Chumphon is like the Clapham Junction of the South of Thailand. A stop off point for travellers coming down from the North to the idyllic and infamous islands of Koh Tao, Koh Phangnan, Koh Samui, Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and so on. The South is also home to a number of national parks, bustling markets and temples which are all worth a visit.
Koh Tao
How to get there:
Most tourist travel with lomprayah ferries because it's the quickest way to get to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Prices range depending on the length of the journey but generally it costs between 400-1000 baht. You can also travel on the night ferry which is much cheaper, between 100-400 baht, and means that you can make the most of the weekend. Tickets have to be booked at the port and it's best to book in advance as it's a popular way for locals to travel.
Where to stay:
We stayed in the South of the island on Sairee beach which is considered to be the noisier side. There are plenty of hostels to chose from and it's easy to pick when you turn up with no need to pre-book. For a full range check out the Lonely Planet or Booking.com
What to do:
There are a great range of snorkelling trips and scuba diving courses as Koh Tao is famed for it's incredible clear waters, beautiful corals and exotic fish. Although there are lots of adverts for day trips with groups of tourists it's best to try and befriend one of the local water taxis and get your own private tour. They're often cheaper and it's a more relaxed and authentic way to explore the island. They wait along the beach looking for tourists so they're easy enough to spot.
Khao Sok National Park
How to get there:
From Chumphon it's about a five hour bus journey from the city centre; you change at Surat Thani and carry on West to Khao Sok. It costs in all about 400 baht to get there.
Where to stay:
We chose to stay at the Tree House Resort; rainy season means that a lot of the usual attractions aren't available because of flooding so the tree top hotel was part of the experience of going in itself and definitely worth a visit although it is a little more expensive than other options, around 800 baht for a night.
What to do:
Prepare to get wet if you're visiting between June and November. Asides from treks through the park itself you can go night-walking through the jungle, kayaking through the jungle with a guide, ride elephants and visit the nearby lakes. It's well fitted out for tourists so your never short of options. However, because of this it can be a little bit pricey. Our kayak tour through the jungle cost approximately 600 baht.
Koh Samui
How to get there:
Most people travel from Surat Thani as the ferry links from there are much more frequent and cheaper (starting at 450 baht and going up to 800 baht). As I'm based nearer to Chumphon I decided to travel from there and save the van journey, it cost 1,100 baht including the transfer to the pier. All the info about the fastest ferry services can be found here.
Where to stay:
We stayed at a cheapy hostel for the first two nights on one of the quieter beaches, Mae Nam. This is where the ferry docks from Chumphon it was easy to get to as plenty of vans and scooters are waiting to deliver tourists to their resorts.
The owner, Meow, was really helpful and directed us to night markets and local tours. The hostel itself was basic but clean, although there was only one bathroom and it is a bit of a walk to the main beaches.
We also stayed at Castaway on Bho Phut beach which was a really great cheap find moments from the beach. This is one of the quieter beaches compared to the better known party beach, Chaweng, but it still has nightly fire-shows and night markets and is great if you want a really chilled day.
What to do:
Renting scooters to drive round the island was by far the best decision, but we were lucky enough to be travelling with some experienced drivers. If you're not experienced then I'd seek another way to get around, drivers in Thailand are generally very fast and very bad at signalling so it can be scary!
You can drive around the entire island in a day.
The East coast is definitely more built up with tourist amenities. Shopping malls, bars and exclusive resorts line the beach front and it can be very busy.
The West coast is far quieter and full of more traditional daily Thai life.
Ban Krut
How to get there:
By car. It's an idyllic, untouched beach North of Chumphon heading back to Bangkok.
Where to stay:
We did a day visit, but there's a huge range of luxury and basic stays just take a look on Booking.com, or risk it and find something when you arrive.
What to do:
You can rent bikes and cycle along the coastline and through the village set back from the street. Also definitely make an effort to visit the beautiful cliff top Temple. Although it's another car ride there from the beach.
Koh Tao
How to get there:
Most tourist travel with lomprayah ferries because it's the quickest way to get to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Prices range depending on the length of the journey but generally it costs between 400-1000 baht. You can also travel on the night ferry which is much cheaper, between 100-400 baht, and means that you can make the most of the weekend. Tickets have to be booked at the port and it's best to book in advance as it's a popular way for locals to travel.
Where to stay:
We stayed in the South of the island on Sairee beach which is considered to be the noisier side. There are plenty of hostels to chose from and it's easy to pick when you turn up with no need to pre-book. For a full range check out the Lonely Planet or Booking.com
What to do:
There are a great range of snorkelling trips and scuba diving courses as Koh Tao is famed for it's incredible clear waters, beautiful corals and exotic fish. Although there are lots of adverts for day trips with groups of tourists it's best to try and befriend one of the local water taxis and get your own private tour. They're often cheaper and it's a more relaxed and authentic way to explore the island. They wait along the beach looking for tourists so they're easy enough to spot.
Khao Sok National Park
How to get there:
From Chumphon it's about a five hour bus journey from the city centre; you change at Surat Thani and carry on West to Khao Sok. It costs in all about 400 baht to get there.
Where to stay:
We chose to stay at the Tree House Resort; rainy season means that a lot of the usual attractions aren't available because of flooding so the tree top hotel was part of the experience of going in itself and definitely worth a visit although it is a little more expensive than other options, around 800 baht for a night.
What to do:
Prepare to get wet if you're visiting between June and November. Asides from treks through the park itself you can go night-walking through the jungle, kayaking through the jungle with a guide, ride elephants and visit the nearby lakes. It's well fitted out for tourists so your never short of options. However, because of this it can be a little bit pricey. Our kayak tour through the jungle cost approximately 600 baht.
Koh Samui
How to get there:
Most people travel from Surat Thani as the ferry links from there are much more frequent and cheaper (starting at 450 baht and going up to 800 baht). As I'm based nearer to Chumphon I decided to travel from there and save the van journey, it cost 1,100 baht including the transfer to the pier. All the info about the fastest ferry services can be found here.
Where to stay:
We stayed at a cheapy hostel for the first two nights on one of the quieter beaches, Mae Nam. This is where the ferry docks from Chumphon it was easy to get to as plenty of vans and scooters are waiting to deliver tourists to their resorts.
The owner, Meow, was really helpful and directed us to night markets and local tours. The hostel itself was basic but clean, although there was only one bathroom and it is a bit of a walk to the main beaches.
We also stayed at Castaway on Bho Phut beach which was a really great cheap find moments from the beach. This is one of the quieter beaches compared to the better known party beach, Chaweng, but it still has nightly fire-shows and night markets and is great if you want a really chilled day.
What to do:
Renting scooters to drive round the island was by far the best decision, but we were lucky enough to be travelling with some experienced drivers. If you're not experienced then I'd seek another way to get around, drivers in Thailand are generally very fast and very bad at signalling so it can be scary!
You can drive around the entire island in a day.
The East coast is definitely more built up with tourist amenities. Shopping malls, bars and exclusive resorts line the beach front and it can be very busy.
The West coast is far quieter and full of more traditional daily Thai life.
Ban Krut
How to get there:
By car. It's an idyllic, untouched beach North of Chumphon heading back to Bangkok.
Where to stay:
We did a day visit, but there's a huge range of luxury and basic stays just take a look on Booking.com, or risk it and find something when you arrive.
What to do:
You can rent bikes and cycle along the coastline and through the village set back from the street. Also definitely make an effort to visit the beautiful cliff top Temple. Although it's another car ride there from the beach.