Welcome back for Highlights of Southern Thailand Part 2! This post will feature highlights and tips for travelling and staying in Railay, Khao Sok National Park, and Koh Phangan as I did it with my Beach Travellers group.
Location: Railay
Activities: 1) Rock Climbing: Railay has some of the most famous rock climbing in the world with some of the most amazing views at the top. Spend 2-3 hours climbing the famous limestone cliffs before embarking on a hike through the jungle and up through a cave that you will then repel down out of. Hopefully it won't rain for you like it did for us! Hiking back down through the jungle in the pouring rain (and in bare feet) was quite the adventure. This was definitely one my favourite activities in Railay. Price: ~$40CAD.
2) Cooking Class: Grab an apron and spend the next couple hours making famous Thai dishes such as pad thai, spring rolls, Tom Yum soup and mango sticky rice! We had a wonderful teacher who not only explained in detail how to prepare everything but wrote it down for us and gave us copies of the recipes so we could make them again upon returning home. Cooking in a traditional Thai manner was a really neat experience, and the feast at the end was extremely rewarding. Not to mention the ocean view while you cook! Price: ~$30CAD
3) Pirate Ship Day Trip: The big draw here for me was free booze for doing a back flip off the boat. But in all seriousness, you can't go wrong with a boat trip filled with friends, music, beer, kayaking, swimming and snorkelling. Get a group and rent the boat for the day. Ask anyone on Railay to book with Michael and they'll point you in the right direction. A great day to relax or go a little crazy, whatever you're in the mood for! Price: ~$40CAD/person. Includes lunch.
4) Catch a Fire Spinning Show and Hang with the Locals: Head down to Last Bar and check out the nightly fire spinning shows which are ridiculously impressive and where the guys are hotter than the fire. After the show head over to Why Not Bar and play pool, dance, and drink with the locals. The bartender will most likely make fun of how you pronounce Thai words while doing mind/magic tricks that I was never able to figure out. Easy place to buy and smoke up with the locals as well if that's what you're into! Price: Whatever your liver can handle.
Location: Khao Sok National Park
Accommodation: Smiley Treehouses and Smiley Lakehouses
Activities: 1) River Tubing: Book, pay and get guided down the river by the fabulous and friendly hosts at Smiley Accommodations. Grab a couple of beers and your tube and float down the river. We went during rainy season, but the rain made it all the more magical. It's safe to say I got a cold after this adventure, but it was totally worth it! Price: ~$10CAD
2) Monkey Temple: Visit the famous temple that literally has hundreds of monkeys running around. You can buy a bag of peanuts to feed the monkeys, but be warned, they will jump on you regardless! Price: ~$4CAD
3) Hang out at the Lakehouse: Take a boat from the mainland out to Koh Sok Smiley Lakehouse and spend a couple days doing absolutely nothing. Swim, read, play cards, kayak, eat and drink. Spending a couple days on the lake is the perfect vacation away from your vacation. Unplug, unwind, and enjoy!
Location: Koh Phangan
Accommodation: Bottle Beach 1 Resort
Activities: Full Moon Party: Head into town and get your paint and neon outfit before getting on the boat to take you to the infamous Full Moon Party. An entire beach booming with music, buckets, fire jump ropes and hundreds of thousands of people. It's an experience like no other and doesn't even begin to wind down until well after sunrise. Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Price: Open event, but you made need to pay for the boat ride if you're staying on the other side of the island. ~$4CAD.
2) Viewpoint Hike: Embark on a beautiful viewpoint hike just off of bottle beach. The hike up is only about an hour, and the views are unreal!
3) SLEEP: Aside from being a crazy party island once a month, Koh Phangan is a quiet and relaxing island. Spend the day reading on the beach, getting a massage or playing some beach volleyball. Basically, get some R&R after partying for 8 hours, and before moving onto your next adventure.
That's it for highlights for Southern Thailand! Please shoot me a message if you have any questions about any of the destinations I've discussed above. Or if you just want to hear some ridiculous stories. I've got a lot of those too. Happy travels friends!
Caylie Smith
Not Your Average
"Whatever is good for your soul, do that"
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