Southern Thailand – 30 Day Itinerary, Island hopping! – TREKwithBECK
Welcome to my Southern Thailand itinerary! I loved all of Thailand but there is something about the South. Maybe it’s the pristine beaches and isolated islands. The snorkelling and scuba diving or overall atmosphere. This is a place I would visit multiple times, as it’s one of my favourite places I have ever visited.
This 30 day itinerary takes you to popular islands such as Koh Tao, Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi and Ao Nang. It’s the perfect mixture of relaxing, beaches, party destinations and jungle experiences. Why 30 days? Well, majority of visitors can get 30 days in Thailand Visa free! Which makes it the perfect amount of time tot explore the islands.
Like all of my South East Asia itineraries, this itinerary can be followed on from my Vietnam Itinerary. It’s very easy to catch a flight from Hanoi to Surat Thani!
Best time to visit Southern Thailand
The best time to visit the South of Thailand is from November to early April. The rains have cleared up, and you are most likely to have clear hot days! I travelled during February and had no rain for the full 30 days I was there.
How to get around?
The best way to get from place to place is by bus, ferry or minivan. Under each destination I have wrote the best way to get there from the previous destination. You will see this a lot on my South East Asia blogs, but I highly recommend booking your tickets through 12go Asia! It’s the more convenient way to book your onward travel – and you can book in advance.
When it comes to getting around the islands, you may need to rent a scooter on some! It’s the cheapest form of travel and gives you much more freedom. If you are not comfortable riding a scooter, there are other transport options such as taxis and tuktuks. However, this will add up in the long run.
Day 1: Fly to Surat Thani
Surat Thani is a small town, with a small international airport, it’s the best starting point for the islands Koh Tao, Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan. The first day is simply about getting yourself to Surat Thani from your start destination. Tomorrow is when the real adventure starts on this itinerary!
TIP: If you are in Southeast Asia, you can usually get very cheap flights to Surat Thani! My flight from Hanoi cost me $240 AUD, with a connecting flight in Bangkok.
Day 2 – 5: Koh Tao
Koh Tao is a beautiful island about a 4-hour ferry ride from Surat Thani (including a short bus trip). It covers an area of about 21 km2, it is a bit smaller than other Thai islands, but never felt crowded to me. I loved this island, easily one of my favourites and there are quite a few things you can do here from snorkelling, scuba diving, boat tours and more.
I have written a blog about 5 things to do in Koh Tao, which you can find here. Four days on this island is plenty of time to see everything, while also having a bit of down time to relax at the pristine beaches.
You will need to catch a ferry or speed boat to reach Koh Tao, I went with Lomprayah which is a company I can highly recommend. The ferries were clean and on time. You can book your ferry directly through the company, your hotel or on 12go Asia.
I recommend starting in Koh Tao if you plan on visiting these islands, only because it means you get the long ferry ride out of the way! It also makes the most logistical sense when it comes to this itinerary.
Day 6 – 8: Koh Pha Ngan
Koh Pha Ngan is much more than a party place, but if you are in to partying – this is where the full and half-moon parties take place. There are also other parties such as the waterfall, jungle and beach party which take place on different days of the week. You can find the full moon schedule here, if you want to plan your holiday accordingly.
If partying isn’t your thing, don’t worry there is still plenty to do on the islands! There are some incredible hikes and beaches, as well as restaurants and shopping. My favourite beaches were Bottle Beach (and the viewpoint), Secret Beach and Hi Kong Beach.
I do recommend getting a scooter for your time on the island, as taking taxis can add up over time.
As most of this itinerary, you will need to catch a ferry or speedboat. The ferry takes about an hour, just make sure you arrive at the port which is closest to your accommodation! I recommend booking with Lomprayah ferries, as they offer a transfer to your hotel for 150 Baht.
Day 9– 11: Koh Samui
Koh Samui is Thailand’s second largest island; it isn’t extremely popular with backpackers and is most popular with couples or families. However, it’s still a beautiful island and has some nice hostels. It is worth checking out, as you are in the area! Three days on the island is enough time to see everything, and again I recommend renting a scooter to make the most of your time.
Here some of the best things to do are:
- Na Muang Waterfall
- Ang Thong National Park (this is a must!!)
- Grandmother and Grandfather rocks
- Visit the big Buddha
- Visit the night markets
Another ferry, but only a short one – 30 minutes by speedboat! This is your only option, however there may be slower ferries to choose from too.
Day 12 – 14: Khao Sok National Park
Today we leave the islands for a little bit and head west, to Khao Sok National Park. This is a place everyone should visit at least once, while they are in Thailand. It has grown in popularity over the years but is still a very scheduled spot. You can stay in floating bungalows, go on jungle safaris, and explore the lake via long-tail boat.
I have given three days to Khao Sok National Park as It gives you time to explore the land and water parts of the national park (and stay in the bungalows). There are plenty of tours that offer packages around Khao Sok National Park, I booked mine with Coco Hostel.
