1. Home
  2. Asia
  3. Thailand
  4. Essential Southern Thailand
Map of Essential Southern Thailand including Thailand

Fall in love with this southern Thailand adventure.

Love beaches? Love islands? Love cocktails? Well, you’ll love this trip! Head from buzzing Bangkok to blissful Ko Samui and stunning Ao Nang. This nine-day southern Thailand adventure will see you snorkelling, swimming and waterfall-chasing until your heart is content. Get your safari fix in the jungle of Khao Sok National Park, stay in a traditional rafthouse with classic Thai hospitality, and finish up in the aquamarine waters of Railay Beach. Bring your A-game and a sense of adventure (and some SPF50) because this adventure is set to sizzle.

This trip is for 18 to 29-year-olds

Some of our under-30 travellers prefer to get around with people their own age. If that’s you, you’re in the right place!

Over 29? We’ve got over 900 other great adventures to choose from for solo travellers, friends, families, food lovers, hiking enthusiasts, and more.

Start
Bangkok, Thailand
Finish
Ao Nang, Thailand
Destination
Thailand
Style
Basix
Theme
18 to 29s
Code
TTYC
Physical rating
Ages
Min 18, Max 29
Group size
Min 1, Max 16

Travel solo, together

You're never alone when travelling solo with Intrepid

Why you'll love this trip

  • Obsessed with the Tom Yam Goong at your local Thai joint? Imagine how much better it would be in Thailand, on a beach, with a cocktail, at sunset!

  • Koh Samui is a slice of paradise. Cruise the island, go chasing waterfalls and relax on the beach before heading out to one of Koh Samui's famous bars.

  • Kick back for a few days in Ao Nang. You'll have plenty of free time to fry up some noodles in a Thai cooking class, cook yourself in the hot springs or paddle to a hidden lagoon on Koh Hong island.

  • Khao Sok National Park is like stepping into another world – an essential experience in Thailand, nature-lover or not.

  • Need more reasons? Here are 7 more why we love it: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/southern-thailand/

Is this trip right for you?

  • Travel with the locals! This trip involves some long stints of travel using basic local transport, including a 13-hour overnight train to Surat Thani. Although conditions are basic, overnight trains are a great experience and the best way to travel long distances, meet locals and maximise time at your destinations. Occasionally passengers of different genders will be required to share a compartment and/or you'll be sharing with locals or travellers from other groups.

  • Accommodation can be simple but it's always comfortable.

  • As this is a Basix trip, the majority of activities are optional and you'll have lots of free time. This means you're able to do your own thing at your own pace.

  • The weather in Thailand can be hot and sticky, so ensure that you pack accordingly. Please also wear sunscreen and a hat and drink plenty of water.

thailand_khao_sok_raft-houses

Itinerary
Expand All Collapse All

Welcome to Bangkok! There will be an important welcome meeting at around 6 pm tonight. Bangkok is a huge, buzzing metropolis, and we recommend you arrive a day or two earlier to see all this city has to offer. If you arrive early, make the most of the city's bustling markets, grab some spicy noodles from a street cart or relax with a Thai massage. After your important meeting, get the gang together and grab yourself some food! You’ll be staying nearby Chinatown, so you’re in prime position to eat well tonight.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Bangkok - Bangkok Tuk Tuk Experience Urban Adventure - THB2500
  • Bangkok - Bangkok Temple & River of Kings Urban Adventure - THB2900
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).

Today, explore some of Bangkok's most famous sights. Take an included visit with your group to the temple complex of Wat Pho, which houses the famous 46-metre-long statue of the Reclining Buddha – he sure looks comfortable. And how will you get there? Take a public boat down the Chao Phraya River and observe the beautiful scenery, getting off at Tha Tien Pier - within easy walking distance of Wat Pho. Afterwards, the afternoon is free for you to discover more of the city, like the Grand Palace or Jim Thompson House (or just more food, up to you). In the evening, be ready to head south on an overnight train to Surat Thani.

Accommodation
  • Overnight sleeper train (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Bangkok - Wat Pho
Optional Activities
  • Bangkok - Grand Palace - THB500
  • Bangkok - Jim Thompson's House - THB200
  • Bangkok - Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) - THB50
  • Bangkok - Thai Massage - THB250
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Arrive into Surat Thani this morning, continuing on an approximately 4-hour journey by public bus and ferry to Ko Samui. The island of Ko Samui has been a tourist hotspot for decades, and with good reason. You can swim, snorkel or relax in the waterfalls at Na Muang. Take a trip with the group around the island, visiting the 15-metre-tall Big Buddha (Wat Phra Yai). In the evening, perhaps feast on a delicious curry with the group and then join in the party atmosphere that is Koh Samui's famous nightlife.
Accommodation
  • Resort (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Ko Samui - half day guided tour
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Spend a free day today however you’d like – swimming, lazing in the sun or more exploring. You may like to take an optional day tour to Ang Thong Marine National Park by either slow boat or speedboat. The park is an archipelago of over 40 islands in the Gulf of Thailand, featuring pristine beaches, jungle, mangroves and limestone mountains rising out of the sea. Take a swim at popular Ko Mae island and check out the saltwater lagoon of Thale Nai (Emerald Lake). For a quieter experience and some great snorkelling opportunities, head to the nearby islands of Ko Tao and Ko Nang Yuan. Ko Samui is also home to an elephant sanctuary, and you are able to come close to these gentle giants if you please. Watch them bathe, roam the fields and socialise with other elephants, all knowing that they are in a caring and peaceful environment.
Accommodation
  • Resort (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Ko Samui - Thai Massage - THB300
  • Ko Samui - Thai Cooking Class - THB1850
  • Ko Samui - Day trip to Koh Tao - THB2400
  • Ko Samui - Ang Thong Marine Park tour - THB2500
  • Ko Samui - Samui Elephant Sanctuary - THB3500
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

