Khao Lak

Khao Lak's kilometer after kilometer of sandy beaches play host to many excellent beachfront hotels. Hotels here have the same quiet relaxed atmosphere that's found throuout Khao Lak.

Some hotels to check out are Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach Resort, La Flora and Khaolak Merlin Resort. Here's the full list of Khao Lak hotels. (Read more...)

Khao Lak is virtually surrounded by national parks, making eco-friendly tours an easy option to say the least. But in the eco-friendly bracket there are subdivisions in that you can choose between a waterfall tour, a sea canoe tour, a visit to the Similan or Surin islands and of course elephant trekking or simply hiking in the parks.

In rainy season white-water rafting is exhilarating while all year round you can do a temple tour. Khao Lak's driving conditions are much calmer and saner than Phuket's so renting a jeep and simply exploring the surrounding countryside is a pleasant way to find out more about Thailand. (Read more...)

In all, Khao Lak encompasses seven consecutive beaches: Sunset Beach, Nang Thong, Bang Niang, Khuk Khak, Pakarang, Bang Sak and Pakwib beaches. What people call Khao Lak Beach is actually made up of three smaller beaches – Sunset Beach in the southern sector, Nang Thong Beach the middle part and Bang Niang Beach, which makes up the northern end. 

The main north-south highway runs parallel to the beaches and there are several smaller roads leading down to them and the resorts. Most of these beaches are virtually deserted and a far cry from crowded and sometimes chaotic Patong. (Read more...)

Khao Lak has a plethora of natural attractions. There are waterfalls, hot springs, national parks and unusual flora and fauna. At Ton Patiwat there is a Wildlife Preservation Centre made up of a forested area with streams and small waterfalls.

Elephant trekking is one of the highlights of tour programs at Ton Patiwat. Several local travel companies offer eco-tourism trips here, for all age groups. The Centre is located in Tambon Sorngprak, between the routes from Phang Nga Town to Kapong. Khao Lak National Park also has lots of natural attractions in the same vein and is worth a visit. (Read more...)

Khao Lak, for many, is the ideal chill-out holiday destination and therefore any strenuous activity is eschewed, on paper at least. But after a while visitors find themselves wishing for a bit of action and this is where the local national parks come into the equation.

Although the Khao Lak National Park is technically speaking in neighbouring Surat Thani Province, many people regard it as being in the same general area. At 645 square kilometres it is quite a large area to explore and it is best to do it through a tour company. Lunch and elephant trekking is inclusive. Scuba diving off the offshore islands is superlative. (Read more...)

Khao Lak is similar to most Thai tourist destinations in that local cuisine can be had as well as international fare. The main thoroughfare, Petkasem Road, features a good choice of restaurants ranging from Issan (Northwest Thailand) cuisine to Scandinavian with most eateries situated in the centre of town although there are good choices in the northern part, too.

Turn down the road to Bang Niang Beach (by the 7-Eleven) and you will pass several restaurants as well as at and around the beach itself due to the high concentration of resorts there. Fine dining is to be had at Le Meridien and Sarojin resorts. (Read more...)

Khao Lak is no Pattaya or Patong. Nightlife is seasonal in that from December to May there are many visitors, thus injecting a spark into the nightlife vacuum. The rest of the year the many expat dive shop operators make up the party animal quota.

Although Petkasem Road offers bars and pubs, the small roads off it also have nightlife and in Bang Niang you will find Song's Bar – a popular haunt amongst the aforementioned local dive operators. Perhaps the most popular watering hole is the Happy Snapper to the north of town, a venue featuring live music. Live music and dancing are also to be found in Le Meridien. (Read more...)

Convenience stores are everywhere and if you head north out of Khao Lak centre you will come across a stylish shopping plaza with an excellent bookstore, boutiques and across the road a clinic with a pharmacy.

Local markets sell a good range of fresh products while roadside stores sell the usual beach toys, DVD's, CD's and computer games plus beachwear, T-shirts and shorts as well as Thai handicrafts. There are probably more opticians per head in Khao Lak than almost anywhere else in Thailand. Why this is, is anyone's guess but it does mean that there are some good optical deals going. (Read more...)