BootsnAll Travel Community

Trying to figure out a route back into Malaysia from Koh Phan Gan. We're aiming for the Perenthians and Taman Negara, in no particular order.

But we do have a couple of conditions:

• We don't want to be on the road for ages at a time. (None of this getting up at 6am and not getting there until 9pm).
  
• We don't want to travel in the area SE of Hat Yai (it would invalidate our travel insurance and we can't afford to take the risk for health reasons).

We don't mind breaking up the journey by stopping off in places like Krabi or Penang.

Any suggestions?

Anyone used and would recommend a travel agent in Koh Phan Gan recently? (We're at Hadd Yao, but can travel for a reliable travel agent).

KG

The most direct route would be to train it from Surat Thani straight to the border and onto Kota Bharu, however this does involve travelling through Hat Hai so is not an option. I did a similar route last summer and to avoid this area it will be best to go to Taman negara first anf then travel through Malaysia to get to the Perhentians. If you dont fancy spending ages on the road you can get cheap flights out of Krabi or Phuket to KL (airasia.com) and then from there you can arrange transport to Taman Negara. There are not tourist agencies in Malaysia as there are in Thailand, so if you were to go from KL - TN you might be able to organise a ticket from your hostel, or there is a Taman Negara office in KL opposite the Hotel Istana in Kompleks Antarabangsa. You can go the whole way to TN by road, or you can go by road to Kuala Tembeling and then go by boat through the rainforest, which although takes longer is definately worth it!

Then from park HQ you can go by bus through to Kota Bharu and boat to the Perhentians. By the way its def worth the few extra RM to take the fast boat.

Hope this helps

This site gives you information on the Perhentians end and also some broad strokes on getting to Kota Bharu.

Getting to Kota Bharu looks like either bussing from Butterworth or flying from Penag or KL and some more information on that here

KPG&P ex KPG would be a ferry back to Surat Thani on the mainland and you can do that from KPG.

I would get a train or bus to Butterworth and then either the Bus or plane from there.

Taman Negara would be on your way further south then and a train or bus from Kota Bharu to Jerantut would then seem to be your options, some details here

quote:

Originally posted by gonorth:
Taman Negara would be on your way further south then and a train or bus from Kota Bharu to Jerantut would then seem to be your options, some details here

Thank - meant to say that we wanted to include a trip on the Jungle railway (North to South) in ou trip to Taman Negara so I will take a look at this.

KG

quote:

Originally posted by gonorth:
KPG&P ex KPG would be a ferry back to Surat Thani on the mainland and you can do that from KPG.

?

KPG

Koh Pha (n) Gan

quote:

Originally posted by gonorth:
Koh Pha (n) Gan

Hmm - yes. Finally got it myself after a few hours. Must have water on the brain from all that snorkelling...

KPG (the person, no the island)