Driving To Langkawi

[DrChopper]

Look at me, I've only just got here and I'm planning on leaving!

We're going to Langkawi for a couple of days over Xmas and I am going to drive - can't be arsed with night trains or mini buses.

Has anyone done it? How long did it take?

I wouldn't mind breaking it up with a night somewhere on the way, any suggestions, ideally on the coast.

Cheers all.

[Rooo]

Movingt it from Samui to South East Asia Forum.

[chiang mai]

The last few miles are tricky, but...! Seriously, what is your starting point, where are you coming from?

[DrChopper]

The last few miles are tricky, but...! Seriously, what is your starting point, where are you coming from?

Samui. Didn't add that cos I posted in the Samui forum like an idiot!

[sketcher]

Buy a GPS for your car this will save you an amazing amount of grief if your planning on doing any kind of distance driving around here.. www.gadgetrend.com (only posting url as they are a forum sponser, presume - possibly wrongly - that it is aloud) have a basic gps for 3,900 baht. Head for Satun and get the ferry from there, doing all immigration when you arrive. As for stops on the way, possibly Krabi is your best bet, Only a couple of hours or so once your off the ferry at donsak.

[joe84330]

it's really no problem at all to drive to langkawi from samui. barely even need a map. the biggest hassle is getting the translation done from thai into something sensible regarding your license plate, then insurance at the border.

you can skip the hassle by driving to hat yai, parking your car , and then catching a bus directly to langkawi.

it takes roughly 5 hours to drive to the sadao border crossing from donsak. an hour less to get to hat yai.

it's no problem to make it to langkawi in the same day, even with the time change, provided you leave on an early ferry and drive with a purpose.

if you leave on either the first or second ferry out of samui, you can quite easily make the afternoon bus out of hat yai to all points south, sadao, langkawi, penang etc.

[samuijimmy]

I agree with Joe84330 here, it's very easy to get to the border at Sadao via Had Yai. Roads are all very good....which ever route you take...

But you also need (I believe, at least I did...... to go to the Motor vehicle branch in Lipa Noi Samui ......and get your Thai plates translated to English on paper .....you then use that at the Malaysia border.... along with all the insurance and stuff, they make up the stickers to go on your bike or car.... takes about 45 mins at the border... may be less depending on how many people doing!

You'll get a sticker that has letters and numbers plus STN ( which = Surrathannii) ... I would have some passport sized photos with you.... seems to me I was asked for that..... Really not all a big deal.....if you are organized... they will insist on Malaysian insurance even though you may have already here..... It was fairly cheap.

One assumes you are doing it in a car? which could be done in one day, but if on a motor bike, I think plan two days...

Use the Raja ferry, the road where it arrives heads straight south.... Coast road is nice, or you can take road to Pattylung then south to Hat Yai... either way you'll end up at Hat Yai... (another alternative could be to drive across to Krabi and then head south......)

You asked about staying on the coast if you do the east coast road, there are not many places to stay between Samui and Songklhla City... / Hat Yai.... at least that I have ever seen.... The new "buzz word" in the Thali Noi area is "Home Stay", but this is more for Thai's who can live without the western toilets and "frilly curtains"....

Although if you can find your way to Thail Noi lake from either Ranot (about 50 kms )or Pattyalung (sp )about 20 kms, there is a resort there at Thali Noi Lake looks nice, but I have never stayed there...( I cannot remember the name of it) . Thali Noi Lake is a very beautiful area.... if you like birds and the flowering water lilies ... they wlll take your breath away.... worth hiring a boat in the morning! (flowers close in the afternnoon!) .... It is an area you don't see many western tourists, but I make this trip at least twice a year and the "natives" are friendly! It's more set up for Malaysian day trippers .... who I would guess either stay in Pattylung or ?

I did not do the "Langkawi detour," as a Malaysian friend said it would be a bit of a hassle getting over there, in my case with a motorbike.... But as Joe 84430 says you might want to take a bus from Hat Yai and save the hassles, especially if you are just going for a few days.... The nice part of driving yourself you can stop and go as you please.... and do detours.....

I did get to Penang, over the bridge, but it''s not on my top ten list of places to go! Cameron Highlands is worth a visit if you want to head further south.... add another day or two to get there though!

Prices of Hotels go up on the week ends! Low or high season in Malaysia, at least that is what I found.... but people are very friendly and helpful and more likely to speak English..... even as a "first language"...

Hope that helps a little!

[sunnyhor]

Very good planned. I did it from Sg to Northern Thai and back. Easy ride. Take a look at my Blog http://roadtriptothailand.blogspot.com/2011/07/northern-thailand-back-to-singapore-day.html

Hope this helps. The complicated part is the Sadao border crossing that's it. Research and you definitely cross it fine. Good luck!!

[DrChopper]

Thanks all, great advice.

We're gonna get the first Raja ferry and drive to Satun.

I can't be bothered takng the car over the border and it's only a short trip anyway.

We will see nearer the timne whether we will stop over somewhere.

Cheers

[roamer]

Thanks all, great advice.

We're gonna get the first Raja ferry and drive to Satun.

I can't be bothered takng the car over the border and it's only a short trip anyway.

We will see nearer the timne whether we will stop over somewhere.

Cheers

Where will you park up ? Don't think you can leave vehicles overnight at the terminal and its a drive from the town. Suppose not overly difficult. I've usually left the car in Hat Yai and jumped the bus. Have a nice trip. Love the place

Btw. December to Feb Langkawi is VERY busy, very popular with Scandinavians on long stays. Unless you've booked you will find it very hard to get anywhere on somewhere like Pantai Chenang. I often stay at AB motel right on the beach, gets good reviews on Trip Advisor, you might want to check availability but I wouldn't be at all surprised to find they are booked out.

My link

[David006]

Thanks all, great advice.

We're gonna get the first Raja ferry and drive to Satun.

Where will you park up ? Don't think you can leave vehicles overnight at the terminal and its a drive from the town. Suppose not overly difficult. I've usually left the car in Hat Yai and jumped the bus. Have a nice trip. Love the place

Parking lot at Satun ferry pretty safe..nice trip would be Surat Thani to Trang hwy 41/403/406( avoid going through town) you need to head towards airport that is the Satun road..lots of signs once there..great more "interesting" roads (villages,parks and water falls abound)and not busy. Alternatively head towards Hat Yai on the less interesting hwy4 and turn off north of city west to Satun

[DrChopper]

Thanks Roamer/David.

We're meeting my sister. They've booked their hotel already but it isn't cheap.

I'll check out the AB, but any other suggestions welcome. Doesn't have to be right on the beach.