HOW TO TRAVEL TO KOH NGAI
There are many ways to get to the beautiful island of Koh Ngai. You can go to the island organized or just on your own. You can may visit Koh Ngai as part of a snorkel tour from, for example, Koh Lanta, you’ll usually be on the island for an hour and get time to snorkel and swim in the warm blue-green water.
Book transportation in advance
You can book your trip to Koh Ngai in advance at 12Go Asia. This is possible from almost every destination in Thailand. You can plan your trip from door to door and there are no hidden costs. Sometimes you pay a little more than you would normally do, but often enough you are also cheaper because there are cheaper appointments made locally. In most cases it saves you a lot of time and organization, time is money as well. You don’t have to worry about which connection you need to have and if there is still room. Besides bus and boat tickets you can also book train and plane tickets at 12Go. We already used 12Go Asia several times and the service and communication was always good.
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Organize your own trip
Do you have enough time and are you a little adventurous? Then traveling to Koh Ngai on your own is the way for you! In this article we describe how you can get to Koh Ngai from a number of destinations by different means of transport. Please note that some ferries, speedboats and sometimes even longtail boats do not sail or sail only to a limited extent in the rainy season. It may therefore happen that a certain route to Koh Ngai is not possible and you will have to be a little more creative. In any case, have fun with the preparations and wish you a good trip!
Best travel time for Koh Ngai and the weather
The best travel time for Koh Ngai is in high season, between mid-November and mid-May. You then have the best chance of dry and sunny weather. The daytime temperature is around 30 degrees celcius and the water temperature is only a few degrees lower. The sea is usually calm and longtail boats, speedboats and ferries sail to the Trang islands (of which Koh Ngai is part). On the island in high season all restaurants, dive shops and accommodations are open.
To Koh Ngai in the rainy season
In the months May to October it’s rainy season, you have more chance of rain and the sea can be a bit more turbulent. As a result, fewer boats sail. Therefore it’s wise not to have a too tight itinerary. During rainy season there are still many sunny moments, showers that fall usually don’t last long. We were on Koh Ngai ourselves in July and had fantastic weather and no drizzle of rain, so that’s how it can be! In the rainy season the temperatures don’t differ much with the dry season.
On Koh Ngai many resorts and restaurants are closed during the rainy season, it is really very quiet. You have this paradise island then practically for yourself!
From Trang (Pak Meng) to Koh Ngai
If you travel by land, the Pak Meng Pier in Trang is where you take the boat to Koh Ngai. You’re almost there by then! From the pier you’ll have a view of the same kind of limestone cliffs you see in Ao Nang and Railay. At the pier of Pak Meng you can rent a longtail boat (costs 1,500 baht, travel time 1 hour) to Koh Ngai. Around the pier there are travel agencies where you can book snorkel tours to the surrounding islands of Koh Kradan and Koh Mook. There are also a number of souvenir shops and small supermarkets where you can do your last shopping. Not entirely unwise because the prices on Koh Ngai are much higher than on the mainland.
2.5 kilometers south is Pak Meng Beach, here is a small village. There are restaurants and a number of accommodations. The beach is not the most beautiful in the area but the view on the rocks from the water is very nice.
From Bangkok to Koh Ngai
From Bangkok take a plane to Trang or Krabi of which the nearest airport is Trang. There are also buses to/from Bangkok, which take about 12 hours. Another possibility is the train. From Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok, two trains depart a day, which takes about 16 hours. Luckily there is also a sleeper train! In high season (July/August and December/January) it’s best to book your tickets in advance because they are quickly fully booked. For example use 12Go Asia. From the train station in Trang you can take the local bus or a tuk tuk to the bus terminal. From the bus terminal (bus station) several busses a day leave for Had Pak Meng Pier (costs about 80 baht, travel time one hour). The busses run between 7:30 AM and 4:00 PM.
From Krabi to Koh Ngai
From the Krabi bus station every hour between 6:30 AM and 6:30 PM buses leave for Trang, you are then about 2 hours on the way to the bus station of Trang. Other possibility: Take a taxi to Klong Jilad Pier near Krabi Town. From here, speedboats leave for Koh Ngai. It is also possible to book a combi ticket at 12Go Asia. You will be picked up at the airport of Krabi or at your accommodation and you don’t have to arrange anything else yourself.
From Koh Lanta to Koh Ngai
Koh Lanta is a very relaxed island with elongated beaches that you regularly have all to yourself. Besides lying on the beach it is a nice island to explore by scooter. From Koh Lanta you can take the speedboat or ferry to Koh Ngai between mid-November and mid-May.
