok, where this journey began. You can do a stopover in Phuket and thinking back on your holidays. From Kao Sok to Phuket is around 3/4 hours driving time and from there back to Bangkok a flight would be the best solution.
