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.
Thale Noi Waterfowl Reserve, ทะเลน้อย
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.
Langkawi, Malaysia
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.
Satun
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”.
Hin Ngam Island, เกาะหินงาม
There are many small islands around Koh Lipe that you can explore by hiring a boat. You can stop at one of them to enjoy a deserted beach or go fishing and snorkeling.
The most impressive island of them all is Hin Ngam. What is unique about it is that it is covered with shiny black rocks. You can spend hours playing with them but stones are not to be removed from the island. It is believed that if you take even one small stone it will bring misfortune into your life until you return it back to the island.
The flat shape of stones is good for building towers or pyramids and many visitors do that. Lay down on your belly and look toward the horizon and you will see a mysterious city of stone towers.
!Bring your own snorkel and mask or rent them at the hotel before the trip.
How to get to Koh Lipe: speedboat from Pak Bara pier
In high season boats from Pak Bara Pier (ท่าเรือปากบารา) depart to Koh Lipe twice a day, in low season - once a day. It takes about 2 hours to reach the Island.
The schedule of speedboats and ferries can be found on www.kohlipethailand.com
A ticket to the island of Lipe is usually sold for a round trip with an open date for the return leg. The price depends on the operator and the season.
Where to leave the car — Parking
If you want to spend a few days on Lipe and the nearby islands, leave the vehicle in secure parking near the pier Pak Bara. Car Parking is on the left side, 50 m from the pier.
From Phuket South of Thailand
For many people, the word “South” evokes warm feelings and beautiful images. South of Thailand does not disappoint expectations. People living in the South of Thailand are open and easy going.
Everyone knows that migratory birds fly to the South, but not many know that they stop in Thailand. Follow the path of migratory birds, go to the South and you might get a chance to meet them at Thale Noi Waterbird Reserve, place unknown to most. But we will talk about this in due time…
Following provinces and places of interest should be included
Hat Pak Meng beach, หาดปากเมง
The first thing that catches the eye is a wide strip of the beach and a lot of people collecting something in the shallow water. As it turned out the beach is scattered with cone-shaped shells and almost every shell has a hermit crab. It looks unordinary, many small cones "crawling" in the shallow water.
Following the example of locals we walk in the shallows along the coast. Here you can find unusual marine life, such as a starfish or fish that hides in the sand. Limestone mountains in the distance complement the picture perfectly, creating a nice background for photos.
Fisherman’s hut homestay
CONTACTS
087 386 2518
COORDINATES
GPS
7°28'57.8"N 99°19'55.6"E
Decimal
7.482714, 99.332110
Getting ahead of myself I want to say I would’ve given this place five stars. It has nice huts with AC, free Wi-Fi in the rooms as well as in public areas, DVD player, soap and shampoos in the bathroom and other nice touches.
Huts are nestled amid greenery and have hammocks for two on verandas.
Also I would like to separately mention the sincere staff, who really tries to speak English.
You can book a massage in your room.
Restaurants in Trang
WORKING HOURS
06:00 - 22:00
CONTACTS
075 274 014
COORDINATES
GPS
7°29'16.3"N 99°19'51.2"E
Decimal
7.487870, 99.330882
Yok Yor restaurant ยกยอ
Many locals come to this beach-side restaurant for seafood. Food here is truly delicious.
Try fried fish cooked without any spices. Name of the dish in Thai ปลาทอด, type of fish to order ปลาสำลี
