Dalat to Nha Trang - Bus

Our final journey was from Dalat to Nha Trang! This was quite an easy and short journey to make and only took around 4 hours with a short stop along the way. This journey we booked at our hotel for 150,000 VND each.

We were picked up around 7.30am and taken to the centre of Nha Trang to board a small bus. This bus was full however, we still had plenty of room for this journey. The journey to Nha Trang is quite scenic and involves many windy roads! We stopped at a small roadside shack for 10 minutes to grab some food and a drink.

No problems on this journey and we were dropped off in Nha Trang, not far from the beach. From here you can grab a taxi or walk to nearby accommodation.

4 out of 5

Mui Ne to Dalat - Bus

Our next journey saw us travel northwards and inland away from the coast! We were heading to the town of Dalat to explore and hopefully go canyoning. This part of our journey was very simple. We booked tickets at our hostel- Backpackers Resort- and departed early morning for around 100,000VND. The minibus arrived 20 minutes later than expected and was already very full. We picked up a few more people and departed for Dalat.

The minibus wasn’t too bad inside and we sat on the back seats which offered us a little more legroom! The journey took around 4 hours with a short break in the middle. This was another windy bus journey into the countryside of Vietnam.

Upon arrival, we got dropped off in the centre of Dalat and it was much cooler than anywhere else we have been so far! We decided to walk to our hotel but there are plenty of taxis around if needed.

Time to exlpore Dalat!

4 out of 5

Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne - Bus

After a few hectic days in the city of Ho Chi Minh, it was time to move onto the must quieter location of Mui Ne! During our time in Ho Chi Minh, we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels on a tour provided by Sinh Tourist. After a positive experience, we decided to use them again for the next leg of our journey. They are very easy to locate in the main backpacker area of the city, beware of similar named companies trying to get your business!

We booked onto the early morning bus leaving at 7am from across the road. Here we waited for a while before a minibus finally picked us up and we all crammed in! From here we drove to a bus station where we had to wait again for another half an hour. We nearly boarded the wrong bus after asking someone however we were soon pointed in the right direction.

When it was finally time to board, we were surprised to see it was a sleeper bus. No problems and it probably made the journey more comfortable for us! The journey took a good 6 hours with a break in the middle and we had no problems to note!

Sleeper buses are not made for tall people!

Upon arrival in Mui Ne, the bus stopped at several various locations and the bus conductor made sure he knew where everyone needed to get off the bus. A very efficient service and we were dropped off outside Mui Ne Backpacker Village hotel.

Quite a long day of travel, with plenty of waiting around in the morning but overall an enjoyable experience with Sinh Tourist!

4 out of 5

Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) - Bus - Minor Crash

Due to the success of our last journey with Giant Ibis, we decided to book our transport with them again by visiting their booking office near the night market in Phnom Penh. However, a few days prior to this, we arranged to have our Vietnam visa sorted with a local travel agency. They were located on Preah Sisowath Quay (riverfront) but I’m unsure of their name, it cost $40 dollars for a 30-day UK citizen visa and took a couple of days. It’s important that you sort out your Vietnamese visa in advance! There is an exception to this though as a lot of countries can get a free 15-day visa.

Scenic bus ride

We booked onto the 8am bus departing to Ho Chi Minh City for $18 dollars per person. We arrived half an hour early and boarded the bus in good time and received a complimentary bottle of water and Blue Pumpkin pastry. The first leg of the journey to the border crossing takes around 4 hours with a brief stop during this where they collect all your passports to get the appropriate stamps and to check you have a visa if required. The rep will also get the passports stamped at the Cambodian border control to speed up the process.

There was then a quick stop between each border at a duty-free shop and restaurant for around 15 minutes. This bit got a little confusing as we had a quick look around and decided to wait back on the bus. The bus then left with only half the people on it and it caused a lot of confusion and stress for those who had someone not on the bus! No answers were given when asked to go back and we were dropped off at the Vietnamese border control. I presume they then went back to get the others however I don’t understand why they just didn’t initially wait.

