2 weeks Andaman island hopping
Two Andaman weeks, four island stops, one sea. Start at HKT or KBV. Finish at Pak Bara and fly out of Hat Yai. May to October is the wrong window.
Two Andaman weeks work if you move south once a stay, not twice a day. Start at Phuket or Krabi. Add Railay, a Phi Phi night, Lanta, then Lipe. End on the Satun mainland at Pak Bara and fly out of Hat Yai (HDY). Do not fly back to HKT the same afternoon the Lipe boat lands.
Phuket passenger boats use Rassada Pier, not Patong Beach. Ao Nang boats use Nopparat Thara. Railay has no road: a shared longtail is about 10 to 15 minutes and 100 to 200 THB a person in 2026. Tigerline and Bundhaya are the high-season names that string Phi Phi, Lanta, and Lipe. Those legs cancel first when the Andaman is up. Check on arrival.
Day by day
1 Land HKT or KBV
No boat on day one. Phuket: Kata or Kamala. Krabi: Ao Nang. Airport car from HKT is faster than a late Smart Bus.
2 West-coast reset
Swim. Learn the songthaew or Grab pattern. Book tomorrow's longtail or the Rassada / Nopparat ticket.
3 Railay
Longtail from Ao Nang or a transfer from Phuket. Sleep on Railay West or Tonsai if climbing is the night. East is the mud-flat pier.
4 Cliffs and a buffer
Phra Nang cave beach in the morning. Do not add Phi Phi on the same afternoon you arrived.
5 Phi Phi
Morning boat from Rassada or Nopparat Thara. Land Tonsai. Walk away from the pier bars if you want sleep.
6 Phi Phi water
Maya Bay is a timed national-park call, not a hotel beach. Keep a second bay day if swell cancelled yesterday.
7 Koh Lanta
Tigerline or Bundhaya from Phi Phi (Tonsai) to Saladan, about 30 minutes to 1 hour in season. Sleep Klong Dao if you want dinner.
8 Lanta west coast
Scooter south toward Klong Nin or Kantiang. This is the space day. No useful public bus.
9 Lanta buffer
Koh Rok only on a calm sea day. Otherwise stay on the sand. Confirm the Lipe boat the afternoon before.
10 Koh Lipe
High-season Tigerline or Bundhaya south. Boats stand off Pattaya Beach. Pay the longtail and keep the park receipt.
11 Sunrise and Walking Street
Swim Sunrise. Eat on Walking Street. Sunset Beach if you want the quiet end.
12 Lipe water day
Adang or a near-shore snorkel. Keep tomorrow morning free for the Pak Bara boat.
13 Pak Bara
1.5 to 2.5 hours to Pak Bara, Satun. Van on to Hat Yai. Do not book a same-night HKT long-haul.
14 Hat Yai (HDY) out
HDY has the useful flights. Trang is closer for some vans and thinner for planes. Sleep in Hat Yai if the boat ran late.
Which pier, which operator
Write the pier on the ticket. Rassada is Phuket Town. Nopparat Thara is the Ao Nang passenger pier. Klong Jilad is Krabi Town. Saladan is Lanta. Pak Bara is the Satun mainland exit. A ticket that says "Phuket" without a pier is not finished.
Tigerline and Bundhaya sell the long Andaman chain in winter. Ploysiam and Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club handle many Pak Bara runs. Songserm is slower. Morning boats fail less than afternoon ones. Check on arrival.
| Leg | Usual pier pair | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Phuket to Phi Phi | Rassada to Tonsai | About 2 hours. Not a Patong beach pickup. |
| Phi Phi to Lanta | Tonsai to Saladan | About 30 to 45 minutes on Tigerline or Bundhaya. |
| Ao Nang or Railay to Lanta | Nopparat Thara to Saladan | Bundhaya lists a late-morning speedboat. Check on arrival. |
| Lanta to Lipe | Saladan to Pattaya Beach roadstead | High season only. Cancels first. |
| Lipe to mainland | Pattaya Beach to Pak Bara | Then van to HDY. Keep a spare night. |
Keep going
Book
Common questions
- Can you reverse the hop and start at Lipe?
- Yes if you fly into HDY first. Most first-timers still start at HKT or KBV because the international flight is already there.
- What if a boat cancels?
- Wait a day or take the Lanta road and car ferry. Do not invent a Phuket to Lipe speedboat in August.
- Do you need Samui on this trip?
- No. That is the other sea. Use the Gulf itinerary in May to August.