Andaman Coast Hopping
Southern Thailand's Andaman coast strung together by minivan and speedboat - Khao Lak's dive base, Phuket's arrival hub, Railay's limestone cliffs, laid-back Koh Lanta and the far-south, still-quiet Koh Lipe near the Malaysian border.
9–16 days · Point-to-point
When to go
- WeatherSouthwest monsoon (May - Oct) — Rougher seas slow or cancel interisland boats along the whole Andaman coast - this route is built around the Nov-Apr dry season.
- NoteSimilan Islands National Park seasonal closure (mid-May - mid-Oct) — The park closes to all visitors, so Khao Lak's main draw disappears - skip that stop outside Nov-Apr.
- NoteKoh Lipe direct boat network (May - Oct) — Mostly suspended - reach Koh Lipe via a Hat Yai flight plus a Pak Bara pier transfer instead of the direct island-hopping boat.
The Andaman coast is what most people picture when they picture Thailand's beaches, but almost nobody plans it as its own trip - it usually gets bolted onto a Bangkok-and-north itinerary as an afterthought. This route treats it as the main event: five stops running south from Khao Lak's dive base to Koh Lipe's still-quiet edge near the Malaysian border, without a single Bangkok temple or Chiang Mai night market in sight.
This route's vibe
What you get across the whole trip, blended from each stop's strengths.
Stop by stop
The route
Adjust trip length, budget, and travel style — the stops, transport, and cost update to match.
- 1
Khao Lak
2 nightsQuiet, laid-back base for the Similan Islands - Thailand's best diving and snorkeling - plus long, mostly-empty beaches with none of Phuket's density.
Skip / overrated: The town itself is a strip of dive shops and resorts, not a destination on its own - come for the Similans day trips or a liveaboard, not the nightlife.
View Khao Lak guide→Getting there· ~85 kmCarRecommendedCoastal road transfer, about 1.5-2h by minivan or private car - the standard way, with hotel pickup at both ends.
Book: minivan desk / hotel transfer — shared minivans loop through several hotel pickups first - can add 45min before you even leave Khao Lak
BusPublic songthaew/bus combo via Takua Pa is slower and involves a change, ~2.5-3h; only worth it on a tight budget.
Book buses - 2
Phuket
2 nightsThe region's international gateway and biggest island - Old Phuket Town's Sino-Portuguese shophouses and street-food night markets are worth a full day even if you're not staying long.
Skip / overrated: Patong is a nightlife strip built for package tourists, not the beach town its photos promise - if you want a beach base on Phuket, Kata or Nai Harn are calmer choices.
View Phuket guide→Getting there· ~61 kmCarRecommendedMinivan via the Phang Nga road, ~3h door-to-door including Phuket-side hotel pickups; runs year-round.
Book: minivan desk / 12Go — cheaper minivan tickets often terminate in Krabi town, not Ao Nang or Railay - confirm the actual drop-off before booking
BoatSpeedboat via Koh Phi Phi, ~3-4h with a stopover; scenic but weather-dependent, pricier, and Nov-Apr only.
Book: ferry/speedboat operator desk (Phi Phi routes) — the Railay-direct boat only lands at Railay West in calm seas - rough days redirect to Ao Nang pier and you finish the last stretch by longtail
Book ferries - 3
Krabi / Railay
2 nightsKrabi town is a jump-off point, but Railay - the limestone peninsula only reachable by longtail boat - is the real draw: sheer karst cliffs, world-class rock climbing and a beach (Phra Nang) that photographs like a film set.
Skip / overrated: Skip lingering at Ao Nang beach itself and take the 10-minute longtail straight to Railay - it's a different, much better place five minutes away.
View Krabi / Railay guide→Getting there· ~52 kmCarRecommendedMinivan plus two short vehicle-ferry crossings, ~2-2.5h; runs year-round regardless of sea conditions.
Book: minivan desk — if you're leaving from Railay itself, first take a longtail back to Ao Nang or Krabi town pier - this leg doesn't start on the peninsula
- 4
Koh Lanta
2 nightsLong, quiet beaches and a mellow pace that Phuket and even Krabi have lost - a good place to slow down between more active stops. Old Town's stilted pier houses are a low-key half-day.
Skip / overrated: Lanta has no real nightlife scene by design - go elsewhere on this route if that's what you want, and don't expect Phuket-level infrastructure.
View Koh Lanta guide→Getting there· ~132 kmBoatRecommendedSpeedboat via a couple of smaller Trang-archipelago stops, ~3.5-4.5h; the direct high-season link between the two islands.
Book: ferry/speedboat operator desk — this route is suspended entirely through the SW monsoon (roughly May-Oct) - outside high season you must go via the mainland instead
Book ferriesFlightFly Krabi or Phuket to Hat Yai, then ~2h road transfer to Pak Bara pier plus a ~1h speedboat crossing - the reliable year-round route when the direct island boat isn't running.
Book: domestic airline + minivan/pier transfer — Pak Bara departures drop to 1-2 boats a day outside peak season - book the transfer and boat as one bundle rather than piecing it together on arrival
- 5
Koh Lipe
3 nightsThe southernmost stop and still the least developed of the well-known Andaman islands - powder-white Pattaya Beach, a small walking-street village, and some of Thailand's clearest water for snorkeling, right up against the Malaysian maritime border.
Skip / overrated: Don't expect Phuket-level services - card payment is patchy and there's no bank branch on the island; bring enough cash.
Full guide coming soon for this stop.
Lodging + daily spend only — excludes flights & intercity transport. Partial: some stops lack cost data.
What to skip
Don't bolt on Bangkok or Chiang Mai at either end unless you have real time to spare - this is a self-contained coastal trip, and stretching it north turns easy island transfers into long travel days. Also skip Phi Phi as an overnight on a first pass; it's a better day trip from Krabi or Phuket than a place to sleep.
Practical tips
Book Similan Islands trips and the Lanta-Lipe boat a few days ahead in peak season (Dec-Feb) - both sell out. Carry Thai baht in cash for the smaller islands; ATMs thin out south of Krabi. Build in one buffer day somewhere in the middle - Andaman speedboats run late often enough that a tight itinerary breaks.
Best for
Common questions
Is this route possible outside November-April?
Not really as written - the Similan Islands close entirely, the Lanta-Koh Lipe direct boat mostly stops running, and the whole coast gets rougher seas from the southwest monsoon. May-October, stick to Phuket and Krabi and drop Khao Lak and Koh Lipe, or plan on flying/road-transferring instead of relying on the direct boats.
Do I need a liveaboard to dive the Similans?
No - day trips from Khao Lak cover the main sites and are far cheaper, but a 2-3 night liveaboard reaches sites day boats can't and is worth it if diving is the actual point of your trip.
How do I get to Koh Lipe if I'm not going in high season?
Fly into Hat Yai, then transfer by road to Pak Bara pier and take the shorter, more reliable speedboat crossing from there - it adds most of a day versus the direct island-hopping boat, but runs closer to year-round.