Andaman Sea Tour and Transport, Baan Pun Travel, Dee Travels Hatyai, Hi Lipe, Jolly Travel, Lipe ferry and speed boat, Ploysiam Speedboat, Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club, Thubthim Siam Travel
Todo perfecto, horarios cumplidos, van cómoda, llegué al aeropuerto según previsto. El speedboat no es cómodo y si hay mala mar una aventura, pero este trayecto fue tranquilo.
Very tight spaces, very unconfortable trip. Everyone packed like sardines. An absolute lack of organization between the van company and the boat company.
Smart en plus通过Whatsapp一直在联系。非常非常好的服务，使事情保持在正轨上，特别是当你不讲语言的时候，在一个有组织的混乱中。清晰的方向和照片，以及回答你的问题的快速周转时间。强烈推荐!
此评论由机器翻译
Smart en plus was in contact all the way thru whatsapp. Very very good service to keep things on track, especially when you don't speak the language in an organized chaos. Clear directions with photos and quick turnaround time in answering your questions. Highly recommended!
轮渡 快艇, Smart En Plus (สมาร์ท เอ็น พลัส), 2022年11月3日
RS
Ronald S
从面包车到快艇，所有阶段都是一次美好而安全的旅行。
此评论由机器翻译
A good and safe trip on all phases from the van to speedboat.
去 Koh Lipe 的船发动机出了问题。从 Koh Lipe 返回时，船上人满为患，转船时不得不在炎热的天气下在 Pak Bara 码头等了一个多小时...... 我们放弃了，改乘昂贵的出租车
此评论由机器翻译
Going to koh lipe boat had engine issues. Returning from koh lipe was overcrowded boat and transfer had to wait over 1 hour in hot weather at pak bara pier... We gave up and took a expensive taxi instead
Ko Lipe is an amazing island in the beautiful Tarutao national park.
Don't be put off by the mild complexity getting there.
The English information along the way is not great but the staff will help you, just keep asking where to go and they will point you in the right direction. Here is some notes on our trip April 2022 you may find useful.
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What to know in advance:
-This route is not suitable for wheelchair users as is. Definitely make contact with the operator if you have access needs.
-if you are prone to seasickness it can sometimes be rough on the boat. Def bring preparations like ginger tablets.
-Do pack your own water and snacks, be prepared it's quite hot on the boat with the lifejackets on, and hot at the concrete areas of the pier. There may not be time to purchase water on the way.
-Bring the smallest bag possible, moving large heavy bags in the heat of the pier and sand on the beach are not fun. It's also challenging to fit large bags in the minivans and motorcycle taxis. If this is part of a longer trip and you cannot avoid having a big bag then reccomend you either:
--stay a night either side in hat yai and pay for a friendly hat yai hotel to look after your bigger bag, just take needed things in smaller bag
--pay for an extra seat on transport to and from the island to ensure the minivan can fit your bags.
-Ko Lipe has (open in April when we went) several pharmacies, a 7-11 and many other shops. Things like sunscreen, mosquito repellant, water, booze, masks, shampoo can all be purchased there. As well as hats, swimwear, sunglasses etc. Shops are open in the evenings. Prices are a little higher than the mainland but it's not crazy.
-Many shops on Ko Lipe only take cash. There are ATMs but one night they were all broken, this happens from time to time apparently. Recommend you take 150 percent the cash you think you need and pay card in the places they do accept card to conserve your cash.
-you absolutely do need to print the 12GO confirmation (just the first page). You use the paper several times on the trip.
-take beach shoes and normal shoes.
-your accomdoation on Ko Lipe should have a way to get you from the pier to them. If it involves calling a phone number on arrival ensure you have a way to do that. We had 4G reception with DTAC Sim on Ko Lipe and used Skype to make the call.
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Getting there:
-Ignore the 3-4 hour travel times listed on 12GO.
I would psychologically prepare that it's 3/4 of a day of a travel all up. But it's worth it as long as you plan to spend 4+ days on Ko Lipe.
-We booked 0930 hotel pick up. The minivan will also go to several other hotels. It didn't come to ours until 0950. There is no text message with pickup time or anything but I think you could call the number on your confirmation if you were concerned.