Vietnamese passport control then took a very long time to get through as many people were waiting and only a few members of staff were working. Unfortunately, this room was very hot and it took a good hour to get through this process! Next is the x-ray machine for luggage which again is busy and then you all line up to have your passport checked again. This took a while as only one person was doing this and most Vietnamese people seemed to think they could walk to the front of the queue!

After all of this we got on the bus again and headed for Ho Chi Minh City. We were now driving on a much better dual carriage way to those in Cambodia and were making good time until… As most people know-the buses here don’t hang around. We were driving down a dual carriage way alongside a lorry and both seemed to want a race! However, a minute later, the inevitable happened and we collided with the lorry. Thankfully this was only a small crash, a lost wing mirror and some scrapping of the side but it could have been a lot worse! This highlighted the true danger of travelling on buses in Asia, so please be aware of the risks before travelling around.

Very busy in Ho Chi Minh City!

We carried onto Saigon centre and got dropped near the Giant Ibis agency which is round the corner from the main backpackers street! From here you can get a taxi or walk to a local hotel or hostel, we chose the latter.

In conclusion, this journey was certainly an experience and we were glad to finally arrive! I still believe that Giant Ibis is still a good company to use but be aware of the dangers of travelling on roads in South East Asia.

2 out of 5

Kampot to Phnom Penh - Minibus

After a few fun days exploring Kampot on scooters, we were on the move again back to Phnom Penh where we briefly stopped earlier. We decided to book our minibus with Giant Ibis this time after reading various positive reviews online! They have an office in Kampot and we booked onto the 14.45pm minibus the day before departure with no problem. There is also the choice of a minibus leaving at 8am. This journey cost $9 dollars each which is quite pricey for a 3-hour bus drive (in South-East Asia at least!).

Leaving Kampot

We arrived at the Giant Ibis office half an hour before departure and left on time for Phnom Penh. Onboard the bus you get a free small bottle of water and a pastry from Blue Pumpkin. These were both a nice little something to keep you going. The minibuses are quite big and styled more like a regular bus with an aisle down the middle. Plenty of room for everyone and the air con was very much appreciated!

The final part of the journey heading into Phnom Penh was quite busy and took a little longer than anticipated. You get dropped off at the Giant Ibis office in Phnom Penh that is located next to the night market. Beware that plenty of tuk tuk drivers await you as you depart the bus! We decided to walk instead with only staying ten minutes away.

Time for a cheap beer in PP!

All in all, another hassle-free minibus journey and we would definitely recommend using Giant Ibis.

4 out of 5 

Sihanoukville to Kampot - Minibus

After a few days of relaxing on Otres Beach, Sihanoukville it was time to move on again with our travels. Our next stop along the coast of Cambodia was Kampot!

We decided to book bus tickets at our final hotel as we weren’t too near to any travel agencies. We were staying at the Heart of Venice which was lovely for a couple days by the pool. We picked the bus leaving at 10.30am for $6 dollars per person.

Not a bad price to pay

The company we had booked with were called Champa Tourist Bus and they offered the standard ‘hotel to hotel service’ which was usually never true! We were the last people to be picked up and had to settle for the front two seats of the minibus. The inside of the minibus wasn’t to the standard of other companies such as Mekong Express however, it wasn’t a problem for such a short journey!

It took around 1 and half hours to reach Kampot with some more top speed driving! Driving in Cambodia seems to be like one big race! We got dropped off in the centre of Kampot near most of the main hostels/hotels, we were staying at Captain Chim’s. Overall a relative quick minibus journey for Asia with no problems.

The road keeps going and going...

4 out of 5

Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville - Minibus

We stayed in Phnom Penh for only a couple of days as a layover on our way to Sihanoukville with the plan of returning at a later date. We stayed at the RS Guesthouse, not far from the river front and within easy walking distance of the main tourist sites such as the Royal Palace.

