Tips for Island Hopping in Thailand

Thailand's incredibly beautiful islands are the most popular travel destinations in the country. Island hopping from island to island is a breeze in Thailand. Each island seems to be a little paradise in its own right.

There are countless routes to explore these islands. If, like us, you enjoy discovering many places, island hopping is definitely your thing. The islands in southern Thailand are ideal for this.

Most islands are serviced by ferries multiple times a day. There are also flight connections to the larger islands to start from here.

Who doesn't dream of a vacation on a picture-perfect island? Little daily life, lots of sun, and the sea. But before you can finally relax in the long-awaited hammock under the palm trees, you first have to get there.

Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao are located in the western Gulf of Thailand.

The most famous of all islands is Koh Samui. Possibly it is also the one with the most tourists. Thanks to the small airport on Koh Samui, you can quickly and easily fly here from Bangkok or Phuket to start your journey.

On Koh Samui, both package tourists and backpackers can find their dream beach. There are accommodations and restaurants for every budget. The northern part is generally quieter.

Take an excursion to Ang Thong National Marine Park.

See more tips for Koh Samui here

I recommend getting to Koh Phangan by ferry. Sit on the upper deck and enjoy the views and the pleasant wind blowing through your hair. Koh Phangan is especially famous for its Full Moon Parties on Had Rin Beach. People travel from all over the world just for that.

Due to its popularity, there are also Half Moon Parties, which we happened to experience on site. It was unplanned, but since our accommodation was near the beach, we checked out the happening. Well, I don't think I need to go through that again. In the buckets (buckets with vodka Red Bull), something was mixed in that made everyone helpless the more they drank. Luckily, we stopped after one when we noticed our tongues getting weirdly numb and not obeying us properly. Stay away!

So afterwards we explored the north. Here you will find many small beaches, bays, and many dropouts. Overall, it is much emptier and quieter. It was too quiet for us back then (10 years ago, it's much more touristy now). We were completely alone during the off-season, and many accommodations and restaurants were still closed back then. That's no longer the case. However, I haven't been back since then and can only refer to friends' stories.

The island of Koh Tao was my little paradise, the best island for those who prefer to be underwater rather than on top. Snorkeling and diving are best here.

We stayed here for over a week to stay at the 5-star Ban's Diving Resort and obtain our Open Water Diver PADI certification. Ban's has an excellent reputation and I can always recommend it.

The underwater world around Koh Tao is beautiful. We even saw whale sharks!

A landmark on Koh Tao is the Fishbowl Beach Bar (at Ban's) on Sairee Beach, as well as the Café Cappuccino in Mae Had, where a Frenchman serves good coffee and French pastries.

Note: Dive courses are also offered in German. I recommend attending an English course so you learn all the technical terms in English from the start. Because you will be diving in English-speaking countries more often, right?

You can also reach Koh Tao best by ferry from Koh Phangan (about 1.5 hours).

There's really no faster way. Treat yourself to a flight to Koh Samui.

Koh Samui is one of the most visited islands in Thailand. There are flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui operated by Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways. Both airlines fly several times daily from Bangkok (also Phuket) to Koh Samui. With a flight time of just over an hour (about 80 minutes), the direct travel time is unbeatable.

If a direct flight is too expensive for you, you can fly with Nok Air or Air Asia cheaper from Bangkok to Surat Thani and then take the ferry to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand.

Here you are "right in the action." The cheaper alternative to flying is by (night) bus from Bangkok to Chumphon or Surat Thani, from where you can take the ferry or speedboat to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan (both from Surat Thani) or Koh Tao (Chumphon) (Tip: Buy a combo ticket right in Bangkok).

If you are traveling on a low budget and want to see and experience more of the land and people, I recommend traveling to Koh Samui by bus and ferry.

You can purchase tickets for this at any corner in Bangkok in one of the countless small travel agencies. Even if it is often a mystery to us bureaucrat-loving Germans how such a reservation can work well - it surprisingly always does.

The most well-known provider is LOMPRAYAH. Here you can buy a combo ticket for bus and catamaran for about €25. The journey with the daytime or night buses starts at the famous Khao San Road in Bangkok and ends in Surat Thani or the Don Sak ferry pier. From here, you can continue by ferry or speedboat to the three Gulf islands: Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, or Koh Tao.

The journey takes about 12 hours. The daytime bus departs at 6 AM, and the night bus leaves at 9 PM.

If you don't want to deal with a long bus ride and prefer to be more independent, you can rent a car. Driving on the left side, a few quirky traffic rules, and the fact that most tourists don't speak Thai and the Thais in the provinces speak little to no English make things a bit tricky.

Isa therefore recommends a private transfer. The drivers of the well-air-conditioned vans usually speak English and are happy to show you the most beautiful spots along the way. The destination of the trip is, like the bus, Chumphon or Surat Thani, from where you take the boat to the islands.