-The minivan is air conditioned and about a 2hr drive. If it's full you may have your small bag on your lap or between your feet The drive was smooth but as other reviews have noted the driver crossed the lines to overtake a lot. Oncoming traffic simply got out of our way. (Same driving with a different operator the other way, but otherwise I experienced good van drivers in Thailand so not sure what is different about this route)
If this kind of driving makes you extremely anxious then it might be worth making your own way to Pakbara pier in a taxi. I would aim to get to the pier
30-45 minutes before your boat leaves.
-At the pier we dropped our bags at the main pier entrance and one of us waited there. The driver took me to the office of the boat company (only 50m away) where they
-wrote the pier number and desk number on my booking confirmation
-gave me stickers to wear and for our bags that said 'Ko Lipe'
-These transport company offices all have signs that should match the tour operator description on your 12GO confirmation.
-Then back at the pier entrance went through vaccine control. We showed our euro vaccine confirmations no problem.
-You then walk about 60m to the dock building. You go through a desk where you pay 220 baht each for your national park entrance tickets. Keep these tickets in your wallet the entire time on Ko Lipe you will probably need them.
-Then in the building find the check in desk of your boat company. They will give you a boarding card which has a color and a number, and they should give you a boarding time. Annoucements are hard to hear so go back and check with the desk if you are confused when you should be boarding.
-The building is air conditioned with a small cafe to buy water, I also bought a plastic wrapped crossiant here which was stale.
Reccomend you change into your beach shoes here as when you get off the boat next few times it may be straight onto a beach.
-Then when it's time to board your boat your color should be announced, also keep an eye on others holding same colour as you.
-You go out to the dock, they will take your bags and then you line up roughly in the order of the numbers and board the boat. Someone may look at your national park entrance ticket already. There are passport signs but passport was not needed for us.
-The boat journey is about an hour and a half with two 15 minute stops. Both stops were at amazing islands in the national park, not sure what other reviewers were complaining about. Take some photos.
At the first stop is proper bathrooms, second one has no facilities.
Keep an eye on which boat you are, pretty informal system of waving and running around to collect people when it's time to leave.
-At Ko Lipe you will get off on a floating dock directly onto the beach. They will bring your bags onto the sand. Some resorts will have people waiting, others you will have to call for pickup or get a taxi.
There are several ferry drop off points on Pattaya beach so use the name of a nearby building to inform where you want to be picked up.
Congratulations you made it!
Check in, take a rest and get down to a western facing beach for sunset (access sunset beach through Bayview sunset resort or North point beach next to Zodiac bar) and then head to walking st for dinner!
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Getting back:
Was very similar to getting there.
-Again ensure you have water can be hot on the ferry and stifling in life jacket and mask.
-The booking confirmation this time had a map of where the ferry leaves but it was innacurate (maybe they move the floating docks?). However the name of the dock was correct and the motorcycle taxi driver understood this.
Def get there 15 minutes before and use the bathroom.
-This time the tour operator did not match the name of the boat company, but there was only two check in desks so not a problem.
Show your confirmation at the check In desk, they will point to where to drop your bags and give you coloured numbered boarding passes again.
-The ferry made no stops this time. went directly to Pak Bara.
-After getting to the main dock carpark we found our tour operators office on the other side. We brought our bags there and they pointed us to a van, this time we waited about half an hour for another person to join.
-This person was delayed because apparently their boat broke down! So they found us another van.
-Same 2 hour drive and dropped off back at our hat yai hotel. Van took a 5 minute toilet break on the way.
-We stayed the night in Hat Yai to take a lunchtime flight out next day.
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Next time:
-We stayed in hat yai either side and this is definitely the low stress option if you have the time.
-Next time getting there I think I will get an early flight to Hat Yai and go straight onto the Ko Lipe transport, however it will be a very long and exhausting day of travel with flight, minivan, ferry.
-Getting back think it could have been stressful to try and go directly onto an afternoon flight. Given the flexible waiting time at Pak Bara for the minivan, I would not get a flight out of Hat Yai airport where I had to be at the airport before 2pm without confirmation from the operator this is possible.
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Sorry if the formatting makes this review hard to read! Looks like the review platform takes out the line breaks