This morning, head from Ko Samui to Khao Sok National Park. Take a songtaew and catch an early ferry from Samui Pier for a 1.5-hour journey to reach Don Sak Pier. Then, jump in a private vehicle to Chiew Larn Lake (approximately 2 hours), and take a traditional longtail boat for a calm 1-hour journey to reach your rafthouse. Keep your eyes out for wild bull elephants, gibbons and Spectacled langur (dusky leaf monkeys). Khao Sok National Park is the wettest spot in Thailand with some of the oldest jungle in the world. See loads of amazing limestone rock faces and, if you're lucky, monkeys playing here and there. Later on, take an evening safari with your group, where you’ll head by longtail boat deep in the jungle, keeping an eye and ear out for more animals. This is when they're most active. Afterwards, enjoy a traditional southern Thai meal at the rafthouse with your group.
Accommodation
  • Rafthouse (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Khao Sok National Park – Longtail Boat Wildlife Safari
Meals Included
  • Dinner
Special Information
Your raft house will be basic and situated above the water, with wooden walkways connecting the huts and the land. There are simple shared bathroom facilities on the land. Be sure to bring your mosquito repellent, and a net if you prefer, and your sense of adventure.

There are two seasons in Khao Sok National Park – dry and rainy. The dry season runs from January to March, and the rainy season from April to December. During the rainy season, walking trails will be muddy and slippery and harmless leeches are everywhere, but the scenery is lush and green. Be sure to bring closed, waterproof shoes with a good grip.

Lucky you with a morning in the oldest evergreen rainforest in the world. Your awesome jungle rafthouse sits right inside the park, so you’ll have time this morning to catch the mist drifting along the lake as you search for wildlife in the jungle on a longail boat. Before lunch, take a jungle hike around the park, and depending on the season, see cascading waterfalls or head up high to a panoramic viewpoint. This place is paradise, especially if you love nature – if you're lucky there might be a glimpse of elephants, exotic Hornbills and water-loving Langur Monkeys deep inside the park. After lunch, you'll leave the rafthouse and head back to the pier on another longtail boat. Then, take a private vehicle to Ao Nang, on the Andaman Sea. Get ready, ‘cause you’ve arrived in a seaside paradise.
Accommodation
  • Guesthouse (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Khao Sok National Park – Waterfall Hike
  • Khao Sok National Park – Longtail Boat Wildlife Safari
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Ao Nang beach is on the southern Thai coast and is bursting with white sand and laidback vibes. One of the most popular places to go chill out is nearby Railay Beach, but this is an interesting one to get to. Even though it’s connected on the coast, the massive limestone karsts that surround the bay make it virtually impossible to access via land. That being said, take a longtail boat journey for a matter of minutes, and you’ll be washed up on the pristine shores. There’ll be some time to swim and relax on the sand. This place is thai-riffic, if you ask us.
Accommodation
  • Guesthouse (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Ao Nang - Transport to Railay Beach (round trip)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Today is as clear as the emerald waters surrounding Ao Nang. Enjoy a free day to relax on the beach or participate in a variety of optional activities. Perhaps unwind with a massage or cook up something delicious in a Thai cooking class. Take a tour out to some of Krabi's naturally formed crystal pools and hot springs, swimming in the clear waters of the Emerald Lagoon while fish nibble at your toes. You might like to take a trip out to the quiet, pristine island of Ko Hong, where you can snorkel in the shallow reefs and kayak past cliffs to a hidden salt-water lagoon. The best thing is you can choose to do whatever you please, so soak it all up!
Accommodation
  • Guesthouse (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Ao Nang - Rock Climbing - THB1800
  • Krabi - Half day cycling trip with waterfalls - THB2500
  • Ao Nang - Hot springs & Emerald lagoon tour - THB1600
  • Ao Nang - Phi Phi Island Day Tour - THB1600
  • Ao Nang - Scuba Diving (3 dives) - THB4000
  • Ao Nang - Cooking class - THB1200
  • Ao Nang - Thai Massage - THB300
  • Ao Nang - Ko Hong Day Tour - THB1500
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

With no activities planned for today, you are free to depart the accommodation at any time. But that doesn’t mean that your Thailand adventure has to come to an end! Pull up a towel on Ao Nang beach, catch some rays and relax into the day. You deserve it.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

5 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Transport

Boat, Ferry, Public bus, Private vehicle, Overnight sleeper train, Songthaew

Accommodation

Guesthouse (3 nights), Hotel (1 nights), Overnight Sleeper Train (1 night), Resort (2 nights) Rafthouse (1 night)

Included activities

  • Bangkok - Wat Pho
  • Ko Samui - half day guided tour
  • Khao Sok National Park – Longtail Boat Wildlife Safari
  • Khao Sok National Park – Waterfall Hike
  • Ao Nang - Transport to Railay Beach (round trip)

Dates & availability

Trip departures are unavailable.

There are currently no scheduled departures on our Essential Southern Thailand trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.

Prices may go up, so secure your trip today!
Jump to a departure month

Important notes

1. A single supplement is available if you'd prefer not to share a room on this trip. The Single Supplement excluded Day 2 (Overnight Train) and day 5 (Raft house).Please note that some room configurations have two single beds, although a double bed will always be requested.

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

View Essential Trip Information

Reviews

Go to dates