by Amanda/Backpacking Tips Asia
(Oslo, Norway)
Beach in Khao Lak
Khao Lak is located in south Thailand, not far from Phuket and Krabi. I bought a ticket for a minivan from Ao Nang to Khao Lak, and the ride took 3 hours. Khao Lak is well-known for Similan islands -- some of the best islands in Thailand to go diving!
I spent a couple of days in Khao Lak during my backpacking trip in Thailand (Jan 2008). I was on a low budget, and one of the cheapest guesthouses I found was Sri Guesthouse.
Price per night: 500B
This guesthouse reminds me a lot of a motel. The room was OK. Large bed and decent bathroom. My room was on the 2nd floor, and yet, there were lots of ants on my bed. They kept crawling onto the bed. Sri Guesthouse is OK, but next time I would stay at another place in Khao Lak. It's pretty charmless and cheap. A good option for budget travelers.
The town has some good restaurants. I went to Fisherman Bar to have some red curry with chicken, and it was delicious (70-80B). I also tried their Panaeng curry with chicken and Pad Thai with shrimps. Both were good dishes.
Unfortunately, it was raining most of the time I was in Khao Lak and there was lots of thunder in the evening. I'm sure Khao Lak is more beautiful than I've witnessed. Despite the rain, the beach was nice.
I left Khao Lak after 3 days. I moved on to where the sun was shining, and that was Ranong. And afterward Hua Hin and Cha-am.
How to get to Khao Lak: Khao Lak is easily accessible from most towns in south Thailand including Krabi, Surat Thani and Phuket. Minivans is the ordinary means of transportation to Khao Lak. If you're arriving at Phuket airport, there are pre-booked taxis to Khao Lak at fixed prices, about 1600B (1,5 hour).
From Bangkok, there are night buses that pass Khao Lak and continues to Phuket. The buses leave the Southern bus terminal.
Last updated: May 02, 2012