For our next minibus journey to Sihanoukville, we decided to just take our chances and book with a travel agents along the river front (road - Preah Sisowath Quay). We decided to pay slightly more to use Mekong Express again and picked to depart at 8.30am the following morning. This cost $10 US dollars each which seemed reasonable for a 4 and half hour journey. Of course, you can find much cheaper deals with other companies but we have had fairly pleasant experiences with Mekong Express.

The following day we were picked up from our hotel around 8am and departed for Sihanoukville. We quickly discovered this wasn’t a Mekong Express bus and we had been conned into using another bus company even though Mekong Express was printed on our ticket. Luckily, the journey itself wasn’t too bad as the minibus was air conditioned and comfortable. The journey took just under 5 hours with one stop, before we pulled up into the middle of Sihanoukville.

Quick stop for a drink!

We were opposite a North Face shop with plenty of taxis waiting for us. With us planning on staying in Otres beach, the drivers quoted us $10 for the short taxi journey. This was way too high and we decided that we would walk off to find another one. Thankfully, one of them agreed to a $6 taxi fare in a pickup/tuk tuk that drove us to our booked accommodation in Otres Beach.

Not a bad journey however I’m unsure what the bus company was called. Make sure you have maps downloaded on your phone for when you arrive otherwise you’ll have to use an expensive taxi!

3 out of 5

Battambang to Phnom Penh - Minibus

After exploring Battambang for a couple of days, we moved onto Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh. After a good experience using Mekong Express, we decided to use them again for our next journey and booked tickets at their office. They had a range of times for the journey leaving at 7.00, 8.30, 9.30, 11.00, 14.30 and 17.00 for 12 US dollars. We only booked a day in advance and the 8.30am minibus was already full and there were only a couple of seats left on the other morning minibuses. We opted for the 9.30am departure and had to be at the office 30 minutes beforehand.

That morning we arrived at the office and boarded the minibus- as before, it was a VIP 11 seater minibus with plenty of room for everyone. We picked up a few other people and then made our way towards Phnom Penh. The roads are quite poor in Cambodia and the 300km drive took nearly 7 hours with a couple of breaks along the way. The final roads heading into Phnom Penh are very busy and in a real mess but they are currently being improved.

On the road to Phnom Penh

We pulled into a car park near the Mekong Express office North of Phnom Penh on National Highway 5. From here it is a 3.5km walk or drive to the Royal Palace. We decided to jump in a tuk tuk which cost us 4 dollars (which is still overpriced!). Of course, this tuk tuk service at the office is in place as at the time you don’t know how far away from anything you are.

Overall, we had no problems on the journey and had another good experience using Mekong Express. They do have a website if you want to find bus schedules/prices but I don’t know how secure it is for making bookings.

4 out of 5

Siem Reap to Battambang – Minibus

After a great few days exploring Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, it was time to leave and head towards Battambang. I had read about a few different bus companies in Cambodia online and opted to give Mekong Express Limousine Bus service a go. I located their office in Siem Reap (see photo below) and booked two seats for the 2pm departure at 8 dollars per person. They also have a minibus leaving at 8am.

Office address

We were picked up from our hotel at 1pm in a basic minibus and taken across to their office to wait for our departure time. Just before 2pm we boarded the minibus with our bags and we set off for Battambang. The minibus was very nice inside with leather seats and plenty of room for a maximum of 11 people although we only had 6 people for our journey. With no direct route between the two locations it does take nearly 4 hours with a 30-minute stop in the middle. The journey was fine with no major issues, the roads aren’t in great condition and expect plenty of overtaking on small main roads!

Terms and conditions

Once in Battambang we were dropped off near their office in the centre and plenty of tuk tuk drivers and hotel hosts were there waiting. I would advise not rushing into any decisions on the spot. We had already booked our hotel in advance and located it just around the corner.

