Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres is known in Spanish as “The Island of Women”. The island is about 13km east from Cancun. This island is my favorite spot in all of the Yucutan Peninsula. The name with women reference for the island has nothing to do with my favoritism for this place, it is more the laid back relaxed culture associated to the island.
The beaches are amazing with crystal clear water with none of that milky look like back in Cancun, the streets are less crowded, the island has its own relaxed feel, and the local residents are less stressed and happy with Island life. The best thing and most magical thing on this Island happens during May to September, you can go to nearby waters to see & swim with whale sharks who travel in huge groups. If you lucky you might even see a whole lot of Manta rays as well.

Isla Mujeres aerial view

ARRIVAL
There are two main options here which are by ferry or by plane.

By ferry means you have the option to go from 5 different ports:

1. Puerto Juarez: located in Av. Jose Lopez Portillo MZ 84 M 5 L 6 Puerto Juárez, Cancun. It has departures every half hour from 5:00 AM to 10:30 PM and an extra one at 11:30 PM being the latest. 146 Pesos for a round trip.

2. Playa Tortugas: located in the hotel zone of Cancun, Blvd. Kukulcan. Km 6.5. It has only 8 departures per day, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM every hour.

3. Playa Caracol: located in the hotel zone of Cancun, Blvd. Kukulcan. Km 9.5. It has only 6 departures per day, from 9:00 AM to 4:45 PM every 1 hour 15 minutes.

4. El Embarcadero: located in the hotel zone of Cancun, Blvd. Kukulcan Km 4. It has 6 departures per day, from 9:15 AM to 4:30 PM every 1 hour 15 minutes.

5. Punta Sam: you can take a bus from downtown Cancun (Route 8) or a taxi from the Hotel Zone and head north. Water shuttles depart directly from the Hotel Zone. Punta Sam is the departing point for car ferries heading to the 2 main islands next to Cancun: Isla Mujeres and Cozumel.

Puerto Juarez is the best option and the ride across takes approximately 45 minutes. Here is some more information regarding the ferries. You can purchase the ticket once you get to the port. There are also some private boat charter options available from hotels.

By Plane: You can look intoAero Saab: to save some time and splash some dollars or you can try to grab a ride with a supply plane which is doing deliveries to the island or just a local pilot willing to take you there.

On Arrival you can take a taxi to your resort (about 30 pesos) or simply rent a golf cart for several days (About 300-400 pesos a day). The Island is about 7km long and arrival via ferry is mostly in the central end or a bit further south. All the tourist resorts and most of the action is on the north of the island.

Turtle Farm

Carlos Santana cover songs on the ferry to Isla Mujeres

ACCOMMODATION
There are quite a lot of options on the north side but I would recommend:

Privilege Aluxes: Located North West, this was a small piece of paradise with huge rooms, hot tub, ocean views, 2 swimming pools, nice spa, 3 restaurants, and a beach bar. This is also voted number 1 on trip advisor for this Island so book early and make sure you get a superior room here. Take the all-inclusive deal and you can’t go wrong. Also book the Asian restaurant ASAP as it is one that requires reservation and fills up fast.

Hotel Privilege Aluxes

North Beach

THINGS TO DO:
There are many activities to do on this island and most of them take place before sunset. If you have rented a golf cart then you can see most of the island in 3-4 hours. The water activities can take longer from 5-7 hours.

Daytime:
1. Whale Shark Excursions: If you are here during May-September then you will be lucky enough to do this magical experience. It has to be on the bucket list. I did a lot of research on the tours here and tried two companies. Once as awesome and very professional, the other was a disaster waiting to happen. For all water activities (Whale Shark tour, Snorkeling, PADI, Diving) go with Aqua adventures Eco Divers. This is run by an American guy Jim who is a former coast guard. The boat is modern and has a toilet on board, his staff are professional and take safety seriously. I will write another article in more detail regarding the whale shark tour so you know what to expect.

2. Scuba diving and Snorkelling: Using the company mentioned earlier, you can visit Manchones Reef which begins just off of Isla's shore, and the Cuevones and Banderas Reefs which are close by.

3. Fishing: With the sport fishing scene here is big so talk to your Hotel for some hints.

4. Dolphin Discovery: There is a dolphin amusement park on the north west of the island. I did not go here as I oppose animals in captivity being used for entertainment and revenue purposes. I was lucky enough to see a dolphin out in the open ocean during my whale shark trip.

5. Turtle farm: This is a farm that is a Government-sponsored hatchery for endangered sea turtles. You get to see young turtles in pools and tanks. They are released into the wild once they are ready so you can look into this release dates.

6. Garrafon Natural reef park: On the south side offers great snorkeling options with great marine life. However this gets crowded with day trippers so timing is important. You can go close by the park and swim for about 40-80 pesos and still catch a lot of the marine life.

