Island hopping from Malaysia to Thailand: our 21 day itinerary
Our 10-year-old has a photo wall in her room and a vibrant smattering of the snaps are from this trip. There are memories from snorkelling trips, sunset walks on tropical beaches and a hike to a mountain temple I assumed she would rather forget. Our 21 days island hopping from Malaysia to Thailand had so many stand out moments. It’s about time I shared them.
This is the longest trip we have done as a family. It was also our last special holiday before we moved back to the UK from Oman. Our adventures in Sri Lanka and Vietnam had given us a taste for exploring Asia, so this trip had a lot to live up to.
*This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy something, I may earn some commission. This is at no extra cost to you but helps me cover the costs of running this website. See my privacy policy and disclosure policy for more information.*
Contents - jump to what you'd like to know
Our 21 day itinerary – the short version
Here’s a summary of the destinations we included in this island hopping itinerary and the highlights from each stop:
Days 1 to 4: Penang
We began our three week adventure exploring the cultural and adventurous highlights of Malaysia’s Penang Island, staying at the historic E&O. With a tonne of help from our friends, Jenny and Jay Lynn, we ticked off Penang Hill, the National Park, Ferrangi Beach, the Escape adventure park and the street art of George Town.
Days 5 to 7: Kuala Lumpur
Our journey to Malaysia’s capital involved catching a ferry from Penang to the mainland and taking the train into the city. We spent our two full days in KL visiting the Batu Cave Temple, the city eco jungle and the Petronas Towers.
Days 8 to 11: Langkawi
After a short flight from KL we shifted to relaxation mode. Langkawi was all about our hotel pool, the beach and a boat trip to see eagles, monkeys and bats in the mangroves of Kilim National Park.
Days 12 to 15: Koh Lipe
The only way to Lipe is by ferry. We loved the laid-back island vibes, incredible snorkelling right off the beach, exploring Walking Street, and fire shows on the beach.
Days 16 to 21: Krabi
One last ferry trip took us to Krabi and our final base, Ao Nang, where we island hopped, visited an ethical elephant sanctuary and almost bit off more than we could chew climbing 1,260 steps up to the Tiger Cave Temple.
Travel tip: if you are flying into Kuala Lumpur you may want to explore there first before heading to Penang and flying to Langkawi. We visited Penang first as, weirdly, it worked out cheaper.
Check out my series of Instagram posts – this is where it starts – for a bit more detail or read on for the full story and how we planned our trip.
Planning our trip from Malaysia to Thailand
We organised this holiday ourselves, booking flights, accommodation and all transfers independently.
I also have to give a huge shout out to Jenny and Jay (Travelynn Family and On Penang) who have travelled extensively in this region and who we rinsed for information over a few Tiger beers.
I had a bit of a dilemma when planning this trip. On paper, we had a lot of time. But we also wanted to cover a lot of ground as we knew we wouldn’t have the chance to revisit any time soon. There was a balance to be had between seeing as much as we could and burning out.
Timing – when to visit
I mention rain storms quite a lot in this itinerary. Our trip straddled March and April (the Easter school holidays), which is towards the end of the region’s main tourist season before the monsoons arrive. However, the showers passed quickly and we had a lot more bright than cloudy days.
If you want guaranteed sunny days, less chance of rain and calmer seas for ferry connections, visit between December and February. This is when prices are higher, so if you can tolerate a bit of the wet stuff, you’ll be able to travel for less in October, November, March and April.
Accommodation
In the end I opted for three nights in some of the more expensive destinations and lengthened our stay where prices were lower. As a result we stayed in a variety of accommodations, from a historic colonial hotel to a beach bungalow.
We could have spent less money in each destination, so if you are planning a similar island hopping holiday from Malaysia to Thailand have a good search. I used booking.com to help me plan and either booked through this or direct with hotels for the best prices.
Flights to Malaysia and Thailand
I always search for flights options using Skyscanner for both international and internal flights. This helped me to work out that it was cheaper to fly into Kuala Lumpur and immediately catch a connection to Penang than to stop in KL.
