Important: Wikitravel is exploring a license upgrade to CC by-sa 3.0, please give your consent or refusal here.

From Wikitravel

Ko Siboya (เกาะศรีบอยา) is a small island 20 Km south of Krabi in Southern Thailand.

Rural life goes on.

[edit] Understand

Ko Siboya (see-boy-ya) is off the regular tourist trail. Other than the island's three resorts, you will find only a few local stalls selling household supplies, snacks and petrol as you explore the local culture. Ko Siboya is home to about a 1000 or so residents whose work is mainly in the rubber plantations or fishing. Dirt roads and foot paths connect the 4 or 5 small communities on this 3 x 10 km island. The lack of easy access to the island has limited transportation to either motorcycles or walking. A new community clinic is able to handle minor medical problems, but the medical staff is there only during daytime hours.

Ko Siboya escaped the destruction of the crushing tsunami of December 2004, as it was in the lee of Ko Jum, but did have to deal with the high water surge which devastated the island's fishing fleet.

[edit] Get in

From Krabi Town there are three possibilities:

• charter a private longtail boat (about 1000 baht)

• take a songthaew to Nua Klong (on the southern highway towards Trang), where you can transfer to another songthaew to the coastal village of Laem Kruad; from there hire a longtail or wait for the somewhat scheduled ferry over to the east shore of Ko Siboya. Then hitch a ride with a local, walk the 3 Km or call Siboya Bungalows for a pick-up.

• take a songthaew to Laem Hin (departures at 11:00 & 15:00, takes 1 hour, costs 50 baht); from there take the on-demand longtail public ferry to Laem Soma on Ko Siboya (20 baht)

You can arrange any of these trips yourself. Alternatively, go to the Siboya Guest House across from the GPO, they make sure a truck is there to take you to the bungalows (50 baht per person). If you take the ferry and arrive unannounced you'll have to snag a ride on a motor cycle; everyone on the island is very friendly just ask and don't forget to tip!

[edit] Get around

Since there is only a pedestrian/motorcycle ferry to the island, you will find only a very few working pick-up trucks. Most transport is by moto or on foot.

You can also rent a scooter in Krabi, then drive to either ferry pier, take the ferry across, and drive to your resort. This is a great way to save on money, as the scooter tariff rate is very low and they don't consume much gas.

[edit][add listing] See

Rural life goes on with little effect from tourists. About a third of the island is planted with rubber trees. Dirt roads connect the 5 small enclaves of population and 2 primary schools.

[edit][add listing] Do

It's great to sit at one of the 2 or 3 coffee shops (someones front porch) at about 7:30 AM and watch the Thais come to life. Workers finishing in the rubber plantations, children getting dropped off for school or just people catching up on gossip. We also advise catching the sunset with a cold beer or coconut from one of the local hammocks along the coastline. Also, kayaks are a great way to explore the coastline or even paddle out to Ko Kah, a small island just offshore from Thai-West Resort that has superior snorkeling to that found along the shores of Ko Siboya.

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Siboya Bungalows [1] has a very popular restaurant serving very good traditional Thai fare and many western choices. (Copy and paste these coordinates into Google Earth: 7 53 1.45 N, 98 58 42.67 E)
• Thai-West [2] has a restaurant and an oceanfront snack and drink shop (Copy and paste these coordinates into Google Earth: 7 53 26.86N, 98 58 34.54E)
• Thai-West just got a new stand-up paddle board to go along with their kayaks, windsurfer, etc.

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Siboya Bungalows [3] has a full service restaurant on the island.
• Thai-West Resort [4] has a restaurant that also serves beer, wine, and a variety of Thai alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Siboya Bungalows [5] is one accommodation on the island. 20 basic bungalows (250 baht) plus four slightly larger bungalows (350 baht); each has attached toilet/shower.

• Thai-West Resort [6] offers a range of accommodations from economy bamboo-sided bungalows to deluxe stucco houses perched over a river that runs through the resort. There is also a place called RS Home Stay that operates on the northwest portion of the island but it turns out that one of the local politicians sold them some government land that the politician didn't even own, so their status is up in the air.

• Siboya Sunset Resort (formerly Racha Resort) has several bamboo bungalows for rent.

[edit] Contact

Telephone: as of December 2006 most mobile phones will work here.

Internet: check your e-mail before leaving the mainland.

Thai-West Resort [7] has Internet access for rent, but it is satellite and fairly slow (not that the "cable modem" Internet you get on the mainland is much better).