Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [538]
KHAO LAK & AROUND
Khao Lak is a one-horse town. And that lone horse is a one-trick pony. Diving drives the economy here, and beyond that, there isn’t a whole lot to do – sure, the beach is nice, but the reefs are nicer. These days, the big draw is live-aboard diving trips, which explore the stunning Similan and Surin Archipelagos. The air in Khao Lak is thick with anticipation as visitors gear up to swim with the fishes.
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Orientation & Information
Khao Lak sits on a long stretch of coastline scalloped by long, attractive beaches. Hwy 4 runs parallel to the beach about 1.5km inland, connecting several little clumps of businesses and accommodation. This section encompasses four beaches (from south to north): Khao Lak, Nang Thong, Bang Niang and Bang Sak. Most of the action takes place around Nang Thong. Khao Lak/Lam Ru National Park is just south of Khao Lak Beach.
For diving-related emergencies, call the SSS Ambulance (08 1081 9444) emergency, which rushes injured persons down to Phuket for treatment. The ambulance can also be used for car or motorcycle accidents. There is also one nurse in Bang Niang who caters to diving related injuries.
There are numerous travel agencies scattered about – many just a desk on the side of the road – and most of these do laundry and rent motorbikes for around 250B per day. The post office is in Tabla Mu near the Khao Lak Merlin resort.
Sights
While travelling along the Andaman Coast, you will undoubtedly still hear whispers of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Of Thailand’s beach destinations damaged by the wave, the area around Khao Lak suffered the most. A police boat, slightly north of central Khao Lak, was brought by the tide to its present location (about 2km inland) when the giant wave ploughed through the harbour. The boat remains on the hill – a monument to those lost and a reminder of nature’s raw power.
The area immediately south of Hat Khao Lak has been incorporated into the 125-sq-km Khao Lak/Lam Ru National Park (0 7642 0243; www.dnp.go.th; adult/child 200/100B; 8am-4.30pm), a beautiful collection of sea cliffs, 1000m hills, beaches, estuaries, forested valleys and mangroves. Wildlife seen in the park includes hornbills, drongos, tapirs, gibbons, monkeys and Asiatic black bears. The visitor centre, just off Hwy 4 between the 56km and 57km markers, has little in the way of maps or printed information, but there’s a very nice open-air restaurant perched on a shady slope overlooking the sea.
Guided treks along the coast or inland can be arranged through Poseidon Bungalows ( Click here), as can long-tail boat trips up the scenic Khlong Thap Liang estuary. The latter afford opportunities to view mangrove communities of crab-eating macaques. Between Khao Lak and Bang Sak is a network of sandy beach trails – some of which lead to deserted beaches – which are fun to explore on foot or by rented motorcycle. Most of the hotels in town rent out motorbikes for 250B per day.
Activities
DIVING
Khao Lak is the official gateway to the underwater paradise in the Similan and Surin islands. Diving and snorkelling day trips are quite popular, but the live-aboard excursions are out of this world. On these two-, three-, four- or five-day trips, you’ll wake up with the dawn and slink below the ocean’s surface up to four times per day to cavort with slippery reef sharks, sly rays and surly barracuda in what’s commonly considered to be one of the top 10 diving realms in the world. Longer live-aboard trips visit Richelieu Rock – the crème de la crème of the region’s sites. Discovered by Jacques Cousteau (he was led there by local fishermen), the horseshoe-shaped pinnacle rises dramatically from the ocean floor. Only a finger of stone manages to poke through the sea’s churning surface so you really feel like you’re diving in the middle of nowhere.