Our other flights in this trip were from KL to Langkawi and then right at the end from Phuket to home.
Train travel
We booked our train tickets between Penang and KL in advance through Baolau.
Travel by sea
Our boat transfer from Langkawi to Koh Lipe was booked with Koh Lipe LGK Ferry and our ferry to Krabi via Koh Lanta was booked with Tigerline. Neither website looks very official but we got to where we needed to be.
Check prices with Asia travel hub 12Go: Langkawi to Koh Lipe and Koh Lipe to Krabi.
Taxis
Grab was our go-to for local trips and airport transfers. We even used it for our final transfer from Ao Nang to Phuket – a two hour drive around Phang Nga Bay.
Ready for help with your travels?
People often ask me to help plan their holidays. But I’m not a travel agent. Now I have the solution! Plan an unforgettable family adventure with my UK-based, ATOL-protected travel partner, Travel Four Seasons.
Our island hopping itinerary
Here’s our itinerary day-by-day. Forgive me if it sounds a bit like a diary – it pretty much is. I went totally off line for this holiday but still kept notes so I could share our experience later. That time is now!
Day 1: arriving in Penang in style
We flew to Penang from Muscat via Kuala Lumpur – a journey with a few hiccups along the way – so we were relieved to finally touch down on our first island, Penang.
Checking into the historic Eastern & Oriental Hotel – a hang out for 19th Century well-to-dos with wanderlust – felt like stepping back in time. Established in 1885, this colonial gem once welcomed the likes of Rudyard Kipling, Charlie Chaplin and Noël Coward, and it continues to attract travellers with a taste for luxury.
As we settled onto the balcony of the Planters Lounge, sipping wine while coconut palms rustled in the breeze, this indulgent first stop felt like an excellent decision. We’d nabbed a great deal on our family room by booking in the New Year sales, which helped justify the splurge.
The Heritage Wing room was beautiful, and breakfast the following morning in the Sarkies restaurant – an international buffet stretching from croissants to curry and ice cream to fry ups – set us up perfectly for the days ahead.
If you fancy staying here yourself, make sure you read my full review of the Eastern & Oriental before you do.
We booked via the E&O website and got a deal including breakfast and other benefits. You can cross-check prices with booking.com.
Day 2: from the top of the island to beach hopping
Our first full day in Penang was packed, and we had the best possible guides. This is where we met up with our friends Jenny and Jay from Travelynn Family and On Penang, who know this region inside out.
First stop was Penang Hill, where a squished funicular ride took us to the peak. We explored the Habitat and climbed up to the Nest viewing platform for panoramic views across the island.
From there we headed to the National Park and hopped on a boat to Monkey Beach. It was a breezy day, making for a choppy ride around the two bays, but our reward for arriving mostly dry was cold beers at the Monkey Tiger Bar.
The kids dug holes to Peru and wrote wishes on scraps of cloth to tie on the tree, while the adults enjoyed a long-overdue catch up – we hadn’t seen Jenny and Jay since crossing paths in Hoi An the summer before.
The finale of our day was dinner at Frandy Beach Bar on Batu Ferringhi, a stunning bay with a special personal significance – I’d stayed at the Golden Sands hotel here as a pre-schooler. Coming back with my own kids felt surreal.
Day 3: Escape – Penang’s record-breaking theme park
There was a change of pace on day three when we hit Escape – Penang’s outdoor activity park with Guinness World record breaking rides.
We had a go on the world’s longest tube and zip line rides, clung to rubber rings hurtling down the dry sky slope and spent ages in the water park where the world’s largest tipping bucket gave us all a soaking. Ironically young children aren’t allowed under the bucket’s main splash zone as the falling water is so forceful.
We were all shattered after eight hours at Escape and headed back to the hotel. We ate in Planters that evening – the noddles and rice bowls were delicious.
Day 4: forts, jetties and street art in George Town
Today we took a tip from On Penang and went on a walking tour of George Town, a multi-cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site with surprises around every corner. In a slightly amended route, we walked to the 18th Century Cornwallis Fort and then got a Grab to Penang’s famous Jetties.
