Thailand is a country where my entire nine-month backpacking adventure started and also the only country I visited twice during this long trip (I don’t think the repeated airport layovers in Kuala Lumpur really count). While the first time I only explored the capital city, Bangkok, and the north of Thailand – Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, this time I wanted to see the south.

Don’t expect to find the typical backpacking or holiday route here, nor a guide to the Thai islands. I didn’t go island hopping and can’t tell you anything about Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi or the James Bond Island. Although I’m sure all of these are beautiful destinations I might visit one day, there was just one problem with this trip: it was rainy season.

Of course, rainy season means less people, but it’s just not an ideal time to enjoy the islands and all they offer. Did you know that some ferries don’t even run in this season because of the weather?

I thought why waste a lot of energy and money travelling all these islands when the weather is going to be a big risk? So I decided to spend majority of the time only in Koh Lanta, where my mum and I could unwind after travelling the entire length of the Malay peninsula in two weeks. (If you’re curious what we did and why I was suddenly on the road with my mum, check out my previous post!)

HAT YAI

Hat Yai isn’t a place many tourists visiting Thailand want to see – and we wouldn’t either. Our plan was to travel from Penang in Malaysia directly to Koh Lanta but in the end it seemed like a long trip to make in one go. (It is, however, possible to do it. Travel agents in Penang offer transportation to many Thai islands – but it usually involves changing vans in Hat Yai and/or Krabi.)

Hat Yai is the Thai city closest to the Malaysian border and ultimately, it was just a one-night stopover for us. You can probably tell from the pictures below there’s nothing overly special about Hat Yai (actually, it looks better in pictures than in real life) but it was nice to see something off the beaten path. The most interesting part for me was observing my mum marveling at the traffic, power lines, local markets or skin-whitening products on her first day in Thailand. 😀

We also had a Thai massage and some Pad Thai. I don’t know if it was our poor choice of restaurants, but I’ve eaten better food in Thailand…

KOH LANTA

Koh Lanta is one of the bigger and more developed islands in Thailand. The “ferry” to the island is quite funny – it’s basically just a huge open metal box that moves slowly across the canal. Our van boarded this “ferry” and we didn’t even have to get off. It took about 20 minutes to get across to Koh Lanta.

Neither of us drives a scooter so we didn’t really see much of the island besides the area where we stayed, which was the upper part of the island around Phra Ae Beach… but we were fine with that. 🙂 If you want to be more adventurous, the national park in the south of the island or Koh Lanta Old Town in the west are supposed to be nice!

We had our own bungalow almost next to the beach and because it was low season, the island was VERY quiet. At the same time everything felt a bit… unkempt. The resorts, the roads, the beaches. Most of all, the beaches. We have never seen so much rubbish on the beach! It looked like when there were no tourists, no one bothered to clean up… It was far from the paradise Thai islands you see on Instagram.

It was raining for about half of the time we were in Koh Lanta and the sea was too wild to be able to swim properly. When the sun eventually came out, the island looked much nicer (well, apart from the rubbish) but I still find the Cambodian islands more beautiful! (Ironically, I also visited Cambodia during rainy season.)

This billboard we saw was hilarious! You can compare how they are advertising Relax Bay…

…to what we actually saw. I guess someone knows how to use Photoshop around here.

You’ll find everything you need in Koh Lanta. Shops, bars, restaurants, ATMs, taxis, laundry places, massage, scooter rentals, travel services, even a post office… As far as the island life goes, this is pretty luxurious.

PHUKET

Here’s something you might not be expecting: I was pleasantly surprised by Phuket! When you think of Phuket, you might imagine crowded beaches, but there’s so much more to Thailand’s largest island.

Depending on your planned activities in Phuket, you can either stay on the western side of the island where all the popular beaches are, or you can opt for the Phuket Town in the southeast. We picked the town and I’m glad we did.

I never knew Phuket Old Town was so beautiful! Just look at all these old coloured houses… I couldn’t stop taking pictures! There is also quite a lot of street art if that’s what you’re into. In some ways I actually felt Phuket was very similar to George Town in Malaysia. And I absolutely don’t understand why Phuket Old Town isn’t a UNESCO World Heritage Site…

There’s also the Sunday Night Market on Thalang Road with lots of food and souvenirs. To be honest, there was more foreign food than Thai food here so don’t take it as a good example of Asian markets… 😀

Phuket Old Town is also in walking distance to Monkey Hill, which is exactly what it says: a hill with lots of monkeys. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many monkeys in one place (OK, maybe later in Bali). Of course, monkeys can be cheeky so don’t feed them!

As far as beaches go, there are many to choose from, yet most people seem to go to Patong Beach. Which is why it was the last beach we would want to see. We were considering Karon or Kata and ended up at Kata Beach. Kata Beach was nice enough for a quick dip but still pretty busy for our taste. (Did I mention it was rainy/low season?!)

And if you want a great view of Phuket island, drive up to Big Buddha. The entry to this majestic Buddha statue is completely free and the view is worth it! Keep in mind it’s a religious site and wear a sarong.

If you think Phuket is too crowded and overrated, think again. Phuket is a big island and there are so many things to do!

So that was a quick overview of my week in southern Thailand. I feel like I will have to come back one day and see the beautiful islands during dry season. For now, I still prefer the north of Thailand. It’s less expensive, not so touristy with waaay more Buddhist temples. (Anyone else noticed how many Chinese temples there are in the south, due to its proximity to Malaysia..?) And well, ultimately I might be more of a mountain than a beach person.

Have you been to the south of Thailand? Which islands would you recommend??

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