Very quick and hassle free journey with Mekong Express, I would definitely use them again and recommend them to anyone!

4 out of 5

Bangkok to Siem Reap - Day Bus

With only a couple of days back in Bangkok, we quickly booked our bus tickets to leave before our visa’s expired. Our next country was Cambodia and we were heading 400km east to Siem Reap! Staying near Koh San Road again, we visited the travel agents we had previously used (see blog Bangkok to Koh Tao) which is located on Chakrabongse Road next to Boots. We booked onto the earliest bus for 800 baht each and had to be at the office for 8am the next morning for pick up. We knew that we could get visas on arrival as British citizens, however make sure your nationality allows this.

The next day we turned up at the travel agents around 15 minutes early and waited there for a good half an hour until our tickets were checked. We briskly walked around the corner to a single decker bus waiting to collect us and boarded. It was quite basic compared to other buses we had been on and we proceeded to head out of Bangkok on the highway with the bus was about three quarters full. I also noticed it was a left-hand drive bus which meant it must have been from Cambodia.

An hour into the journey, one of the guys at the front came walking down the bus saying we would stop in 30 minutes and everyone needed to pay 1,400 baht or $40 US dollars each for the Cambodian visa upon arrival at the border. We were told they would get our visas on our behalf but I knew it was $10 cheaper for each of us to do it ourselves at the border. He said quite clearly, we couldn’t. With little cash, I paid to withdraw more money from a cash machine when we stopped to cover the visa costs.

When we set off again for the final part of the journey in Thailand to the border at Krong Poi Pet, the guy went around collecting everyone’s money and passports from them. This time he said we could do it ourselves but it would take much longer and we would have to get off the bus. Me, my girlfriend and another traveller were the only ones who decided to take this option out of about 30 people on the bus.

When we pulled into the border, everyone on the bus had to disembark from the bus to walk through Thai customs. I’m not too sure what the others did after this but we walked over to the visa building on the right-hand side (read this on other blogs) and saw signs inside for Cambodian visas. Here they cost the standard $30 and a 100 baht processing fee, everyone seemed very nice and gave us the relevant forms to fill in. I had read previously of bad experiences but we had no problems, nobody tried to scam us and it was a very smooth process. Make sure you have the correct change and a current passport photo for the visa.

After this we headed to the Cambodian immigration point where everyone from the coach was already queuing to get stamped into the country. We filled in the entry forms and waited 5 minutes to present our visas and get stamped in Cambodia!

Some final points on the visa process; 

• Everyone must get off the bus to leave Thailand and enter Cambodia.
• It took us only about 5/10 minutes longer to get the visa on our own.
• We saved at least $10 dollars.
• Those who took the quicker and easier visa option had to wait for the others anyway.

After this it took around 2 hours to reach Siem Reap, the roads in Cambodia were much worse than in Thailand yet this was expected. We got dropped off at Neakpoan square (just south of pub street) and got told that we would have a free tuk tuk service to our hotel.

The tuk tuk driver spent a good 15 minutes trying to sell his services for transporting us around Angor Wat the next day, but with only just arriving we had no intention of committing to any plans. It got a little frustrating that he continued to try and in the end, we had to say no and sorry. If you say you’ll think about it, they will turn up at your hotel the next day and wait to talk to you. He then said the tuk tuk was no longer free and we would have to pay… We ended up having to pay $2 but we could of easily of walked. All part of the experience!

Angkor Wat

2.5 out of 5

Phuket to Bangkok – Night Bus

After a few days exploring Phuket, we headed back up to Bangkok before moving onto Cambodia. We were staying in the old town in Phuket on Ratsada Road and found that the bus station was only a 10-minute walk away from our hostel. With being so close, we decided to head over there to buy our tickets instead of getting charged extra by using a booking agent.