We walked to the far end of the more authentic Lee and Tan jetties, then browsed the tourist shops on Chew Jetty, spotting our first pieces of George Town’s famous street art along the way and munching on sugar fruit from one of the jetty stalls.
From here we took a leisurely walk back towards the E&O, stopping for lunch at the Reggae Café, where we got four large meals and drinks for around £20, which felt like an absolute steal. We made a mental note that the cafe had a branch in KL too.
Our post-lunch stroll took us past more street art adorning crumbling colonial buildings, and through the garland-decked streets of Little India.
Back at the hotel, we wound down the afternoon by the sixth-floor infinity pool with views stretching to Straits Quay on one side and the Malaysian mainland on the other. We finished our final Penang evening at the E&O’s Farquhar’s Bar before canapés and dinner at Planters, with a dramatic thunderstorm illuminating the clouds over the mainland providing the entertainment.
Day 5: the journey to Kuala Lumpur
Today was our first travel day in Malaysia, and it was eventful in ways we hadn’t bargained for.
We took a Grab to the George Town ferry terminal and paid the equivalent of 35p each for a short ride across the Malacca Strait to Butterworth – possibly the best value journey of the entire trip. The kids excitedly stocked up on train snacks from a 7-Eleven before we boarded.
Getting the train was straightforward. We’d booked tickets in advance through Baolau, the barcodes scanned without a hitch and the carriages were well signposted. Despite a busy platform, the midweek service was pleasantly quiet. We settled in for the three and a half hour journey to the capital.
Then, twenty minutes before pulling into KL Sentral, our accommodation messaged to say they couldn’t check us in and we should cancel our booking. Cue mild panic. In the confusion, we nearly missed our stop entirely. The full saga is on Instagram if you enjoy a travel mishap story.
Thankfully our Malaysia experts, the Lynns, came to the rescue with a recommendation they’d used just weeks before. Within twenty minutes of hailing a Grab, we’d found Eaton Residences on booking.com and checked in. The relief was enormous.
And honestly? It felt like a blessing in disguise. Our corner apartment had dual-aspect views of the Petronas Towers from both the master bedroom and the balcony – utterly spectacular. It was also very spacious – perfect for larger families or couples with pre-teens like us.
We rounded off a chaotic day with western comfort food and pool tables at the Dark Horse sports bar – another very welcome Lynn recommendation.
Day 6: Batu Caves, Bavarian sausages and a fountain show
We set our alarms early, keen to reach Batu Caves before the heat and humidity peaked – and it was absolutely the right call.
The 272 colourful steps up to the ancient limestone chambers were less physically challenging than I’d anticipated. It was the gathering humidity that had us dripping by the time we reached the top. Inside, huge stalactites hang below jungle-covered openings in the cave roof, and the chambers themselves are reinforced with concrete, while somehow retaining their sense of ancient drama.
For our girls though, the real attraction was the monkeys. They were everywhere – playing, squabbling and eyeing up any snack left unattended by visitors.
At the bottom we stopped for cold drinks and some very sugary local sweets, including halwa which we knew from our time in Oman. We only needed around an hour and a half for the whole visit, which left plenty of day ahead of us.
Back at the apartment, we made the most of the rooftop infinity pool with its excellent views of the Petronas Towers before heading out for the evening. Dinner was at the Bavarian Bierhaus bar – sausages and cold beers felt like an unlikely but very welcome choice in the middle of KL – before we hot-footed it to the base of the Petronas Towers for the 8pm fountain show.
It only lasts five minutes, but as a way to end the day with the towers lit up above you, it’s pretty fun.
Day 7: KL’s urban rainforest and iconic towers
Taking Jenny’s advice once again, we started early with a visit to the KL Forest Eco Park – and following her instructions to arrive before the heat built up was very wise advice indeed.
The canopy walk through the trees was great fun, made all the more surreal by skyscrapers peeping through the jungle canopy above us. It’s a discombobulating thing to hear the roar of city traffic while surrounded by towering bamboo and leaves the size of umbrellas. We followed a few of the forest floor trails until the humidity drove us back towards air conditioning.
