First experience of the Southern Thai Islands
Private jet to the islands
After our fantastic stay at The Siam Kempinski, we were taken to the airport for our flight to Trang. Today was the absolute highlight for me, as I achieved a life-long dream - I flew on a private jet! We were dropped off at the private terminal, met by our pilot and boarded our 14-seater Gulfstream G500 to Trang. M-Jets are the biggest private jet company in Thailand and they have a number of different aircraft. If you are looking for something very special indeed, we can arrange a bespoke flight plan for you. Trust me, it's worth it.
Exploring Trang by boat
On arrival in Trang, we were taken to Bo Hin Farm Stay to explore the mangrove forest in a traditional long-tail boat. This is a great way to experience local life within a real working community village. During the trip, we were lucky enough to lend a hand with their mangrove and sea-grass reforestation project. I loved meeting the local people and I would definitely recommend spending a couple of nights here.
Koh Muk
From Trang, it's only a 15-minute speedboat journey to Koh Muk, a beautiful island with a castaway atmosphere. We stayed at The Sivalai Resort, which is a great boutique hotel situated on a sandbank at the end of the island. I would recommend one of the beachfront bungalows here, as they offer wonderful views across the Andaman Sea. In the evening, we took a trip over to Charlie’s beach, which offers the best sunset on the island. If you do make it out to Koh Muk, be sure to book a trip out to Emerald Cave - it's simply gorgeous.
Andaman island-hopping by private yacht
Early the next morning, we were collected by our own private yacht to start exploring the islands. We can recommend itineraries for your island-hopping or you can create your own personal agenda. This is absolutely perfect for travellers looking for private luxury and hoping to see the islands from a different perspective. Our first stop on the 50-person luxury yacht was the tropical island of Koh Kradan.
Koh Kradan
This island felt far less commercial than other islands, making it ideal for couples looking to escape the crowds. I took the paddleboards that were on-board the yacht and tried my hand at paddle-boarding. The sea was like a mill-pond, so it was a brilliant place to paddleboard for the first time. The visibility of the sea was remarkable. From my paddleboard, I could see all kinds of tropical fish and bright coral.
Koh Kradan has a handful of different hotels. The pick of the bunch is the Sevenseas Resort which is perfect for a secluded island escape. After lunch, we boarded the yacht once more and sailed onto Koh Lanta.
Koh Lanta
On Koh Lanta, we spent the night at The Pimalai resort, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The Pimalai is, hands down, the best hotel that I have ever stayed in. I slept in one of their hillside villas, with my own infinity pool and fantastic views of the surrounding rainforest.
The Pimalai also has a number of restaurants serving different types of cuisine and a luxury spa which is perfect for an afternoon massage. It really is hard to beat.