Travel guide Thailand

Phatthalung

A symbol of Phattalung province is the Mount Khao Ok Thalu that is 177 m high. If you climb the steps to the top you will see the whole city.

Phatthalung is often mentioned as a birthplace of Manora Dance (you can see it on YouTube), that is very popular in the South of Thailand. It is believed that this style of dance was influenced by South India.

Phatthalung

Places of interest in Phatthalung

COORDINATES
GPS
7°21'37.4"N 99°57'41.8"E
Decimal
7.360380, 99.961604

On Google map

Phrai Wan Waterfall, น้ำตกไพรวัลย์

A waterfall in the tropics is a place where you can refresh yourself after a long road on a hot day. This one is no exception. Several quite comfortable natural stone tubs are ideal for a dip in the cool water.

Places of interest in Phatthalung

Thale Noi Waterfowl Reserve, ทะเลน้อย

COORDINATES
GPS
7°47'20.0"N 100°09'13.4"E
Decimal
7.788898, 100.153728

On Google map

Thale Noi is the largest Waterfowl Reserve in Thailand. The Thai name translates to "small sea" in English. Its size is 5 by 6 km, and the average depth is only 1.2 meters. The lake is covered with lotuses and reeds, which serves as a building material for birds’ nests.

The best time to visit is when the number of migratory birds reaches its peak, from October to March. Low season is from June to September, although the purple swamphens can be found all year round. Most birds belong to the family of herons and storks.

If you want to see the lake at its best, hire a sampan. To see how the Lotus blooms, you should set out at 5:30 am, the ride takes about 2 hours. You can make an arrangement with a boatman in advance right here on the shore.

Thale Noi Waterfowl Reserve, ทะเลน้อย

Accommodation in Phatthalung

COORDINATES
GPS
7°46'45.7"N 100°07'21.7"E
Decimal
7.779365, 100.122702

On Google map

Taweesuk Hotel

The hotel is located on the shore of Thale Noi lake.
In this area, there are just a couple of decent hotels that offer excellent hospitality. A unique feature of every room in this hotel is an embroidered tablecloth with small patterns, such as grandmothers used to make.
Some rooms feature a view of the lake. There are a few restaurants nearby that offer Thai food.

Langkawi, Malaysia

COORDINATES
GPS
6°15'25.2"N 99°44'01.2"E
Decimal
6.256993, 99.733662

On Google map

We have included this island because it can be easily reached from Koh Lipe by a high-speed ferry. The ferry operates from Bundhaya Resort on Pattaya Beach twice a day from mid-October to the end of May. The trip takes one hour.
Boat schedule:
Lipe – Langkawi 10:30, 16:30*
Langkawi – Lipe 9:30, 14:30*
A one-way ticket cost 1200 baht for an
adult and 720 baht for a child
*Afternoon departures are only available from October to May.

!Please, make sure that you don’t require a visa to enter Malaysia before the trip. If you overstayed your Thai visa an overstay fine should be paid at an Immigration office in the city of Satun on the mainland prior to departure to Malaysia by ferry.

Once you reach Langkawi take a taxi to Pantai Cenang. That is where most of the hotels are located.

If you want to explore the Island rent a motorbike. It costs anywhere from 300 – 800 Malay Ringgit (approx. 300 – 800 baht) depending on season and size of the engine.

Places of interest in Langkawi

Province: Langkawi | Category: Restaurant | Link to this attraction

COORDINATES
GPS
6°17'11.9"N 99°43'48.4"E
Decimal
6.286636, 99.730105

On Google map

Restaurant “Tomato”

In our opinion, a visit to this restaurant is a must in Langkawi. If you come once you will get addicted and will come for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Unquestionably, Malay Roti with meat sauce is the best dish.

Another type of food you should try here is Naan. It is a flatbread cooked on walls of a tandoor, an oven shaped like a barrel. Hot walls of a tandoor allow the bread to stick until it is ready. Naan can be cooked with cheese or chicken.

Try the sweet flatbread, a kind of Roti with condensed milk and hot Malay tea with milk for dessert..