Right next door is the 421m KL Tower. It was undergoing maintenance during our visit, so we couldn’t complete the full circuit of the observation decks, but we still got a decent view of the city. The urban rainforest looked surprisingly compact compared to how it had felt on the ground.
Why conquer one tower in a day when you can do two? We’d originally planned to visit the Petronas Towers on our first day in KL, but slots had been scarce when we checked online. As it turned out, we walked in at lunchtime without a booking and were on our way up within twenty minutes. The whole operation is impressively slick, with coloured wristbands and timed visits to the Sky Walk and Observation Deck.
The views from the Petronas Towers far exceeded those from the KL Tower. If you only have time for one, make it the Petronas.
We finished the day with a quiet afternoon at our apartment as a storm rolled in.
Check prices for where we stayed at KLCC Eaton Residences.
Day 8: travelling from KL to Langkawi – our second Malaysian island
This is where relaxation mode really kicked in! We took a short flight from high-rise KL to the archipelago of Langkawi, close to the border with Thailand.
Without wanting to sound like a broken record, we took our accommodation recommendation from TraveLynn Family and booked a Prima Suite at Holiday Villa and Beach Resort Langkawi.
Our top floor room had a bedroom with twin beds, en-suite, sofa bed seating and balcony, while the living area had a sofa bed, table and chairs, separate toilet and a balcony. The decor was a bit dated but it was obviously well looked after.
It took us no time at all to throw on our swim gear and head to the pool for a few beers at the swim up bar.
In the evening we decided we weren’t hungry enough for the hotel’s Iftar buffet but a bit more peckish than the resort’s snack stop, Cafe Ola, could cater for, so we went across the road to The Cactus Restaurant. If you enjoy Chinese food this is a must. We ordered several large plates to share plus two beers and milkshakes for the kids and spent less than £14.
Day 9: beach, pool, spa, repeat
The main aim for today was to relax. We booked massages in the spa and hit the white sand beach lapped by a creamy turquoise sea. The kids loved chasing tiny camouflaged crabs along the shore and we hired a kayak for them while we enjoyed some sun lounger time.
As the morning rolled on, jet skis whizz by and paragliders, that we’d noticed well into the evening the day before, began to cruise up and down the channel between our hotel and Palau Tepor island opposite.
Lunch was by the pool and then it was time for us adults to hit the spa. After a bit of hilarity over the tiny paper thongs, we had hour-long Thai massages and spent the rest of the afternoon lazily reading.
We decided to stay in the resort for dinner and ate at the Glass Bar overlooking the infinity pool. The food was good but much pricier than the Cactus just across the road. It was the perfect spot to watch the sun set and the sky turn from orange to pink and finally to a spectacular deep purple.
Day 10: Langkawi mangrove tour
Today’s activity is a must while on Langkawi – a tour of the mangroves of Kilim National Park. Again, we took our lead from Jenny who is a Langkawi regular.
We booked a private tour with a transfer for our hotel. The itinerary is pretty standard: floating through the crocodile cave, watching sea and mountain eagles, long tailed macaque spotting, hopping off the boat to visit a bat cave, and admiring all kinds of marine life at a fish farm.
We paid extra and added on a 40 minute stop at a beach, which made our trip nearly three hours long.
After a quiet afternoon, we ate dinner out at the Pirathous, which is a short walk from Holiday Villa and Beach Resort Langkawi. There was a great choice of food and the seafood dishes were delicious.
Day 11: a culture faux pas
Today was a bit of a holiday fail. We had intended to ride the Langkawi Sky Cab cable car and walk across the sky bridge. I wasn’t able to book online so we jumped in a Grab and headed to the attraction.
What the Sky Cab’s website hadn’t mentioned was that it was closed until after midday for Eid.
Having lived in a Muslim country, we’re no strangers to religious holidays. But I had totally forgotten about Eid al Fitr, known locally as Hari Raya Puasa.
