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On this lovely island we have a cache in the name of Cathy for
getting this cache back from the dead. :-)
Take the day and walk the island only 5 km all the way around.
Ko Kret (also Koh Kred) is an island in the Chao Phraya River, 20 km north of Bangkok
The island dates only to 1722, when a canal was constructed as a shortcut to bypass a bend in the Om Kret branch of the Chao Phraya river. As the canal was widened several times, the section cut off eventually became a separate island. The island continues to serve as a refuge to the Mon tribes who dominated central Thailand between the 6th and 10th centuries and have retained a distinct identity in their flavor of Buddhism and, particularly at Ko Kret, their pottery.
Getting there
The easiest way to reach Ko Kret is to take the once-weekly Chao Phraya Express Ko Kret tour, which leaves the Central Pier (BTS Saphan Taksin) every Sunday at 09:00 and visits a number of attractions before returning at 15:30. The cost of the cruise and guided tour is 300 baht (no lunch). Many other companies also offer similar tours, often just as a stop on a longer upriver trip to Ayutthaya.
Independent travel to Ko Kret is a little more challenging. The easiest option is to take public bus 166 from Victory Monument (at the footbridge's end) or bus 505 from Central World to the end of the line in the Pak Kret market. From there, you have to walk about 500 meters (or take a moto/samlor) towards the river to the ferry pier, which is located behind Wat Sanam Neua.
More fun, though, is to arrive by boat. If you're willing to get up at the crack of dawn, the Chao Phraya "green flag" express boat offers a direct service from BTS Saphan Taksin to Pak Kret (pier N33), but during peak hours only. As of February 2010, boats run every 15-20 min in both directions from 6:15 to 8 AM in the morning, and again from 3:30 PM to 6 PM in the evening, with no service on Sundays. The trip costs 20 baht and takes just over an hour.
Outside peak hours, the closest you can get is Nonthaburi pier, the last stop (pier N30) of the normal Chao Phraya Express Boat. From here, the options are:
Take the air-con van service (just 10 baht) or public bus 32 to Pak Kret, then head to the ferry pier serving the island. The catch is that there's no signage in English, so finding your way can be tricky.
Hire a river taxi, for which touts will quote prices around 500 baht. With enough haggling this may be a reasonable option for a group.
If you can't get a return trip for less than 200 baht (and you probably can't), it'll be cheaper to take a taxi to the temple of Wat Sanam Neua (80-90 baht) in the neighboring district of Pak Kret, from where ferries shuttle across the river to the island pretty much non-stop for the princely sum of 2 baht (return). Just tell the cabbie "Ko Kret", they will understand.
Getting back is more interesting still, the easy way out again being the river taxi, plenty of which lounge about near the pier. If not, take the ferry back to Wat Sanam Neua, then take a moto or samlor out of the soi (5 baht) to the main street. From here you can easily grab a taxi back to pier, or try your luck with the many buses, minibuses and songthaews heading back to central Nonthaburi and Bangkok. The pier you want to return to is Tha Nam Nonburi or simply Tha Nam Chao Phya in Thai (Chao Phraya Pier).
Get around
Compared to getting in, getting around is easy: the most popular option is your feet.
The island is roughly square in shape, each side measuring about 2 km, and a path runs around the entire island. The walk at a pleasant pace takes about 1.5- 2 hours.
Other options are renting a bicycle from the outfit located in Moo 6; from the 2 baht ferry crossing make your way counterclockwise around the island about 200 meters. At about the same point, which is near the end of the touristed area, motorcycle taxis wait to take people around.
If you walk and get tired, you can proceed down one of the paths leading out to piers by the river. From these local piers, you can flag down a small water-taxi. These miniature versions of the famous Thai long tailed boats will zip you around the island and back to the Pak Kret pier on the mainland if you like. Prices are reasonable, maybe 20 baht per person for a group of 4 and the ride warrants a Disneyland "E" ticket, but better know how to swim as life vests are not included. Also do not expect to use English with the boatman.
You can also rent a bicycle at couple of places (for example in Village #1), yet do not expect to find one with seat for small kids.
Sightseeing boats that do a loop of the island (see itinerary below) leave the pier every single hour from 9AM to 5PM, costing 50 baht/person. There is also the possibility of renting a boat at the price of 500-4,000 Baht depending on the distance and the size of the boat. It will take around 1 hour and a half for the whole trip. For more information, please contact Wat Poramaiyikawat Pier at 0 2584 5012.
While the locals speak little English, there are useful multilingual maps of the island near the ferry pier and at a couple other points around the island. There are occasional distance signposts along the footpath, and most sights around the island have been labeled in English.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gvf ba onpx bs gur fvta.