By the time we reached Koh Lipe, our flight had been delayed, our minibus had left without us, and Dramamine had barely helped on the speedboat. That was quite an introduction to the beach portion of our Thailand itinerary. Over 12 days, we went from Bangkok to Koh Lipe, Railay, and Koh Samui. Here’s how those stops connected, what we enjoyed about each one, and what we’d plan differently.
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Our route through Thailand
We traveled in May, when the low, rainy season was beginning on Koh Lipe. Bangkok came first. From there, we flew south to Hat Yai, then continued by road and speedboat to Koh Lipe. Reaching Railay meant a speedboat back to the mainland, a long minibus ride toward Ao Nang, and a short long-tail boat ride. For the last leg, we took another long-tail and minibus to Krabi airport, then flew to Koh Samui. It was a lot of moving around for 12 days, and it all happened a few years ago, so check current schedules and prices before you book anything.
Nights at each stop:
- Bangkok: 3 nights (one at a hotel we booked last minute, then two at the Kimpton Maa-Lai)
- Koh Lipe: 3 nights
- Railay: 3 nights
- Koh Samui: 3 nights
Bangkok: a park view and two very busy markets
We spent two nights at the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok in a corner suite with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lumphini Park. The pool, green space, and rooftop bar made the hotel feel like a retreat in the middle of the city. This was a hosted stay: the hotel provided our room and some meals in exchange for a video.
Our big Bangkok outing was a guided trip to a railroad market and a floating market. We chose a tour because it seemed like a better use of our time than getting to both on our own. What we hadn’t quite understood was that we would ride the train through the market and then take a boat through the floating market. We thought we were going to look at markets. We ended up in the middle of them.
The train market was a real working market, with stalls pressed close to the tracks. Once the train passed, the umbrellas went back out and shopping resumed. It was fascinating, touristy, hot, and a lot for the senses—particularly around the fresh and dried seafood. At the floating market, we tried coconut ice cream topped with blue rice and peanuts. One small detail worth checking when you book a tour: ours picked us up at the hotel but dropped us at MBK shopping center afterward, so we took a Grab back.
Getting to Koh Lipe took more than a flight
Koh Lipe is a small island far south near Malaysia, and getting there was the most complicated travel day of our trip. We flew from Bangkok to Hat Yai and had a minibus-and-boat transfer booked through 12Go Asia. The flight was delayed by about an hour, and we spent the wait in an airport lounge, worried that the transfer might not wait for us.
It didn’t. The minibus had left by the time we arrived, so we found another driver and made it to the boat just in time. The speedboat ride was rough: we had taken Dramamine, other passengers were getting sick, and it was raining when we reached Koh Lipe. The nicest surprise of the day was finding our resort waiting at the pier without us having asked for a pickup. We had made it on the day we intended, which suddenly felt like plenty.
We also paid for a national park entry pass on that journey; the pass we bought was good for five days. For current boat times and park entry details, check your operator and the Thai National Parks page, especially if you’re traveling in low season.
Koh Lipe: Sunrise Beach and permission to slow down
After that arrival, Koh Lipe was exactly the change of pace we wanted. We stayed for three nights at Idyllic Concept Resort on Sunrise Beach, booking most of the stay with points. The island felt small and easy to explore on foot, though we managed to get soaked with sweat within about ten minutes of taking photos. Being able to jump in the water helped.
Our days were wonderfully uncomplicated: time on the beach, lunch near a little rocky cove by Ten Moons Resort, and a walk to Walking Street for a massage that became our favorite of the trip. Walking Street also had places to eat and spots arranging onward transportation. We walked up to the north end of the island to see another beach bar, then took a Koh Lipe taxi—a motorbike with a sidecar-style seat—back when we didn’t feel like walking across the island again.
The beach you choose does affect the feel of a stay here. Pattaya Beach is where the boats arrive and Walking Street ends; we found the area near the northern beach bar a little clubbier. Sunrise Beach felt quieter, and we were happy to return to it for beach-bar time and dinner at our resort. Koh Lipe ended up one of our favorite places we’ve visited.
Railay: choose your side of the peninsula
We were sad to leave Koh Lipe, and reaching Railay wasn’t quick. By our estimates, the trip involved about an hour and a half on a speedboat, five hours in a minibus, and ten minutes on a long-tail boat. Railay is a limestone-cliff-framed peninsula in Krabi with no roads or vehicles; once we arrived, we got around on foot.
We had first visited Railay about a decade earlier, on our first international trip together, only three months into dating. This time we stayed at Railay Village Resort on West Railay. We’d spent most of our previous visit on the East side, but preferred the West side’s beach. East Railay has shops, restaurants, and hotels, though its shoreline is more mangroves than beach. A Walking Street connects the two sides, and we found the walk between them took under ten minutes.
Railay also made a good case for occasionally doing separate things on a trip. Kevin wanted to climb the cliffs, so he went on a guided climb while Kelly took a shaded lounger by the pool. We both got the afternoon we wanted, then met up for massages. Later, we walked through East Railay and took the path south to Phra Nang Beach. The cave entrances and cliffs made the longer walk worth it. There’s also a muddy, rope-assisted route toward a lagoon and viewpoint; we passed on that climb this time.
Was the Hong Island day trip worth it?
From Railay, we chose a group speedboat tour that visited several islands and included lunch, with Hong Island as the main attraction. A private speedboat would have given us more say over the itinerary, but the group tour made more sense for our budget. The trade-off was short stops: at one snorkeling stop, we simply stayed on the boat, while at another we had time to swim before lunch.
We had about an hour and a half on Hong Island. Kevin headed up the viewpoint stairs while Kelly stayed on the beach. He’d been told the climb might take about 25 minutes; without stopping, it took him closer to ten. The stairs were steep and the view was excellent. If the viewpoint is on your list, wear shoes you trust. We paid the island’s park entry charge along with our tour in advance, so it’s worth checking what your own booking includes.
We initially thought our time on Hong Island sounded too short. More time to relax on the beach would have been nice, but we saw what we’d hoped to see, and the other stops added to the day. For us, the tour was worth it.
Koh Samui: a final stop in the hills
To reach Koh Samui, we took a long-tail boat from Railay, a minibus to Krabi airport, and a flight that we estimated at about 45 minutes. The hotel arranged a pickup, and we spent our final three nights at Conrad Koh Samui, using points and a reward night toward the stay.
We were upgraded to a villa high on the hillside with a private infinity pool and a view across the ocean and surrounding islands. The resort is spread out and hilly, so its map was genuinely useful, and buggy service was available for the climbs. Rain caught us while we were at Azure Bar and Grill for dinner; as we looked out over the ocean, we saw a waterspout form. The storm had passed by the time we finished eating. There’s more about the villa and resort in our Conrad Koh Samui review.
What we’d plan differently
We’d give the Koh Lipe transfer day more breathing room. Booking the minibus and boat together didn’t protect us from a delayed flight, and that missed pickup came uncomfortably close to costing us the boat. We’d also keep cash handy: some massage places and taxis we used didn’t take cards.
The other lessons are about choosing where to spend your time. We loved the slower feel of Sunrise Beach and preferred the beach on West Railay. We were also glad we took the tours: the Bangkok markets tour saved us time, and the Hong Island group trip gave us a satisfying day without the cost of a private boat. This was our 12-day route, with a few bumpy connections and some very good places to stop.
Image credits: the photo of Railay West Beach used as the featured image is by Nnthurber, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source). We resized it from the original and made no other changes. That photo was not taken on our trip. The other photos are stills from our own videos of Thailand.