We weren’t the only tourists caught out. As more and more people arrived with nowhere to go or even book tickets, we decided to admit defeat and head back to the hotel for a quiet day.
Our lapse in cultural awareness was definitely impacted by the fact that Malaysia has a very different vibe to Oman. Non-Muslims aren’t expected to hide away when eating, restaurants are open as usual and we could wear shorts without worrying we would offend anyone.
But when it comes to public holidays, both countries allow a pause for people to mark the occasion.
Check out TraveLynn Family’s guide to visiting Langkawi with kids for all the bits we missed.
Day 12: catching the ferry to Koh Lipe – our first Thai island
This felt like a long and complicated travel day, but one with plenty of rewards waiting at the end. The tiny island of Koh Lipe was everything I’d imagined a Thai island would be and more.
We took a Grab to Kuah Port at the far end of Langkawi and boarded the ferry to Koh Lipe. That’s the simple version.
Locating the ticket office, hunting down the departure lounge and handing over our passports for the duration of the journey added a layer of stress. But it’s all part of crossing the border between Malaysia and Thailand by boat.
A word of warning for anyone planning this same trip: the main cabin is comfortable but dark and stuffy, so if you’re prone to seasickness try to secure a spot at deck level. Something also worth knowing if you’re travelling with children, the onboard films are not family-friendly.
When we sailed into the calm waters off Pattaya Beach on Koh Lipe there was a longtail ready to take us to shore. The shuffle through the immigration queue was painless and we easily got a tuk tuk to take us on a fun ride through the island’s narrow, rutted roads to our next base, Forra on Pattaya Beach.
This simple, charming resort has a 15-metre frontage on the west end of Pattaya Beach, with wooden bungalows nestled among banana trees and date palms. There’s no onsite restaurant, but there’s plenty of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner along the beach.
The real downside, and the reason it’s so reasonable priced, is that there is no air con. This left us feeling sticky some nights despite having the fans whirring.
We began our Koh Lipe food adventure at We Love Berger on Walking Street – delish!
Check prices for where we stayed at Forra.
Day 13: settling into island life
Everything moves at its own deliciously slow place in Koh Lipe. Our morning began watching Buddhist monks walking the shoreline at sunrise, quietly chattering as they went. In contrast, the next sign of life was the bustle of visitors checking in for ferries at the make-shift kiosks beside Walking Street.
We’d bought a breakfast of pasties from Phi Phi Bakery on Walking Street the night before, munching these on the beach before padding through the sand to Lipe Cafe for coffee as we watched Koh Lipe come to life.
It was only at around 10.30am that we realised we’d forgotten to put our watches back an hour. Island vibes had well and truly set in.
We picked up masks and snorkels from the Forra Dive Centre shop and headed straight into the water off Pattaya Beach. What we found was extraordinary – bulbous coral, huge sea urchins, sea anemones, seahorses, giant clams and countless tropical fish, all within wadding distance of the shore. We’d done a lot of snorkelling in Oman, but this was something else entirely.
In the afternoon the girls were desperate for hair braids, which are available from plenty of spots along Walking Street. My mistake was not booking myself a foot massage while they had colours woven through their sun-bleached hair – it took absolutely ages.
The evening brought the fire show at the Monkey Bar, which had the girls completely transfixed. There was even audience participation. We all had a go whirling flaming torches on chains, which was terrifying and brilliant in equal measure.
Just 24 hours into our time on Koh Lipe, we were already regretting not staying longer.
Day 14: Sunrise Beach and bar hopping
Koh Lipe has three main beaches and we wanted to see them all. Today we headed west through Walking Street to Sunrise Beach.
I had originally wanted to stay at a beach bungalow here, but they all went before I could book. As it turns out, I was pleased with our decision to find an alternative at Pattaya. Sunrise is lovely hang out during the day, although the sea was a bit choppier, but there didn’t look to be many options for drinks and dinner later.
