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.
Accommodation in Phatthalung
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
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.
Accommodation on Langkawi
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
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”.
Accommodation in Satun
Satun province Langka hotel (ลังกา)
The unique feature of this hotel is that its bungalows are located right on the beach. While the beach is not good for swimming you can’t beat the view, especially at sunset and the atmosphere is nice. On the horizon, you can see the Islands of Langkawi and Tarutao.
The hotel is close to the pier where ferries and boats depart to the island of Lipe.
Accommodation in Satun
Lipe Island Mountain Resort
This hotel features bungalows located on the hill in the north part of Sunrise Beach. Many bungalows have sea view. They offer bungalows with a fan or AC. A staircase leads down to the beach with pure white sand and clear sea.
One of the advantages of this hotel is its proximity (10 min walk heading South) to the pier where you can hire a water taxi to explore nearby islands.