If you want to read my full review of this 3D/2N experience, you can find it here.
The first day is a travel day, as it will take you about 4-6 hours to get to Khao Sok National Park from Koh Samui. First you will need to catch a speedboat or ferry from Koh Samui, then a minivan from Surat Thani to Khao Sok. You can book these packages on 12go Asia, which I recommend as all transfers are guaranteed. The whole transfer will cost around $30-50 AUD.
Day 15 – 18: Phuket
After a couple days of restful peace in the Khao Sok Jungle, it is now time to head to the hustle of Phuket! Phuket is an extremely popular tourist destination, and it is worth visiting – even just once. Here you can shop, eat, party, island hop and so much more. It is a tourist hub for multiple activities.
I have written a blog post about 10 things you can do in Phuket – which aren’t all about partying!
It’s a very easy to get to Phuket, you just need to hop on the 465 Bus, which heads to Phuket bus terminal 2. This bus takes around 4 hours and costs about $10-$15 AUD. You can book this at the shop which is called “bus stop” near Khao Sok or on 12go Asia.
The bus does have AC and I found the ride rather comfortable.
Day 19 – 22: Ao Nang
Ao Nang is one of my favourite places on this Southern Thailand Itinerary! It’s a very laid-back place in Thailand, which still offers heaps of amazing activities. Ao Nang is famous for its beaches surround by limestone cliffs and of course Railay Beach. After the chaos of Phuket this is a great place to unwind for a few days, while still having time to venture out to some nearby islands or beaches.
I have written a blog to help you plan your time in Ao Nang, with 10 activities I recommend while you do while you are there.
Another simple transport day, you can either get here via ferry, flight or bus/minivan. A ferry will take about 2 hours, and you will need to make your way to Rassada Pier.
A mini-van will take 3-4 hours, leaving from Phuket bus Terminal 1 and will drop you off at your accommodation.
You can also catch a flight from Phuket international airport to Krabi international Airport, then catch a taxi to your accommodation in Ao Nang.
All of these options, except a flight can be booked on 12go Asia.
Day 23 – 24: Koh Phi Phi
If you have never visited the South of Thailand, Koh Phi Phi is probably high on your list, as it is one of the more popular islands – especially for backpackers. I have been to this island twice now, once when I was 21 and was looking to party. It was great fun as it is a party island. The second when I was 27 and looking to relax, this wasn’t my favourite place.
Nevertheless, it’s worth visiting once, so if you haven’t visited, I recommend coming here after Ao Nang for at least 2 days. I’ve given it a short amount of time on this itinerary because you can see and do everything in one day. There are plenty of day tours which take you to all the sights including Maya Bay, Monkey Beach, and other surrounding islands.
TIP – If you plan on doing the early morning tours, make sure to check the tides before. I did the early morning cruise, and there was no water in Maya Bay!
There are only two options to get to Koh Phi Phi and that is by speedboat or ferry. I took the ferry, which was a 2 hour journey, the speedboat is about 30 minutes. The ride can be rough, which is why I chose the ferry, but if you aren’t prone to sea sickness, I would take the speedboat!
Both these routes can be booked on 12go Asia.
Day 25 – 26: Koh Lanta
I will admit this isn’t a place I visited on my last trip to Thailand – but it’s extremely high on the list after hearing about it from other travellers! Ko Lanta is an island in the Strait of Malacca, between the Phi Phi Islands and the mainland. Koh Lanta is another very laid-back place on this itinerary. With incredible beaches, snorkelling, bars and viewpoints.
Visiting Koh Lanta will also cut down the time it takes to get to your next destination, which is by speed boat – not the most comfortable form of travel! You will need to pay 200 Baht national park fee to enter Koh Lanta.
You will need to catch a speedboat or ferry; this whole journey will take about 1 hour. There are plenty of speedboat companies offering this route, so you can easily book once you are on the island or on 12go Asia.
Day 27 – 29: Koh Lipe
I loved Koh Lipe and cannot wait to go back here one day! This tiny island is in the very south of Thailand, close to Malaysia. There is not much to do here, which is why I loved it. It’s a great way to end this jam-packed Southern Thailand itinerary, as you can spend the last of your days relaxing on the beach and sipping cocktails. There are a few other things to do on the island, I have written a blog here with more information.
You will have to catch a speedboat, which will take 3-4 hours. This speedboat is not cheap, it will cost about $75 AUD or above. It can be extremely rough, so I would recommend taking sea sickness tablets and it is fairly uncomfortable.
It is worth it though cause Koh Lipe is one of the most beautiful islands!
Day 30: Onward Travel
The final day of this itinerary is for you to travel back home or onwards to your next destination! As this itinerary finishes in Koh Lipe, your best option is to head into Malaysia, to Langkawi. Here you can catch a flight from Langkawi international airport, or start your Malaysia travels like I did!
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