- Ferry from Koh Lanta to Koh Ngai: Cost 750 baht / Travel time 1 hour
- Speedboat from Koh Lanta to Koh Ngai: Cost 650 baht / Travel time 30 minutes
From Koh Lanta to Koh Ngai in the rainy season
In the rainy season there is no ferry from Koh Lanta to Koh Ngai. Too few people go to Koh Ngai in the rainy season to keep the trip profitable. Of course you can rent a whole speedboat, but that is quite expensive. The solution? The four islands tour goes all year round and this one also makes a stop at Koh Ngai. Consult with a travel agency on the spot if you can come at a reduced rate, Koh Ngai is the second island that is visited during the four islands tour.
After a bit of negotiating we were allowed to join for 500 baht per person. Before that we first visited a tiny island, saw dolphins along the way and were dropped off on the beach in front of our resort by speedboat! So don’t be discouraged when they say you can’t go to Koh Ngai in the rainy season.
Once you are on Koh Ngai, you can go to Koh Kradan and Koh Mook by longtail boat just like we did. Provided there are no high waves, so make sure you have a little slack in planning to avoid stress.
From Koh Kradan and Koh Mook
On Koh Ngai you can rent a longtail boat for 1,500 baht to Koh Mook (Koh Muk) and for 1,800 baht to Koh Kradan. In high season (May to October) you can also use the ferry. For Koh Mook you are one hour on the ferry and you pay about 350 baht. To Koh Kradan you travel half an hour and pay 450 baht. It’s also possible to take the speedboat, the prices are (strangely) almost equal to the trip with a longtail boat. Ask on the spot for the latest prices.
In the low season (rainy season) there are no speedboats, you can try to share a longtail boat with someone to save costs. Sometimes you can sail with discounted personnel who work on Koh Ngai but live on Koh Mook, that’s what we did. Of course you can also try again to sail with an island tour that makes a stop here.
Travel further from Koh Ngai
Probably you don’t want to leave Koh Ngai at all, but unfortunately everything comes to an end. But don’t worry because near Koh Ngai there are still two small tropical paradises, Koh Kradan and Koh Mook! Many people combine these islands with each other. Koh Mook is known for the Emerald Cave and Koh Kradan for its beautiful beaches and clear sea.
From Koh Phi Phi to Koh Ngai
Koh Phi Phi is a beautiful island with many tourist facilities, supermarkets, souvenir shops, cozy bars, many good restaurants and fun activities. The main beaches are busier but there are still quieter places to be found on the island. From Koh Phi Phi to Koh Ngai you are about 2.5 hours by ferry. You pay approximately 1,200 baht. The speedboat is a little faster and takes two hours, you pay around 1,350 baht.
From Koh Lipe and Phuket to Koh Ngai
Koh Lipe and Phuket are a bit further away but are easy to reach in high season. Koh Lipe is a super beautiful island with nice beaches and a crystal clear sea. There is a wide range of resorts, restaurants and snorkel trips in the area. You are close to the Tarutao National Marine Park. Phuket is a large tourist island with busy boulevards and shopping streets and a real holiday resort. Which can also be fun for a change from the other islands. To travel from Koh Lipe or Phuket to Koh Ngai you can easily book a combi-ticket at 12Go Asia or on location at a travel agency.
Speedboats and ferries to Koh Ngai
Between (mid-October and mid-May) there is a ferry between the above islands. If you want to get from A to B a little faster, a speedboat is an option, you often pay a little more for this. (The prices below are valid for places and may vary slightly)
- Ferry to Koh Lipe: Costs 1,300 baht / Travel time 4 hours
- Speedboat to Koh Lipe: Costs 1,600 baht / Travel time 2.5 hours
- Ferry to Phuket: Costs 1800 baht / Travel time 3.5 hours
- Speedboat to Phuket: Costs 2.350 baht / Travel time 3 hours
Nice thing to do!
In the immediate vicinity of Koh Ngai are many more beautiful small islands with beautiful beaches and clear waters with tropical fish. It is a perfect environment to go island hopping and spend a few nights there! Which islands there are in this area, what are the best accommodations and much more you can read in the Infobox below. Have fun!
Sleeping on Koh Ngai Beach
Koh Ngai has a total of about 10 resorts / campsites. The prices of the accommodations are quite high for what you get, it’s the beautiful location you pay and that makes it worth every penny again!
- Koh Ngai Camping Restaurant @ Bar
Sea view from your bed priceless? Not here! - Koh Ngai Paradise Beach Resort
Because it can always be even more paradisiacal - Ngai Seafood Bungalows
Eat and sleep, that’s all you need on an island! - Coco Cottage
Affordable eco-chic resort where rustic, design and nature conservation for the island are combined. - Thanya Beach Resort
Lovely pool at the beach - Thapwarin Resort TIP
Bungalows at stumbling distance from the beach - Koh Ngai Cliff Beach Resort
Magnificent views from the upper pool
Discover Koh Ngai and the beatiful islands in the area:
We invest a lot of time, money and passion in this website, we would love it if you would support us! You can do this by booking hotels and domestic trips through our links. It will cost you nothing extra but we get a small percentage of our partners like Booking.com, Agoda and 12GoAsia. Thank you in advance!