Upon arrival at the bus station, we asked a few locals where we could buy tickets to Bangkok from and we were directed to a few different offices until we found the right one! We were given a list of various times and prices for buses to Bangkok. They ranged from around 450 baht up to 1000 baht with a company called ATS which had various times. Bangkok has two main bus terminals in the North and South. We decided to pick a first-class night bus to Bangkok’s South Bus Terminal that was leaving at 17.30, took around 12/13 hours, cost 587 baht each and had aircon and a toilet. There were also options to get a second-class bus or VIP bus.

Bus Terminal 2 ??

The day we were leaving Phuket, we left our hostel an hour before departure and walked over, picking up a few snacks from a 7/11 on our way to the bus station. When we got to the bus station, we were again pointed in several directions as there seemed to be some confusion about our tickets. In the end, I went back to the office where I bought the tickets from and asked where we needed to wait. Then we discovered our mistake…

With only had 45 minutes until our bus left, we had apparently gone to the wrong bus station! We hadn’t realised Phuket had another bus station. I think the language barrier when buying the tickets may have led to us not realising. Anyway, we were now worried we might miss our bus as we were told it was quite far away and would take at least 30 minutes in current traffic. The only taxis around the bus station were motorbikes and with there being two of us plus backpacks we didn’t fancy this. We headed down the road and managed to find someone who was willing to take us in his car for 300 baht, not 100% sure if it was actually a taxi or not!

Anyway, we were now on our way to Phuket Bus Terminal 2 which we now know is 6km north of the other bus station. Traffic was very busy and we thought we would probably end up missing our bus. However, the driver was a very nice chap who knew we were in a hurry and took a few local shortcuts and we turned up just in time! We quickly found our bus and it left literally 2 minutes after we boarded it. A very chilled day nearly turned into a nightmare!

The journey itself wasn’t too bad, the bus was very empty and you got given a little snack and drink. I would try picking a front seat for the extra legroom. We asked about moving seats but the lady attendant was adamant we couldn’t move even though half the coach was empty. By 10pm, we decided to move seats anyway as it was much comfier to sleep across two seats.

The journey went quite quickly with a little stop early on for some food and drinks and we pulled into Bangkok’s South Terminal not long after 6.30am. I would recommend going to Bangkok’s South Bus Terminal if your heading towards the Koh San Road area as your only about 5km away.

Now we headed over to the taxi rank which were asking 250 baht for a short drive to near Koh San Road, of course this was massively overpriced even with morning traffic. In the end, we managed to get them to use the meter however this backfired on us. We were taken a very long way to our hotel instead of using the direct route and got stuck in terrible traffic on the highway. This meant the drive took well over an hour and cost a similar price to what he asked for at the start. Unfortunately, at the time I didn’t have my offline maps loaded on my phone to point out that I knew what he was doing. Oh well, we learnt from this mistake and finally got to our hotel around 8.15am before exploring Bangkok one final time until we headed off to Cambodia!

Not a bad overnight journey, plenty of space on the bus and we learnt a valuable lesson about taxis in Bangkok.

Time for a beer!

3 out of 5

Koh Lanta to Phuket – Ferry via Koh Phi Phi

After a great week on Koh Lanta, we finally made the move to Phuket. We simply booked our tickets at our hotel on Koh Lanta which included a shuttle service to the pier. The ferry left Koh Lanta at 8am with a change at Koh Phi Phi for 800 baht each. We were told that we would be picked up between 6.45 and 7.45am. Of course, we waited nearly an hour for the minibus shuttle and thought we might miss the ferry but luckily, we turned up just in time!

The first ferry, as you can see from the photo, was pretty much empty and we had a choice of seats. Nothing special however the journey only took an hour and we soon could see the pier at Koh Phi Phi again. 

Empty Ferry

When I mentioned earlier that we had a change at Koh Phi Phi I thought we would get off and wait around for the next ferry… I was very wrong!

