Flight Information and Early Arrivals
Thailand: Elephants & Islands Expedition >
Flight Information and Early Arrivals
BEFORE YOU PURCHASE FLIGHTS, PLEASE VERIFY IF YOUR TRIP IS GUARANTEED TO RUN! YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION ON IF YOUR TRIP IS GUARANTEED IN YOUR REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION EMAIL OR CHECK WITH YOUR TRAVEL COORDINATOR - jenny@discovercorps.com
We have very specific arrival and departure times for your program. Please carefully read below and call us with any questions. Note, we always recommend that travelers arrive a day early to avoid any potential flight interruptions. See below for early arrival hotel details.
Fly into and out of Phuket International Airport in Phuket, Thailand (airport code HKT)
Arrive on the first day of the trip between 10:00 am-4:30 pm.
Depart on the final day of the trip after 6pm.*
*IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR DEPARTURE DAY - You will be taking a speed boat from Koh Phi Phi to Phuket on the final day. There is one speed boat per day departing around 12 pm. You can coordinate your departing flight based on these times but you must allow time for sea travel and land transfer, for this reason please not schedule flights until after 6pm. Please note that we drop off all travelers directly at the airport upon arrival to Phuket from Koh Phi Phi, typically arriving to the airport around 2pm. If you wish to book a hotel to relax/spend the day please see below at some alternative options we suggest in the Early Arrival/Late Departure section.
Bangkok Extension:
Arrive at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on the first day between 10:00 am-8:00 pm for the Thailand Elephants Islands Expedition.
Depart Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) anytime after 6:00 pm on the last day of the extension. We recommend scheduling your departure flight as close to 6:00 pm as possible since there will only be one airport drop-off around 3:00 pm on the final day.
The one-way domestic flight from Phuket is included in the price of the supplement
Chiang Mai Extension:
Arrive at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on the first day between 10:00 am-8:00 pm for the Thailand: Elephants Islands Expedition trip.
Depart anytime on the last day of the extension from the Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) . The trip will end with breakfast on the last day; however, transfers can be made any time of the day for your flight home.
The one-way domestic flight from Phuket is included in the price of the supplement
Angkor Wat Extension:
Arrive at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on the first day of the trip between 10:00 am-6:30 pm. Arrival outside of this window on the first day may require a supplemental transfer fee.
Depart from Siem Reap (SAI) on the last day of the extension anytime after 12pm .
The one-way domestic flight from Phuket is included in the price of the supplement
Early Arrival/Late Departure
Discover Corps recommends that you arrive a day prior to the start date to avoid missing part of the trip in case of any flight delays or cancellations.
Please note that if you decide to arrive earlier:
You can book an early night at the hotel directly.
You are responsible for the transfer from the airport to the hotel.
We can arrange to pick you up at your hotel on the first day of the itinerary. Please let your Travel Coordinator know where you will be staying.
The recommended hotel for early arrivals is where you will be staying on the first night of your trip:
If your trip is before November 2024
Old Phuket Hotel, Karon Beach Resort- This is the hotel you will stay at for the first 2 nights of the trip. If you are arriving early and wish to stay at the same hotel you can book an early night directly through the hotel.
Booking.com (Old Phuket Hotel, Karon Beach Resort)
Starting November 2024
My Beach Hotel - This is the first 2 nights of the trip - if you are arriving early and wish to stay at the same hotel you can book an early night directly through the hotel.
If your outbound flight from Phuket departs late in the day and you do not want to wait at the Phuket Airport, there are two hotels within a 5 minute- drive from the HKT airport that Discover Corps can drop you off at. They can arrange airport transfers.
Please email your confirmation to your Travel Coordinator.
If you plan to arrive before the trip start date or stay extra days and need help with booking a hotel and airport transportation, our partner Wings Travel can assist you. Please note, you do not need to book flights to use the hotel and airport transfer service. To get a quote from Wings Travel, please click here for their contact information.
Book Your Flights
Discover Corps' dedicated flight partner for all of our trips is the team at Wings Travel. Their team know all of the flight windows and details for each of the destinations that we work in. Please always make sure that your trip is guaranteed to run before booking any airfare!
To get a quote from Wings Travel, please see the details below:
Get a Quote by Phone: Call (346) 396-4538. Our representative, Melanie Carter, is available 6am-3pm PST.
Get a quote by Email: Email our representative Melanie Carter at Melanie.Carter@wings.travel with the details below and she will be in touch with a quote.
Please have the following in hand when you are booking your flights:
Exact trip arrival and departure dates (including any extensions that you are taking)
Arrival and departure airports
Confirmation that your trip is guaranteed to run
Map of the boat ride from Phi Phi Island to the Airport (~2 hours)