Warning - it is often common for smaller regional car rental companies to hold customers responsible for various damages to the vehicle. Therefore, I recommend international rentals like Avis or Hertz. They also allow you to drop off the car without any problems at another location. By the way, drivers must also be at least 21 years old in Thailand.

Comfortable and safe. Traveling by train is very safe in Thailand. A combo ticket is usually offered, which includes the transfer from Bangkok to Surat Thani by train and from Surat Thani to Koh Samui by ferry. Depending on comfort, you can choose between 1st or 2nd class, seated or sleeper cars, and between air conditioning and fan.

Since train travel in Thailand is not expensive, I recommend buying tickets for 1st class or overnight in a sleeper compartment.

The start of the approximately 12-hour train journey is usually between 5 PM and 8 PM at Bangkok's main station, Hua Lamphong. The combo ticket costs between 800 Baht (€20) and 1,200 Baht (€30) depending on class. Tickets: You can buy directly at the airport or in many travel agencies.

The islands of the southern Andaman Sea offer just as wonderful islands as the rest of Thailand. Koh Phi Phi and Phuket are probably the most well-known. Thanks to the film "The Beach" featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, people still flock to the dream beach, which was temporarily closed. "Overtourism" is the word.

Koh Phi Phi is especially famous for Maya Bay and "The Beach." Therefore, it is always a little busier here than on other islands. No cars are allowed on the island. You can easily explore the island on foot. Climb the stairs up to the viewpoint and enjoy the view.

If Maya Bay is open, you should take the earliest tour possible in the morning. Because in the afternoon it gets way too crowded.

On this island, we simply relax, read, and ride around the island on a scooter. Thanks to a Swedish school, many families are here who are taking a sabbatical in Koh Lanta. I think that's great!

Koh Lanta is excellent for diving, but I unfortunately have a cold that restricts me. So it's just the hammock on the beach.

Take a boat trip to the Emerald Cave (you swim into a dark cave and then find yourself surrounded by rocks in a dream beach, a former pirate hideout) and the beautiful neighboring islands Ko Ngai, Ko Muk, and Ko Kradan. Unfortunately, the reefs for snorkeling are pretty much dead. Fish were attracted with bread, which I don't think is very cool.

Note: Koh Lanta offers elephant riding. DO NOT DO THIS!

Thailand's largest island even offers direct flights from Germany. Here too, there are still lonely beaches without mass tourism. Move away from the hustle and bustling party center on Phuket Town. Leave the all-inclusive hotel resorts behind and you will be amazed that there are still deserted beaches and beach bars made of wooden huts.

Translated, Koh Yao Noi means "small long island," and it is indeed that. Here you can still find wooden bungalows by the sea, secluded bays, and hardly any tourists.

While you won't find the most beautiful beaches here, you can really relax well. A few dropouts live here and are happy to take you in the evening to a restaurant with live music that is only accessible by pickup. You can quickly explore the few villages on a scooter.

At Passai Cottage, we charter a fishing boat to explore the island world.

Due to climate change, the weather is becoming increasingly difficult to predict. From July to November, rain is the order of the day. In southern Thailand, rain also occurs from November to January. During the rainy season, there is extremely high humidity; it's very muggy.

I have summarized everything in detail about the best travel time for Thailand here

Book your flight to Thailand arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport or add a Bangkok city trip for acclimatization if you have to go to Don Muang Airport. This way, you avoid stress and reduce the risk of possibly missing your connecting flight to Koh Samui because you have to traverse rush hour to get to the other airport.

Once you arrive in Koh Samui, you will immediately feel the island vibe. I've rarely seen such a cute little airport. If you haven't organized a shuttle service, minivans are already waiting across the street to take you to Chaweng or Lamai Beach for about 150/250 Baht. As always in Thailand, bargaining is allowed, but then you have to agree and ride!

Flying is the fastest, but you often pay more than €100 for a one-way ticket.

If you're only planning to use Koh Samui as a stopover, you can already book a ticket including shuttle service for the ferry to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao in Bangkok or directly at Koh Samui airport. Beware: Especially for the Full Moon Party, tickets for the same day may already be sold out.

On my first trip to Thailand, we wanted to take the train from Bangkok to Chumphon. From the pier, we would then continue by ferry to Koh Samui or Koh Phangan. Unfortunately, there were no 1st class or sleeper compartment tickets available at the station, so we booked the ride with the VIP night bus (they really call it that). The brightly lit bus left just around the corner from the train station in Bangkok.

However, our driver drove more beside the road than on it. We really didn't feel safe with this driving style. We arrived at the pier around 5 AM feeling totally exhausted, ready to continue to Koh Samui and then to Koh Phangan.

Back then I vowed: Never again a night bus - next time I will fly directly (of course, since then I have taken the night bus many times, but I have never encountered as many smelly and drunk backpackers on board as in Thailand).

On the return journey from Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, we then booked a return flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok.

And once arrived, I only have one tip for you: Relax

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