Instead we pulled up next to another ferry just outside Koh Phi Phi and got told we were changing boats here in the middle of the sea! Very interesting experience to say the least, I was more concerned that our big backpacks would be passed across. I was assured they would be and I presume they do this daily!

After jumping ferries in the sea, we went to find seats on this more modern looking ferry. It was much busier and we decided to sit outside and take in some of the marvellous views the Andaman Sea had to offer (we weren’t disappointed).

Great views!

The second ferry took around 2 hours and we arrived at Rassada Pier, South of Phuket around 11am. From here we paid 100 baht each to get a shared minibus to our hostel located in the Old Town.

Just another day of interesting travel in Thailand!

4 out of 5

Koh Phi Phi to Koh Lanta - Ferry / Boat

The ferry cost us 400 baht each and we bought tickets on the Koh Phi Phi from near the pier, lots of people were selling boat tickets! We turned up at the pier half an hour before our boat was due to depart at 11.30am. We boarded the ferry no problem and picked a seat downstairs near some fans as it was pretty warm. Fortunately, the boat wasn’t too busy so it didn’t get too hot and stuffy downstairs. I can imagine in peak season it could be much worse without air conditioning, my advice would be to just turn up early to get a seat with a fan pointing on it!

The ferry only took around an hour and the journey was quite smooth, whilst on the boat you have someone going around selling taxi/minibus tickets for when you arrive on Koh Lanta. We had read beforehand that it was easy to get a taxi (tuk tuk) when you arrive at Saladan Pier on Koh Lanta.

When we arrived on Koh Lanta, lots of people were offering taxi services and we opted for a pickup truck that cost 150 baht for two of us. They initially wanted 100 baht each but we managed to get them down on this, I have been told that it can be as cheap as 50 baht each but it does depend on your destination. We were heading to Good Days Lanta Beach Resort on Long Beach. I highly recommend these beachside bungalows (fan) that only cost £12 a night in low season!

Amazing sunsets in Koh Lanta!

3 out of 5

Koh Samui to Koh Phi Phi - Ferry and Bus

After a few days in Koh Samui, we decided to head west to the island of Koh Phi Phi. Below is a summary of our travel and transport. I’ve decided to list all the points as I was struggling to recap some of the smaller details!

• We bought travel tickets from Pornchai Transport & Tours near Chaweng Budget Hotel on the road behind Chaweng Beach.
• They cost around 1,200 baht each which included pickup, ferries and bus travel.

Just a couple of the tickets from the journey!

• A minibus picked us up shortly before 7am and took us to Nathon Pier (West of Koh Samui)
• We checked in across the road from pier and collected our tickets. We then waited nearly an hour for the ferry to arrive.
• Short journey across to Donsak Pier in Surat Thani, not sure of the name of the ferry company but it wasn’t Lomprayah this time (although I do recommend them!).
• Buses were waiting to collect us at the pier, make sure you board quickly as they filled up fast especially if you want to sit with friends!
• Our bus journey was a good 3 hours and we stopped just outside of Krabi at a random café and shop. Here we awaited further instructions.
• After a quick drink, someone shouted out people for Koh Phi Phi and we crammed into a minibus and headed down to Klong Jilad Pier.
• At this point we joined a long queue to board the Andaman Wave Master ferry to Koh Phi Phi. This boat was very full and we just about got two seats downstairs but we were sat next to the engines which were very loud for two hours! Luckily, we had an iPod to try and drown it out!

Busy ferry heading to Koh Phi Phi

• We arrived at the only pier on Koh Phi Phi, Ao Tonsai Pier and paid a 20 baht cleaning fee each for the island.
• At the pier, there are a lot of people offering hostels and hotels if you hadn’t already booked- I would advise avoiding these as they ask for a much higher price than online.

We made it!

Overall, it was nearly a full day of travel and we encountered no real problems, although we were definitely glad to settle in and grab a beer by the end of the day!

