Three weeks of island hopping and snorkelling bliss in southern Thailand

As soon as I reached the soft, white shores and crystal blue waters of Koh Lipe, I knew I was officially entering "holiday-mode". I'd been travelling with Paddy through Indonesia and Malaysia for nine weeks by this point and was ready to plonk myself on a beach and do sweet, sweet nothing. And that's exactly what I did. My days on the Thai island were filled with reading, snorkelling and meandering the island's laneways. By night, I could be found on Sunset Beach with a cold beer in hand. I followed a similar pattern throughout most of southern Thailand, lapping up all the relaxing lifestyle had to offer.

Article contents

• Week 1: Koh Lipe

• Week 2: Koh Lanta

• Week 3: Krabi and Khao Sok National Park

Koh Lipe is Thailand's southernmost island, which I reached by ferry from Malaysia's Langkawi. It is the most beautiful island I've visited. Coral surrounded most of the beaches, meaning you could snorkel right around the island.

One of the many beautiful sunsets on Koh Lipe.

I rented a mask for roughly $2 AUD a day and spent hours swimming among iridescent rainbow parrot fish, huge clams, starfish and many other beautiful sea creatures. I loved every minute of it! I stayed at Nest Hostel, run by a lovely local woman off the main 'Walking Street'. The island had a good mix of bars, restaurants, and massage joints, but it didn't feel as touristy or overcrowded as Langkawi and some other islands I have visited. A friend I had made in Georgetown arrived a couple of nights into my stay, and we enjoyed some sunsets, beers and fire shows together. We also went on a sunset snorkelling trip, one of the best things I've done. We spent five hours island hopping to explore some different snorkelling spots before watching the sunset from the boat. And it only cost about $20!! I ended up extending my stay to spend five nights in Koh Lipe. It was pure bliss.

Koh Lanta

My next stop on the island tour was Koh Lanta. I took a fairly expensive fast ferry from Koh Lipe to Lanta, arriving within three hours.

Snorkelling spot near Koh Lanta.

Impressive limestone formations started to protrude along the coastline as the boat made its way north. Paddy and I had decided to explore Thailand on solo adventures (because I had previously spent one month in the country and was more interested in hanging out in the south). But we both ended up in Koh Lanta at the same time and spent a day riding around the island on a motorbike. I was staying at Blanco Hostel, a super fun place with a pool and lots of social activities. They hosted a snorkelling trip which took us to some incredible places about an hour from Koh Lanta, including a hidden emerald water cave and beach, limestone karst snorkel spots and smaller islands. The rest of my time on Lanta was filled with more beach hopping, practising my scooter driving skills, playing beer pong and night swims surrounded by bioluminescence. The island was nowhere near as beautiful as Koh Lipe, but it still had a nice, relaxing vibe and great spots to watch the sunset.

Sunsets from the beach near Blanco Hostel in Koh Lanta.

Ao Nang, Krabi

After five nights on Koh Lanta, I made my way to Krabi, made famous by its impressive limestone surrounds and beaches such as Railay.

I had intended to spend five nights so that I could join in the Songkran (Thai New Year) celebrations. I spent my first full day exploring Railay Beach. I had to catch a wooden longtail boat to the beach from Ao Nang. The views were impressive.

I had heard the area had become overrun with tourists in the past 10-20 years. So, I was bracing for the worst. While it was busy and clearly set up for visitors, I was still blown away by the natural beauty of the place. Jaw-dropping limestone karsts surrounded the beaches, which turquoise waves were lapping up against. The classic traditional Thai-style boats adorned most of the foreshores. Away from the main beaches, rock climbers bravely ascended the steep limestone formations. I can only imagine how much more impressive the region would have looked before humans marked their territory here. Sadly, I began to feel unwell that evening. I had been hit with some sort of COVID or flu-like bug. So, instead of enjoying Songkran, I spent the next four days in bed, attempting to fight off the illness.

Many tourists enjoying West Railay Beach.

Khao Sok National Park

While I hadn't fully recovered after several days of bed rest, I was feeling well enough to continue my journey north. I had booked an overnight lake tour in Khao Sok National Park. I embarked on a four-hour minivan adventure to Khao Sok village, where I spent the night in the most cosy, cute little hostel!

After a fairly sleepless night, I was up and at 'em for a 9am departure. Myself and about 30 other bleary-eyed (mostly young) travellers piled into a lush bus and made our way to Cheow Lan Lake, on the edge of Khao Sok National Park. It's become a popular spot for travellers exploring southern Thailand. The lake/dam was created after the Thai government flooded a huge valley in the 1980s. It spans roughly 16,500 hectares today. I learnt that many animals died during the flooding, which tainted the journey slightly. Despite this, it really was a breathtaking experience. A huge section of the lake is surrounded by towering limestone formations, which give the water a vibrant colour.

We had booked into some floating bungalows for the night and spent the afternoon jumping from the bouncing pier into the clear water. I was unfortunately still feeling fairly unwell by this stage, so while the others went for a trek in the jungle, I tried to rest and enjoy the tranquillity. It was very peaceful and kind of surreal to be swimming over a flooded valley.

We had a good feed of freshly caught fish and Thai curries for dinner before playing a few card games from around the world. The bungalows lit up at night and created an even more peaceful scene as the lights reflected on the water below. It was a hot night's sleep. I shared the simple bamboo hut with a lovely Irish girl, but spent most of the night tossing, turning and trying not to cough! I woke up around 6am for a dip before we headed out on the boat in an attempt to spot some wildlife. Around 300 wild elephants allegedly live in the surrounding forest, but we did not see any sign of them. The rest of the tour was spent exploring the lake by boat, scrambling through a fairly nondescript cave and enjoying a cool breeze from the water.

After the lake tour, I had arranged a bus to take me to Surat Thani (on the south-west coast). I spent a couple of nights recovering in the transit town before the long journey to Chiang Mai in the country's north, where I was planning to meet Paddy. Despite the illness, I am incredibly glad I focused my time in the country's south. It was relaxing, beautiful and filled with genuinely stunning nature. I now feel recovered and ready for a more fast-paced journey through northern Thailand and into Laos!