My friend and I are planning to stay on Koh Lanta for five days then travel to Khao Lak.

The distance between the two destinations is 230 kilometres, and there is no direct public bus service. Travelling to Koh Lanta to Khao Lak by bus would require several changes but if you are after a direct journey, it’s possible to hire a minivan from Koh Lanta. The trip will take more than five hours because it involves a crossing on the car ferry from the island to the mainland. According to AmazingLanta.com, the minivan transfer costs Bt6,000 per trip, and this can be shared by a minimum of six passengers. The website says the last departure from Koh Lanta is 3pm and ferry tickets are not included in the price. You will need to leave the van at the pier, buy a ticket and walk on to the ferry. You board the van again on the other side.

Many visitors report using a taxi service operated by “Boss of Cheaper than Hotel Taxis”. You can find information about this service on Facebook.

If you don’t mind changing vans, then you can travel from Koh Lanta to Krabi town and take the daily minibus to Khao Lak. All travel agents in Krabi sell tickets for this route. This is better than travelling via Phuket.

Vans from Lanta to Phuket run every hour from 8pm to 3pm, and cost Bt250 per person. From Phuket, you can catch any bus heading to Takua Pa.

Alternatively, you can take a ferry from Saladan to a pier in Krabi town, though this service operates in the high season only. Hope this helps!

 

 

I will be staying in Chiang Mai in November and would like to also spend some time by the river in Nakhon Phanom. What I’d really like is a tour of northeast Thailand with stops in Nong Khai and Loei. Could you help me planning the trip?

 

Nakhon Phanom is a scenic province by the Mekong River opposite Khammuan district in Laos. The province has successfully preserved traditional Isan culture, and has a good mix of Vietnamese, Lao, Chinese and Thai people. It’s also famous for many century-old temples including Phra That Phamon.

The easiest way to go to Nakhon Phanom is to fly from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani. This route is operated by Nok Mini ( NokAir). You can even fly from Chiang Mai to Vientiane with Lao Airlines, and cross the border to Nong Khai before travelling down to Nakhon Phanom, though this route is more expensive. 

A new bus service is expected to start in October. Run by Phetprasert Tour, it will run from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani, Sakhon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom but will involve a long time on the road. However, it you are travelling on a budget, it will probably suit you better.

From Udon Thani, you’ll find transport to anywhere in the Isaan region including Loei.

If you can drive, I would suggest hiring a car and exploring the region. That way, you can travel to Nong Khai’s Sri Chiang Mai District to view the scenery along the Mekong River as you head towards Loei's Chiang Khan District. The distance is about 230 kilometres, and takes about three hours. To go to Nakhon Phanom, travel via Sakhon Nakhon: the distance is about 255 kilometres. If you have time, drive via Nong Khai and Bueng Karn towards Nakhon Phanom. Have a great trip!