We admired the view from the Sea to Moon resort bar and did a mini pub crawl back to Pattaya, stopping at the Corner Bar on Walking Street and The Steak House on Pattaya for dinner. This one is very popular with Westerners with cash to splash on a very familiar menu. We thought it was nothing special, but the service was quick, which counted when the kids were running on empty.
Day 15: a rainy start and Sunset beach
We’d booked this trip at the tail end of the dry season, so a little rain was always on the cards. Today was the only day it really stopped us in our tracks, but only for a short while.
Thankfully we’d had the foresight to stock up on pastries from Phi Phi Bakery the night before (a habit we’d clearly got into), so we waited out the worst of it before heading out for brunch.
The aptly named and very Instagrammable Bloom Cafe, halfway up Walking Street, caught our eye – part cafe, part hostel, entirely the kind of place where people come to write novels or edit YouTube videos. The food was lovely and the coffee excellent.
Once the puddles had started to dry we found our way to Sunset Beach, walking uphill past the tsunami evacuation point and through a wooded area to this much quieter stretch of sand. Protected from the open sea by the neighbouring island of Ko Adang, the water here is beautifully calm – perfect for snorkelling without dodging longtail boats. We found good coral quickly and stayed in the water for hours.
On the way back we popped into the funky Elephant Restaurant as the kids were ‘starving’. Mr Tin Box went for a hair cut while the girls and I grazed on hummus, chips and smoothies while playing cards. Our Uno pack was getting a serious workout by this point in the trip.
Dinner was at Akira Lipe Resort along the beach – somewhere we’d walked past several times and finally tried. We needn’t have hesitated. It was excellent, and not unreasonably priced considering the resort room rate was £300 to £400 a night.
Day 16 – travelling from Koh Lipe to Ao Nang, Krabi
We were heartbroken to leave Koh Lipe. It had made a brilliant first impression of Thailand and we’d not had a chance to explore the neighbouring islands. We felt torn away when we boarded the SiriLanta speedboat that would whisk us towards Krabi.
Anyone who has island hopped in Thailand will know that the boats and ferries are fuelled by organised chaos. We weren’t totally sure what was happening, but we turned up when we were meant to and ended up in the right place.
The first hour and a half was glorious – skimming across open water with the sea breeze keeping things cool. After this there were three stops at other islands before we reached Koh Lanta, where we changed boats. We had just enough time to find lunch while more speedboats came and went around us.
Our boat to Krabi was smaller with higher windows, so the views were gone, but a breeze through the cabin kept things comfortable.
Minutes before docking, the rain arrived. The backpackers onboard scrambled to add waterproof covers to their bags while we hoped our less backpackery hard cases would be water tight.
What followed was a blur. The jetty sign didn’t match our ticket, but we could see our suitcases being hauled over the side. We took that as our signal to disembark, gingerly lowering ourselves from the slippery deck onto the jetty.
We were soaked through and being hit by a wall of sound as guides and taxi drivers yelled place names through the downpour. Thankfully our transfer stickers – still miraculously stuck to our T-shirts – did the communicating for us. We were spotted by a Tigerline rep and bustled towards the shared mini bus we had booked to take us to Ao Nang.
It was a rough arrival. But a hot shower, a Grab to the beach and dinner at Wanna’s Place restaurant – an unexpected mix of Swiss and Thai cuisine – brought the world back into focus.
We went to bed with a very different view of Ao Nang to Koh Lipe. It was an assault on the senses. There were so many people mingling along the seafront with neon fronted bars, chrome clad school buses and lady boys adding to the heady mix.
Thankfully, the rain had stopped.
Day 17: settling in, Railey Beach, caves and more rain
Everything looks a little brighter after a good night’s sleep. We had a lay in, made tea and surveyed our surroundings.
Our bungalow resort, Aonang Phu Petra, was tucked away from the bustle of the Ao Nang seafront with mountain views from the pool. We had connecting bungalows with huge bedrooms and bathrooms. They were a little tired around the edges, but cleaned well throughout our stay and the beds were comfy. Our Airbnb host had also sent excellent local information in advance, which set us up perfectly.