Night-time:
1. It all starts with some sun downers at the beach bar or beach (Playa Norte). Alternatively you can head to Playa Sol, further north for sunset.

2. Go to the town and have a walk around, take in a restaurant for dinner or bars for drinks. Socializing with locals and tourists is the main activity here at night, usually one is beaten from the day activities and an early night is predictable.

Wild Dolphin performing for us

Whale Shark Side on

Whale Shark face to face

CUISINE:
The food options here are quitter international just like Cancun. However the seafood dishes are the winner, try the shrimp or fish tacos, and whole fish/lobster dishes made in Garlic and butter is a local specialty. There are many taco shops open till late. The hotels are slightly more expensive than the local restaurants. A local restaurant will feature lobster and catch of the day at $15US. Try the following places: Qubanos, Sunset Grill,and Miguels Moonlight (off Hildalgo Ave).

WILDLIFE:
Not much to worry about here on the land apart from occasional Mosquitoes. You can expect all kinds of ocean life from reef fishes, turtles, dolphins, Whale Sharks, Manta rays etc. I did enquire about going on a whale shark tour at night but after a few funny looks they advised me that there are some real big fishes with sharp teeth out there at night time which was the polite version of no. However this is open water at night time so nothing to worry about. Also on daytime whale shark tours the size of the whale sharks scare all other big fishes away.

Sea picnic after the tour

The coconut stands not to be missed

COSTS:
The costs on this island is much cheaper compared to Cancun or playa Del Carmen. There are ATM machines in the 7-11 stores in the middle of the island. So keep your pesos on you for payment options. All hotels and bigger restaurants take cards but cash is handy for the street shops, and taxis.

CONCLUSION:
I stayed here 3 nights in the first part of my holiday and returned here for my final night before heading back to the States. It offers you that relaxing Island vibe and you can really chill out here without the big crowds. Also after one swim with the whale sharks you have the urge to do it again which is another strong reason for me coming back here twice on one holiday.

So come and stay here 3-5 nights for a nice relaxing time to clear the head and get close to nature.

Ko Lanta

Ko Lanta is several Islands that makes up one of the 8 districts in the Krabi Province. It has two large islands Ko lanta Noi (Small Lanta Island) and Ko Lanta Yai (Big lanta Island). The big island is where all the action goes down and often is referred to as Ko Lanta. It is 30km long and 6km wide.

It has 9 main beaches from North to South along the sunset coast, lots of stunning scenery, lots of small islands and reefs close by underwater adventures, and has lots of forest to offer you some wildlife viewing.

This is not a party island and is quieter than Ko Phi Phi and Phuket. It is a relaxing place and attracts an older crowd, and families with young children, and a lot of divers. It is a charted holiday hotspot so expect crowds if you are in a hotel partnered with a tour company.

Cost wise it is a cheaper location in comparison to others and offers a lot more of activities both night and day. The restaurants are fantastic and the cooking class amazing. So a 2-3 day stay will get you around the Island and experience Ko Lanta properly. A week if you there for diving. The beaches are not the greatest and there is a lot of pollution on the beach. A pleasant quite stay with great seafood, drinks, activities and shopping would sum up Ko Lanta. Do not forget to try the Blue Crab in Red Curry.

Here are my top 10 tips for Ko Lanta:

1. Arrival options into Ko Lanta:
This is an Island with no airport so the closest airport options are Krabi, Trang or Phuket. Use the hotel you are staying with to arrange transport or use a taxi service like Taxi Krabi. There are basically 3 options available here all involving a boat arriving to Saladan Pier(North Ko Lanta):

Krabi International Airport Transfer:Take an airport transfer where a minivan picks you up and takes you to a ferry that transports you over. The options can be via regular ferry or Express speedboat from the ferry.

Ferry or Speedboat: You can catch a speedboat from Southern Islands like Ko Ngai to Ko lanta. Options are also available from Ao Nang, Railay, Ko Phi Phi, and Trang. They have ferries as well but this are large and crowded, so if you have the option take the speedboat.

By Car: There is no roads connecting the Island to mainland but they have car ferries operating in between. It take 15-20 minutes to cross to the Island.

2. What to expect at the Arrival port? :
Arrival town is at Ban Saladan which is the northern point of the Ko Lanta. Once you exit the Saladan pier you will probably first pay a ฿10 exit fee to some officers who are collecting money for the cleanup of Ko Phi Phi. Handing out paper receipts after payment which kind of defeats the purpose since this becomes the new litter for Ko Lanta.

Once they payment is done you will run into a crowd of tour brokers, taxi/tuktuk drivers, someone who wants to sell you something,and you may even find someone who claims to be lost family. So be open to all possibilities here ;) The prices from the port for a taxi to your location( if hotel pick up services is not provided) is fair.