We also recommend Roti Canai, a simple flatbread with chicken sauce; Cheese Naan, a flatbread with cheese cooked in the oven; Roti Susu, a flatbread with condensed milk and hot Malay tea.

Underwater World

COORDINATES
GPS
6°17'16.7"N 99°43'44.0"E
Decimal
6.287968, 99.728898

On Google map

The place is worth a visit if you like aquariums and zoos. The Park features sea creatures as well as freshwater inhabitants. There is also a Bird Park.

Underwater World

Cable Car

COORDINATES
GPS
6°22'16.1"N 99°40'18.0"E
Decimal
6.371129, 99.671677

On Google map

Coming from Koh Lipe to Langkawi by ferry you will certainly notice a sparkling building on the side of a mountain. Once you get closer you will be able to see gondolas moving on the cable. Malays are well-versed in construction of beautiful monumental projects.

The cable car ride split into 2 sections with a total distance traveled of 2.2 km. When you get to the top station you can go up to an observation deck that is located at 708 m above sea-level. There is also an unusual suspension/sky bridge connecting two mountain peaks.

Clouds at the top bring a pleasant relief from the heat and are so close that you feel like you can touch them.

Cable Car

Accommodation on Langkawi

Province: Langkawi | Category: Nature, Hotel | Link to this attraction

Adina drive in motel

Hotels on Langkawi Island are more expensive. Most of them feature concrete urban buildings rather than tropical bungalows. The hotel Adina has one category of rooms called Star Tropical Chalet built as a small village. The Interior is quite simple but cozy. Houses are built out of wood.
There is a restaurant called Tomato located across the street from the hotel that is worth a visit.

Satun

Province: Satun | Category: Nature, Beach, Hotel, Action | Link to this attraction

COORDINATES
GPS
6°29'18.9"N 99°18'17.6"E
Decimal
6.488574, 99.304897

On Google map

The name of Satun province comes from the Malay word “Setul”, which means “wild mangosteen tree” (source Wikipedia). The famous Tarutao National Park which comprises of 51 islands, including the island of Lipe, is part of the province.
Due to the fact that Saturn borders Malaysia, more than 65% of its population is Muslim. But in contrast to other southern provinces of Sonkla, Phatthalung, Yala, residents of Satun do not support racial separatism and they are more tolerant.

Places of interest in Satun

Lipe island, เกาะสิเป๊ะ

Lipe is an island 2x3 km in size, part of the Tarutao National Park. It is the most splendid and most inhabited of the National Park’s islands. Moken Sea Gypsies that live on the island are mostly fisherman. Looking at the map of the island one might think that the island has many streets, in reality, these are just narrow paths that often run between houses and their garden plots

The island has three main beaches:

Sunrise beach is a beautiful, clean beach in the East of the island, where boats come from the continent. There are many good hotels located slightly away from where the long-tail boats get moored.
Between the beaches, there is a street of bars and restaurants (the sign proudly says Walking Street). It is the busiest place in the evenings.

Pattaya beach is located in the South and has the largest number of hotels and bars. You can spend your evenings here at a bar watching a fire show. One of such bars is Peace and Love Bar.

Sunset beach is the quietest beach with very few hotels.

It is best to familiarize yourself with the map at www.kohlipethailand.com

The paths to this beach are overgrown with vegetation and hotels located here match its chill-out vibe.
Why go to Koh Lipe? Besides its tranquility, everyone finds something here. Some spend nights in a hammock on the beach in Raggea bar watching stars. This is a good place for stargazing. Others spend their time swimming, exploring, taking pictures, only getting back to their bungalow by sea in the evening to fall to sleep from exhaustion.

Almost all hotels on the Island are bungalow style.

! Please, keep in mind:

1. There are no currency exchanges and ATMs, very few places accept bank cards.
2. Throughout the year the number of visitors changes which affect the number of establishments that are open.
From May to October is a quiet season: few people, deserted beaches and few open restaurants and hotels.
October to May is a busy time and a lot more people. Some visitors feel: “the more the merrier”.

Satun