We decided to ease ourselves into Krabi life with a visit to Railay Beach West, buying return longtail tickets from the Ao Nang Longtail Boat Service Club for £5.50 each. Within minutes we were whizzing around the headland to a coastline could (and probably has) graced the cover of National Geographic.
The towering limestone peaks with tumbling jungle plunged straight into the sea with white sand beaches nestled in green-edged coves.
It was mid-morning and we had no problems finding a table for brunch at Railay Beach Cafe before exploring the Tham Pranangnai or ‘Diamond’ Cave, where the £4.50 (£2.25 for children) entrance fee is absolutely worth it for the extraordinary stalactites, stalagmites and a glistening golden formation that looks like a frozen waterfall.
We continued to Railey East, then south to Phra Nang Beach. It’s beautiful but busy, with some quirky cave attractions that had the girls raising their eyebrows at me for taking too many photos. The snorkelling here was brilliant and kept the girls happy until their tummies rumbled.
We started walking back toward West Beach and it was just as well we did. Hidden from view behind the cliffs had been a massive grey thunder cloud. We scurried up to the top floor of Coco Restaurant, where the excellent Thai food satisfied the kids and we had front row views of Walking Street flooding spectacularly below.
Dinner back in Ao Nang at Tandoori Hut on Ao Nang Hill was the perfect end – a great curry and, for the first time in over two weeks, all our food arrived at the table together.
Day 18: Following Giants and Ao Nang Night Market
One thing I’d been quietly dreading during the planning stages of this trip was the girls spotting an elephant sanctuary and begging to visit. When I noticed one right next door to a hotel I was considering booking, I knew I needed to get ahead of it.
A quick Google for ‘ethical elephant sanctuaries in Krabi’ led me to Following Giants – an 80-acre sanctuary supported by World Animal Protection. It is home to thirteen elephants aged between three and 65, seven of whom were resident during our visit in 2025. Every one of them has been rescued from the tourist entertainment or logging industries.
There’s no feeding, touching, bathing or riding here. Instead, visitors go on foot through the jungle and plantation to observe the elephants roaming freely. It was quietly magical and genuinely moving to watch conservation in action.
Our full day experience also included an afternoon kayaking at Thapom Klong Song Nam, a beautifully peaceful waterway well away from the tourist trail. It made for a wonderfully rounded day – and a much quieter, more authentic side of Krabi than we’d seen so far.
Find out more about our experience with Following Giants in Krabi.
In the evening a tuk tuk delivered us to Ao Nang Night Market for our first taste of this brilliant, buzzing spot.
We’d had a delicious home-cooked Thai lunch at the sanctuary, so opted for the familiar comfort food of the Irish Embassy pub – fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and gammon steaks. We made a note to return with more energy for the street food stalls, which were in full carnival swing as we walked back through.
Day 19: a longtail island tour and snorkelling
After nearly three weeks away, energy levels were running low and we gave ourselves full permission for a slow start. I’d been keen to do a boat trip out to the surrounding islands, but with an uninspiring weather forecast we weren’t in any rush.
Then the sun came out and we quickly came up with a plan.
Our Airbnb host had recommended Klong Muang beach, about 20 minutes north of Ao Nang, and it was immediately clear why. Quieter, less developed and altogether more relaxed – if we were doing Krabi again, I’d look seriously at staying in this area.
We stopped for drinks at Sand Box Cafe right on the beach, where a couple of longtail captains were waiting nearby. We got chatting and arranged a trip out to Hong Island – one of Krabi’s most photographed neighbours, famous for the lagoon you can sail directly into.
Our captain, Rokin, knew all the best picture angles as we navigated the narrow limestone passageway. And the snorkelling just around the corner was spectacular. The reef dropped away sharply beyond the shallows, and that’s where the best fish and corals were hiding.
Our second snorkelling stop was Koh Pak Ka, a protected site for swiftlets where landing on the beach isn’t permitted. Rokin lured the fish to the surface with pieces of pineapple before we got in. There were thousands, which unnerved the girls slightly. Once in the water we spotted clownfish, crabs, sea anemones and clouds of colourful fish. It was like swimming inside a fish tank.