3. What to expect in Ban Saldan? :
Ban Saladan is the main town and tourist center on the Island. There are a lot of Swedish expats on the Island operating businesses or simply working there. You can find them at Dive centers around the Island. There is even a cool Swedish Restaurant & Bar in Ban Saladan close to the pier. The Town is quite relaxed and one of the best for hassle free shopping.

4. Accommodation options:
The north and west side of the Island is where all the hotels and beaches are. Important thing to note before booking any accommodation is the hotel affiliations. As mentioned earlier Ko Lanta has lots of Swedish expats meaning there are a lot of Swedish tourists visiting the Island. This unfortunately means a lot of charter flights with operators such as Startour, Ving, Apollo, Solia etc. So try to book a hotel not affiliated with any of these tour groups to have more privacy and a better hotel crowd.

Unfortunately my hotel selection was based on bad information resulting in a hotel in the above category. It was a smaller hotel than the others at Khlong Dao beach area, so crowded in the 50-80 people range rather than 200-500. I sneaked into several other hotels in the area to check it out and they all were super crowded with charted holiday tourists. It was a blessing in disguise as it meant my 3 days were spent exploring the Island.

5. Daytime Activities:
Being a larger island the options are greater for Snorkelling, Diving, PADI courses, Trekking, Kayaking the east side of Ko lanta where there is rich mangrove forests and caves, also Ko Talabaeng has nice limestone cliffs northeast of Ko Lanta worth exploring by Kayak or Long tail boat, Fishing trips organized for half day or full day will reel you in a tuna, sailfish, red snapper, marlin or other exotic fishes, Long tail boat tours of the east side, rent a boat, go on an Island hopping trip, Lanta Muay thai gym for some lessons, Mai Kaew Cave exploration, Snake or monkey shows, visit old Lanta or south sea gypsies village.

6. Evening Activities:
Nothing Much happens on the Island at night so it is more of a relaxed vibe. Try Night time fishing, Kick Boxing events, Shopping in Ban Saldan, massages, cooking classes, Dinner and Drinks.

7. Serenity Spa and Massage:
Once of my hangouts for massages on this trip since hotel spas were booked out. This place offers quality massages and is cheaper compared to hotels. You can read more about them here: Serenity Spa and Massage.

8. Roi Thai Cooking School:
Best entertainment on the Island, as Chef Roi entertains and teaches the Thai Culinary Secrets. You can read more about this on my Cooking Class review.

9. Wildlife overview:
Mosquitoes are your main worry here but trekking into the forest may reveal some interesting creatures. There are many snake shows and monkey shows if you want to see something in a controlled environment. Also the Elephant trekking is offered here but I refuse to go to this and support the industry where the elephants are chained down and treated badly. I have not tried the animal parks as well above due to me not supporting any places where animals are kept in captivity.

10. Cost Overview on the Island:
Food is relatively cheap and Lunch & Dinner will cost ฿100-300 a day. Water is quite cheap with big bottles 1.5 litres trading at ฿15. Beer is about ฿30 and cocktails can range from ฿80 to ฿150.
Accommodation price ranges from ฿800 to ฿23000 per night. Average price for a decent 4 star place with breakfast is about ฿5000- ฿8000.
Supermarkets, Art Galleries, Tourist souvenir stores, Electronic shops, and street markets are all over Ban Saladan. Grocery shops and markets available in Old Lanta. Ko Lanta is great for shopping on your holiday.
There is one Hospital in the middle of the Island close to old Lanta. There are dentists in Ban Saldan and at the hospital. ATM’s are easy to find in Ban Saladan.

My dislike for Charter Holidays as noted in point 2 Above: For those who are wondering why I don’t like Charter holidays here is some background. I have done 2 Charter holidays in my life and the yes it is cheap and if planned properly it can work out to be okay. Charter 1 was to Antalya, Turkey and charter 2 to Hurgada, Egypt: From the crowded plane with first time noisy travelers to the tour bus pickup it feels like animals being moved from one location to another. Then the pack gets separated at different hotels but each hotel already has more charted travelers checked in. So the pools are crowded, and meal times are like a zoo. Most of these packages offer all inclusive deals including alcohol, which means the zoo has drunken animals running around all day. Luckily on my second charter I chose a different hotel that was less popular which resulted in less crowd at the expense of some comforts of a normal resort. So to sum it up a charted holiday means crowds and not the best experience at a hotel.

Similar Thailand articles of Interest:

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Krabi town & Klang Island

Krabi is a town on the west coast of Southern Thailand. It is the capital of Krabi Province and Krabi District. The 8 districts include Ko Lanta Island as a district and also Mueang Krabi district which holds Ao nang and Railay bay. So to sum it up it is a huge province with some areas more popular than others.

Tourism is the main source of income here.

