Island Hopping

The beaches that made Thailand famous.

The beaches that made Thailand famous. Survive the Full Moon Party, visit Leonardo's beach, and discover remote paradise islands.

A Wine Memories curated trail · winememories.fi

5 experiences 🇹🇭 Thailand moderate 2 days

Map

Loading map...

Curated by Wine Memories

Car required: No
Nearest airport: Surat Thani (URT) for Gulf islands. Krabi (KBV) or Phuket (HKT) for Andaman islands.
Drinking and driving: Islands are small - walk everywhere. Longtails have no safety features - stay sober on boats. Full Moon: wear shoes you can throw away.
Other airports: Koh Samui (USM) - expensive but direct to island
Hat Yai (HDY) for Koh Lipe
Without a car: Ferries connect everything. Book via 12go.asia. Longtails for short hops. Don't fly between islands - ferries are half the experience.

Base yourself in: Island hop - stay on each island
Why there: No central base - this trail moves. Koh Pha Ngan (Full Moon), Koh Phi Phi, Railay, Koh Lipe, Koh Tao
Booking tip: Full Moon weekends book out 2-3 weeks ahead. Other islands 2-3 days is fine. Walk-in often cheaper for basic places.
Nightly range: $10-150/night
Peak season: Dec-Jan and Full Moon = 2-3x prices. NYE on islands is insane - book 1 month ahead.

Shoestring: Koh Pha Ngan: Slumber Party $12 (party hostel). Koh Tao: Mr J Bungalow $15. Railay: Rapala Rock Wood $20
Wanderer: Koh Pha Ngan: Santhiya $60 (quiet side). Phi Phi: Phi Phi The Beach Resort $50. Koh Lipe: Castaway $45
Flashpacker: Koh Pha Ngan: Panviman $120 (escape the chaos). Koh Lipe: Akira Lipe $100. Railay: Rayavadee $300

Includes: Accommodation, ferries, food, activities, drinks. Higher end for diving days.
Wine prices: Wine is expensive on islands (import + transport). 7-Eleven wine is your friend. Some Phi Phi bars have decent wine. Koh Lipe has wine shops on Walking Street.
Meals: Beach restaurants: $5-15. Street food: $2-4. Fancy beachfront: $20+
Per person: $50-150/day
Ways to spend less: 12go.asia for ferry booking - shows all options and operators
Buy joint tickets (bus + ferry combos) from Bangkok
Stay on quiet side of Koh Pha Ngan if not for Full Moon - half price
7-Eleven wine + beach sunset = budget romance
Dive course includes 3 days of meals (on boat lunch)
Transport: Inter-island ferries: $10-30. Longtails: $3-10. Joint ferry tickets save money.

Lead time: Full Moon: 2-3 weeks. Other islands: 2-3 days. Dive courses: 2-3 days.
Visas: 30-day visa-free. This trail can take 7-14 days depending on pace.
Walk-ins accepted: Yes
Peak season: Full Moon Party (monthly), NYE, Christmas, Chinese New Year. Check fullmoonparty-thailand.com for dates.
Rainy season: May-October: Gulf islands (Koh Samui/Pha Ngan/Tao) better. Andaman side (Phi Phi/Lipe) can be rough seas. Some ferries cancelled.

Wine bars: Fishbowl Bar Koh Tao - surprisingly good wine
Phi Phi has wine bars on the main strip
Koh Lipe Walking Street wine shops
Street food: Koh Tao Sairee Village night market
Koh Pha Ngan Thong Sala walking street
Restaurants: Phi Phi: Pee Pee Bakery (cheap eats)
Koh Lipe: Elephant (sunset views)

Do not miss: Full Moon Party (once in a lifetime)
Maya Bay sunrise tour
One night on Koh Lipe
If you only have one day: Not possible - this is a multi-island journey. Minimum 5 days.
If it rains: Koh Tao has pool tables and movie nights. Phi Phi has covered bars. Koh Pha Ngan has yoga studios everywhere.
Skip if time is short: Koh Tao diving (unless you're certifying)
Railay viewpoint (challenging, time-consuming)

Don't arrive at Koh Pha Ngan on Full Moon day - everything is booked
Don't swim at Maya Bay - it's not allowed anymore (conservation)
Don't miss the last boat from Railay (18:00) unless you have accommodation booked
Don't book Koh Samui airport flights - it's a private airport with 3x prices
Don't drink and boat - longtails are not safe in rough water
Don't leave valuables unattended at Full Moon - theft is common