Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand with some amazing experiences for tourists and travellers to discover, including its stunning beaches, amazing viewpoints, fantastic food and welcoming people. However, if you have time to spare then it’s easy enough to drive over Sarasin Bridge at the northern tip of the island to explore Phang-Nga Province and the Andaman Sea coastline. Let’s take a closer look at Khao Lak, one of the most popular mainland destinations just a short trip away.
Out & About
In the past few years Khao Lak has become more popular. Nearby are waterfalls, woody hills, and national parks. What charms most people are the white sand beaches that stretch far up the coastline. Stay for a few nights here and chill out, or participate in a whole range of enjoyable activities.
The actual town of Khao Lak is quite small and you can easily choose accommodation within walking distance of the beach and local restaurants. There’s not too much going on in town but you can amuse yourselves by hunting for souvenirs, sampling the fresh seafood or sunbathing. A picnic under a shady tree can be relaxing, or hire a longtail boat for a fishing or snorkeling trip along the coast.
Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park
Just a few km’s south is Lam Ru National Park, covering 125 sq.km it’s a gorgeous view of sea cliffs, inlets, tropical forest, and mangroves. There is a huge amount of wildlife and you might be lucky enough to spot gibbons, monkeys and hornbills, even an Asiatic black bear or two!
Diving and Boat Tours Khao Lak
The area’s a point of departure for diving and snorkeling day trips. Anyone wanting to join one of the many live-aboard diving trips to the Similan and Surin archipelagos dive sites can do so from here. From 2 days to a week, or even longer, excursions offer glimpses of reef sharks, barracuda, sly rays and giant mantra rays. When booking boat tours from Khao Lak you’re guaranteed 3 or 4 dives a day to one of the best dive sites in the world.
It can be pretty quiet during the low season, May to Sept., and many of the smaller businesses tend to close up for a while. On the plus side there are less people around, it’s quiet and hotel rates are lower. Similan National Park also closes during this time so check before you decide to go.
La Moet Phuket with their comfortable boat offers boat tours from Khao Lak to Phang Nga bay that everyone remembers. It’s an ideal opportunity to avoid the crowds and tourists, a day that is both stunning, relaxing and memorable.
