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

Penang to Langkawi - Boat Ferry

Tickets from Georgetown, Penang to Langkawi are easy to buy from most hotels, travel agents or online. We decided to buy ours from a local travel agency on Lebuh Chulia Road which is the main backpackers road. They cost us 70RM each and we picked to leave at 8.30am.

We were told beforehand to arrive at the ferry station 45 minutes before departure. With us staying at Malabar Inn we left not long after 7.15am as we had quite a long walk to the ferry pier. We were told the wrong ferry pier however a local helped point us in the right direction towards Swettenham Pier.

On arrival, they checked our tickets and allocated us numbered seats on the boat. We headed over to the boat and boarded. We left on time with a full boat of people.

Well what a journey it was! They hand out sick bags to people before you leave but I didn't think much of it. However after only 5 minutes the sea was already very chopper and rough. The boat was bouncing up down and lots of people were throwing up on the boat! It was like a comic sketch with every other person being sick! The smell got really bad at one point and we still had over 2 hours to go. Thankfully we weren't sick however be wary if your known to get sea or travel sick.

We stopped at a small island, Payar Island Marine Park after 2 hours where some people got off the boat. After we left here the sea was much calmer and the final hour was much more relaxed for everyone.

When we arrived on Langkawi Island, lots of taxis were available. We were heading to Shell Out Resort near Pantai Tengah/Cenang. It cost a fix rate of 30RM and took us 30 minutes.

2 out of 5