3 out of 5

Koh Tao to Koh Samui – Ferry

After a fun week of diving in Koh Tao, we reluctantly moved onto our next stop… heading south to the island of Koh Samui. After a successful journey with the travel company Lomprayah when travelling to Koh Tao, we choose them again for our short journey to Koh Samui.  We booked tickets at a local travel agents at Sairee Beach for 600 baht each for the 12.30pm departure from Mae Haad Pier to Maenam Pier, Koh Samui. A few other companies offer ferry tickets for a slightly cheaper price but I believe Lomprayah is worth using for the extra 100/150 baht.

Another ferry ticket

The morning of the ferry we got a taxi down to the pier an hour in advance to check in. This once again cost 100 baht each for this short taxi. The pier was very busy and we joined the back of a long queue and thought we might end up missing our boat! We just about made it to the counter to collect our tickets and stickers as the boat pulled into the pier. We stood in a very crowded and hot area waiting for everyone to disembark the ferry before we could make our way down. Please take your time when heading down to the ferry as a lot of people are pushing to get there first!

Finally, we made it onto our boat and sat on the first floor at the back where we had plenty of room. The journey took us just under 2 hours with a stop at Koh Pha Ngan. The journey was very smooth and offered some lovely views of the sea and smaller islands!

Awesome views!

We arrived at Maenam pier in the East of Koh Samui around 2.30pm and used the main shuttle / minibus service on offer at pier. We were charged 150 baht each to Fisherman’s Villagae (Mae Nam Beach) in the North of the island. It took a while for us to get seated on a minibus because there was a lot of confusion as to where our guesthouse was! After switching around we finally got onto the right one and set off.

It didn’t take too long to arrive at our guesthouse with a few stops along the way. I think the driver thought he was a racing car driver with wheel spins and plenty of overtakes! This became much more normal after a few weeks of travelling.

Overall, we reached our destination in good time, however make sure you give yourself enough time at Mae Haad Pier in Koh Tao!

4 out of 5 

Bangkok to Koh Tao – Bus and Ferry

I’ve decided to write about a few of my earlier travels across Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. The first journey we undertook after arriving in Thailand was to leave Bangkok and head towards the island of Koh Tao for some scuba diving! With us staying near Koh San Road in Bangkok, we had plenty of choice with how to travel to Koh Tao but make sure to beware of scams!

Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran

We chose to use the recommended Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran service which includes bus and ferry travel. Their main office is located on the corner of Rambuttri Alley next to Koh San Road. Upon recommendation from a friend, we booked our tickets from a travel agent located on the main road next to Boots on Chakrabongse Road. This cost us 1,000 baht each which is slightly cheaper than the online price, for the 6.00am departure. I’m sure if you look around you might be able to find a slightly cheaper deal.

Luggage Rules

On the morning of our departure from Bangkok, we had to sign in at the Lomprayah office at 5am and exchange our booking receipt for travel tickets. We received stickers to wear and some to put on our backpacks to ensure we got onto the correct bus. 45 minutes later and the bus arrived just down the road from the office. 

Pink stickers for Koh Tao

The coach itself wasn’t too bad for our first experience of transport in South East Asia and the coach journey down to Chumphon pier was comfortable. Upon arrival at Chumphon pier, we had 15 minutes to buy anything from the shop and use the bathroom before boarding the ferry to Koh Tao.

Plenty of room on the bus

The ferry was very busy inside with people using it to get to Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. We decided to sit outside on the first floor of the ferry towards the back. We had much more room here and enjoyed a sea breeze sheltered from the sun.

We arrived on Koh Tao at Mae Haad Pier, not long before 3pm. From here, we shared a taxi with two others up to Sairee Beach for 100 baht each which seemed reasonable.

Overall the journey was a good first experience of travelling in Thailand and probably the best way of reaching Koh Tao from Bangkok.

4 out of 5