Since this week is our 2nd week in Thailand, we all feel better and finally got over jet lag. We started traveling. We have quite a few friends in Chonburi so we decided to go visit them. Pattaya is a city in Chonburi province. I would like to take my family to visit beautiful beach in Chonburi. I remember Koh Lan that my parents took me when I was young. It was such a beautiful beach. Sand on the beach is so soft. The water is crystal clear. It is beautiful.
I would like to write this post to give everybody information if you consider to come to Koh Lan in Pattaya. I don't want to make it sounds like I am complaining about this Koh Lan visit. But I really want everybody to be aware of and don't get rip off. We didn't do enough research before we go so I would like to share about the information I got from our experience.
We drove to Pattaya. Then I started to remember why we don't like driving to this city anymore. The traffic is really busy. We were so fortunate to find the parking spot for free which maybe only available for 10 cars. If not, you have to pay about 120 baht or more per night. On the way back, we even saw some place charge 140 baht per night.
We chose to go with the slow taxi boat which cost us 30 baht per person. The boat leaves about every 1 to 1 and a half hour. When we walked in to the dock building, there are so many kiosks trying to catch you to pay for private boat. Yes, you can choose to go with them if you don't want to wait. I saw a sign show that it will cost you 400 baht per person. But I would like you to know that you have the option to pay for the cheaper one by walk until the end of the dock. There will be a big boat taxi that will cost you only 30 baht. You will have to pay just right before you go on to the boat. I was confuse and didn't know where to pay and couldn't find the the right boat to go. I was walking around for quite a while until I found someone that would like to give me information without trying to sell me their services.
The slow taxi boat ride will take about 45 minutes and will drop you on at the main dock on the island. You can find the hotels around that area but the beach at that area is not really beautiful and the water is not crystal clear.
A lot of people pack really light and rent a motor bike to go every where on the island. Then you can find the hotel that you like before the motor bike taxi try to sell you the hotels that they might get commission from.
Just for your information, the motor bike rental is only 200 baht per day with full tank of gas. We almost got rip off by the motor bike taxi at the dock that told us 500 baht per day!
The price of the hotel on the island varies. Depends on how close to the beach and which beach they are on. So if you book online, make sure you know where you are. If it not really close to the main dock, without the truck from the hotel picking you up, the motor bike taxi might ask you the price that cost more than usual price.
Our motor bike taxi told me it will cost me 50 baht to the hotel they tried to recommend us. But when my husband try to pay them, they asked for another 100 baht. So make sure that you talk to them clear about the price.
The hotel we went, we have no choice since it was almost dark. (And we were recommended by those motor bike taxi.) With our 15 months old daughter, we decided to stay. We didn't really see the beach like the picture above. But thankfully, the water is crystal clear and we still can see fish under water. I saw parrot fish too. (We were at Samae beach.)
The food at the hotel was quite expensive. Well, compare to what we pay here in Canada, it wasn't that bad. But compare to the prices on the land, it was about 2-5 times more than I usually pay.
There is 7-11 by the main dock as well. So if you need something, you can get it there. If you don't want to rent a motor bike and your hotel is not really close to that dock, I recommend you to get what you need before you go in. The price is a bit more then 7-11 on the land but still cheaper than buying from the hotel.
Our experience this time wasn't the greatest because we experience so many disappointed from the motor bike taxi and the hotel. But our 15 months old daughter had so much fun and that's all the matter right? :)
That's why I would like to share this post, so you know what to do if you are planning to visit Koh Lan which I have to say the water is crystal clear and the beach is beautiful but you have to go to the right beach on that island.
glad Summer had fun.
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