There were also jelly fish and I managed to get stung by one between my mask and snorkel, spending the rest of the day looking like I’d had a very unfortunate lip filler experience.
Lunch at the gorgeous Andalay Beach Bar rounded off a brilliant day. Total cost for the boat trip, including national park entrance fees and a tip for Rokin: £90 for two and a half hours. Absolutely worth every penny.
Day 20: biting off a lot at the Tiger Cave
We may have slightly misled the girls about what today had in store.
We sold it as “a bit like Batu Caves – some steps and monkeys”. What we neglected to mention was the altitude. The Wat Tham Suea or the ‘Tiger Cave Temple’ sits on top of a 309-metre peak, reached by 1,260 uneven, often brutally steep steps. It took an hour to climb and thirty minutes to descend, and I won’t pretend there weren’t tears and genuine declarations of “I can’t go on.”
The turning point came around halfway. Once the girls realised there was no going back, a quiet resignation took over and they pushed through magnificently. We weren’t alone in our suffering – plenty of adults were visibly regretting their previous evening’s choices, while the occasional superhuman bounded past us two steps at a time. Just watching them made my stomach churn.
But the reward at the top was worth every protest. Sweeping views across Krabi from jungle to sea, a magnificent Buddha statue, temple shrines and an indent in the rock said to be the Buddha’s footprint.
Daddy Burger near our hotel provided the perfect recovery lunch – hearty burgers, loaded fries and very restorative lemonades in a fun American diner setting.
The rest of the afternoon was spent napping, reading and nursing aching calves. In the evening we made one final visit to Ao Nang Night Market, this time diving properly into the street food stalls for dinner.
A massive thunderstorm that night – rattling thunder, the works – was a timely reminder that we were right on the raggedy edge of monsoon season. Our time in Thailand was nearly over.
Read more about our days out in Krabi.
Day 21: our final travel day via Phuket
Our final day in Thailand arrived with a late flight home to Muscat from Phuket and a collective refusal to spend it sitting by a pool we’d never quite warmed to.
Paying for a late checkout at Aonang Phu Petra didn’t appeal – it hadn’t been our favourite base of the trip, and the absence of hotel towels at the pool meant we’d have been packing our own beach towels damp. So we came up with an alternative plan.
Back in Oman we’d often use day passes at international hotels as a way to enjoy a change of scenery and beat the summer heat. A quick search turned up the Day Pass App, which had an offer at the Anantara Vacation Club Mai Khao with pool access, food and beverage credit, and just ten minutes from Phuket Airport, all for £78 for our family of four. It was an absolute no-brainer.
It was the perfect way to ease ourselves out of holiday mode – unhurried, comfortable and fun for the kids. We floated, ate, soaked up the last of the Thai sunshine and tried not to think too hard about the journey home.
As we finally boarded our flight back to Muscat, I found myself mentally retracing every ferry crossing, temple climb and snorkelling discovery of the previous three weeks. This trip had a lot to live up to – our adventures in Sri Lanka and Vietnam had set a high bar – and it had cleared it with ease.
Twenty-one days, two countries, five islands and more memories than I can count. If you’re dreaming of island hopping from Malaysia to Thailand, I hope our itinerary gives you the nudge you need. It really is as good as it looks.
Want to book this trip?
People often ask me to help plan their holidays. But I’m not a travel agent. Now I have the solution! Steal my ideas and speak to my UK-based, ATOL-protected travel partner, Travel Four Seasons, who can help book your trip.
More holiday itineraries for families
If you enjoyed this itinerary you might also like to read these:
- Our 7 day Oman road trip
- Our 10 day tour of Egypt
- Our two week Sri Lanka itinerary
- 14 days in Vietnam, travelling north to south
- Our 7 day multi-generational trip to Budapest in Hungary
- Our 15 night Caribbean cruise (without the kids!!)
- Things to do in Florence, Italy, with kids
- Places to visit in Lake Garda in Italy
- Where to visit in Chania, Crete
- Things to do in Costa Barcelona, Spain
