Island hopping on Koh Lanta, Koh Ngai & Koh Mook

Today is the day you set off from your selected airport with connecting flights along the way.

You arrive at Krabi Airport, go through immigration and pick up your luggage. A driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall to drive you to Ao Nang Beach, 25 km from the airport.

After a long flight, you can throw yourself down by the pool or grab a towel and head down to the beach, which is just a stone’s throw away. You can also go for a stroll along the seafront, check out the array of shops, enjoy the ocean view and watch all the long-tail boats whizzing between Ao Nang and Railay Beach.

When the hunger strikes, the problem is not finding a restaurant but choosing which one of Ao Nang’s many fabulous eateries to go for. There are restaurants serving traditional Thai dishes, international dishes, fish and seafood and there are even various fast food chains.

And what better way to end the day than by sitting on one of the benches on the seafront and enjoy the beautiful sunset?

After breakfast you will be picked up from the hotel and driven to the Ban Hua Hin pier, around an hour’s drive away. From here, you will take a car ferry to Koh Lanta Noi, a crossing of around 20 minutes. You will be driven to the hotel on Koh Lanta Yai, which is located in quiet surroundings on the west coast. After check-in, you can relax and just enjoy the coming days.

The days are yours to do as you please.

Koh Lanta Yai is an island with beautiful beaches, countless local restaurants, traditional island life, stunningly beautiful scenery and not least dazzling sunsets.

The island’s best and most beautiful beaches are to be found on the west coast, where they are golden and shallow – perfect for families with children. If you head to the north-west, you will find the long, wide beaches, whereas the beaches furthest south are more rugged and rocky.

Despite its size, Koh Lanta Yai is one of Thailand’s more authentic islands, where the locals do not live exclusively off tourism as on many other Thai islands, and this can be felt – in a good way. Koh Lanta Yai is proof that tourists and locals can easily make things work without either party having to compromise.

In the main town, Ban Saladan, on the northern tip of the island, there is plenty of opportunity to get close to the locals and get a feel for the traditional island life, and the same is true in the small fishing villages such as Lanta Old Town on the east coast. It’s as if time stands still here. The old district is also known as Sea Gypsy Village, as several centuries ago, the population settled along the coast in wooden houses built at sea. The Sea Gypsies rarely mingle with the regular population, and they have their own language, traditions and beliefs. Not a lot happens there, but it’s very cosy.

Koh Lanta’s beautiful scenery is especially evident in Koh Lanta National Park, which offers great walks and breathtaking views. In the middle of the island, you can even experience waterfalls and caves, where stalactites and stalagmites sparkle like diamonds. If, on the other hand, you make your way to north-eastern Koh Lanta Noi, you can go kayaking, as a large part of the area consists of mangroves. If you have not had enough of the sea, you can visit Hin Daeng, Koh Rok Noi and Koh Rok Nai, which are some of Thailand’s finest snorkelling and diving sites with beautiful coral reefs, fish, caves and wrecks.

In the evening, you can sit yourself down at a beach bar and watch the sun set over the Andaman Sea with an ice-cold Singha beer in your hand.

Today, you will check out of the hotel and be driven to the Saladan pier, where a speedboat will take you to the island of Koh Ngai, also known as Koh Hai. You will sail past tall limestone karsts and arrive at the small island around 40 minutes later. On your arrival, you will be met by the hotel staff, who will help you with your luggage. After check-in, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy this little paradise island, where the key words are relaxation, enjoyment and tranquillity.

The days are yours to do as you please.

Koh Ngai is like something from a postcard – traditional long-tail boats are parked on the white sand, palm trees hang lazily across the beach and the clear, turquoise water and vertical limestone karsts provide the perfect backdrop while the sun beats down from the sky. You have no choice here but to unwind. There are no shops, traffic or noisy discos. Just sit back and enjoy the tranquillity and the wonderful surroundings instead.

Koh Ngai also offers fantastic snorkelling and great walks in the jungle with its colourful birds and a vantage point affording a breathtaking view of the sea and the green-clad limestone karsts.

Koh Ngai is affected by the tide during the afternoon, so you can use the resort’s pool instead. However, you can still swim in the sea – you just have to go further out than usual.

In the evening, you can enjoy a drink at one of the laid-back bars along the beach, where there is live music from time to time.

Today it’s time to say goodbye to Koh Ngai, and fortunately, another paradise awaits. You are picked up by a longboat and taken to the impeccable Koh Mook, about 30 minutes away. Koh Mook is larger than Koh Nai, and also has a small village where you can walk or cycle about. Here you can find the local school, supermarkets, restaurants, etc.

The days are spent at your leisure.

The good thing about Koh Mook is that you can make use of the beach on both sides of the island. If you want activities or excursions, you can treat yourself to a massage, rent a kayak or visit the island’s biggest attraction, the Emerald Grotto, which can only be reached by sea. Here you swim approx. 80 metres in through a tunnel. There’s not much more than luminescent fish to light the way. Once you reach the opening inside the grotto – in the middle of the island – you discover a small, hidden paradise with a sandy beach, green trees and cliffs.

If you want yet another island hop, we recommend you take a longboat to the island of Koh Kradan, about 20 minutes away. This island offers fantastic snorkelling opportunities with a chance to see curious and colourful fish, who also swim up close to the beach. The beach is narrow, but beautiful, as is the view of the vertical cliffs out in the water, and of the traditional longboats lying along the beach.

In the evening, when the temperature has dropped around Koh Mook, you can run along the beach or just take a walk, enjoying the sun as it disappears behind the green-clad mountains.

Sadly, it is time to say goodbye to this gorgeous corner of Thailand. You will be picked up by a long-tail boat that sails you to the Pak Meng pier south of Krabi – a trip that takes 45–60 minutes. A driver will be waiting to take you to Krabi Airport, a 2–3-hour drive away. From Krabi airport, you fly to Europe with connecting flight(s) on the way.

You will land at your chosen airport after a lovely and relaxing holiday.