Unfortunately I did not have time to cover all the districts on this trip. Explored 3 and drove through an additional two. My trip to Krabi covers my short stay in Krabi town and my stay at Klang Island which is near the mouth of the Krabi River. Additional posts cover Railay, Ko Lanta, and Ko Phi Phi.

Travel tips for this District:

** Arrival to Krabi Town

There are 3 options here:

Krabi International Airport (KBV): Ideally located not very far from Krabi town or the surrounding districts. This serves as a convenient entry point.

Krabi boat piers:  Klong Jilad is the new pier 4km from Krabi town.  Chao Fah pier or Phi Phi pier is the old ones in the center of the town. Ferries run daily from Ko Phi Phi, Ko Jum, Ko lanta, and ko Yao Noi. There is also a Pier called Krabi Thalen 27km west of Krabi town where they have frequent speedboats. Buy your tickets at the pier to get a good price.

By Road: The roads here are good and easy to travel on. There is a bus service to Krabi town but do yourself a favor and take a private taxi. I did a taxi from Phuket to Krabi for ฿2500 and it took 2 hours through some gorgeous scenery.

**Krabi Town Expectations

This is a small town and much calmer than Phuket. The town is next to Krabi River and there are hotels and restaurants scattered all around. One of the few chilled out places for a Thailand town. 

Arriving there at 1pm there was some traffic but not much pedestrians about. Most of the tourist population use this location as a transit point to go to the other Islands in or simply transfer to Ao Nang or Railay further to the west. The highways around the area are very modern due to all the transportation needs in and out of town.

**Locations for accommodation

There are few hotels in krabi town ranging from backpackers to some 4 star hotels. There is one popular hotel called Maritime Park Resort & Spa, this is over booked most of the times and contains a lot of large travelling groups. So try to avoid this place or double check your booking status before arrival.

Most visitors staying in the Krabi Mainland head west to Ao Nang where all the fantastic hotels and resorts are located. The more adventurous get in long tail boats and head to Railay.

My situation here was different, arrived at the Maritime Park resort to discover they have overbooked so relocation meant a new adventure. The relocation option was to an Eco Village Resort on Klang Island, just south of Krabi town.

 The hotel staff drove us to Tara pier, located along Krabi River in Krabi Town. The local long tail boat then another 5 minutes cruising across Krabi River to Klang Island’s pier.  Then we jumped on a motorbike tuktuk and drove through the village across the island. A fun ride about 7 km through the narrowest of roads if we can call it that. Finally we arrived at the secluded peaceful Islanda Village Resort.

The Krabi Adventures: From Krabi town to Tara Pier, to Klang Island. The Drive to the resort. Boat out to Railay bay

**Islanda Village resort

Most of my travel friends don’t really like Krabi town after spending few too many days there so a relocation here was a sign from the travel gods looking after me. This was a hidden paradise. You have quite surroundings, luxury comfortable villas, a big swimming pool with Jacuzzi, good restaurant, and a manager who goes by the name Mr. Big. There is not that great of a beach or night life on this island but it is designed for relaxing & recharging. The only way to travel on the island is by tuk tuk or bicycle. Only way on and off the island is by boat or helicopter.

The Beachfront Villa and Pool	Arrival by boat and transfer by tuk tuk
Relaxing in the pool and Sunset view	Hotel Manager: Mr. Big

**Wildlife

While most people fought the mosquitoes and played with the cats at the resort, I found myself trying to convince more than save a cat from a snake. Both animals were safe from the drama that unfolded. So there are snakes on the island if you are lucky to see one.

Snake

Cat versus Snake

**Things to do on Klang Island

Daytime: I was here to relax and they have a big pool overlooking the beach to do that. You also have the option to borrow a bicycle and go check out the island. There was also a bathtub on the deck to watch the sunset. Limited activities so more of a “my time” place.

 Nighttime: Dinner and drinks followed by interaction with other guests. If you get bored you go look for snakes or other wildlife.

** Costs on the Island
Food is relatively cheap and will cost ฿200-300 a day at the resort. Water is quite cheap with big bottles 1.5 litres trading at ฿20. Beer is about ฿50 and cocktails can range from ฿100 to ฿150.

Accommodation price was ฿5000per night with breakfast for the Ocean Beachfront Bungalow. Other Bungalows start from ฿3000.
No Grocery stores here so buy you goodies in Krabi town.  No Medical centers or ATM’s either. I did mention it was a secluded Island with one awesome resort and a village.

** Conclusion

If you looking to stay in Krabi you can choose a hotel in Krabi town but options are quite limited if you looking for luxury. As an alternative for a night or two try this resort on Klang Island. It is quiet and peaceful. Getting away from the crowds helps in Thailand. On check out we took a 30 minute boat ride across to Railay.

South Thailand Island Guide
Boat options for Island Transfers

Phuket Tips
Phuket Map
South Thailand 13 Useful tips
Ko Phi Phi Don
Railay Beach 
Ko Lanta