Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [610]
The park officially closes in the low season (May through October), when virtually all boats stop running.
Return to beginning of chapter
Ko Tarutao
Most of Ko Tarutao’s whopping 152 sq km is covered in dense, old-growth jungle that rises sharply up to the park’s 713m peak. Mangrove swamps and impressive limestone cliffs circle much of the island, and the western coast is lined with quiet white-sand beaches.
Tarutao has a sordid history that partly explains its great state of preservation today. Between 1938 and 1948, more than 3000 Thai criminals and political prisoners were incarcerated here, including interesting inmates like So Setabutra, who compiled the first Thai-English dictionary while imprisoned on the island. During WWII food and medical supplies from the mainland were severely depleted and hundreds of prisoners died from malaria. The prisoners and guards mutinied, taking to piracy in the nearby Strait of Malacca until they were suppressed by British troops in 1944.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
The overgrown ruins of the camp for political prisoners can be seen at Ao Taloh Udang, in the southeast of the island, reached via a long overgrown track. The prison camp for civilian prisoners was over on the eastern coast at Ao Taloh Waw, where the big boats from Satun’s Tammalang pier now dock. A concrete road runs across the island from Ao Taloh Waw to Ao Pante Malacca on the western coast, where you’ll find the park headquarters, bungalows and the main camping site. Boats travel between Ao Pante Malacca and Pak Bara on the mainland.
Next to the park headquarters at Ao Pante Malacca, a steep trail leads through the jungle to Toe-Boo Cliff, a dramatic rocky outcrop with fabulous views towards Ko Adang and the surrounding islands.
Ao Pante Malacca has a lovely alabaster beach shaded by pandanus and casuarinas. If you follow the large stream flowing through here inland, you’ll reach Tham Jara-Khe (Crocodile Cave), once home to deadly saltwater crocodiles. The cave is navigable for about 1km at low tide and can be visited on long-tail tours from the jetty at Ao Pante Malacca.
Immediately south of Ao Pante Malacca is Ao Jak, which has another fine sandy beach; and Ao Molae, which also has fine white sand and a ranger station with bungalows and a camp site. A 30-minute boat ride or 8km walk south of Ao Pante is Ao Son, an isolated sandy bay where turtles nest between September and April. You can camp here but there are no facilities. Ao Son has decent snorkelling, as does Ao Makham, further south. From the small ranger station at Ao Son you can walk inland to Lu Du Falls (about 1½ hours) and Lo Po Falls (about 2½ hours).
SLEEPING & EATING
All the formal park accommodation on Ko Tarutao is around the park headquarters at Ao Pante Malacca and at Ao Molae, where you can pay your park entry fee (400B). The accommodation (open November to mid-May) is far more sensitive to the environment than the average Thai resort. Water is rationed, rubbish is transported back to the mainland, lighting is provided by power-saving light bulbs, and electricity is available between 6pm and 7am only. Accommodation can be booked at the park headquarters (0 7478 3485; cabins 600-1200B) in Pak Bara, or through the Royal Forest Department (0 2561 4292/3) in Bangkok.
Camping is permitted under casuarinas at Ao Pante Malacca, Ao Molae and Ao Taloh Waw, where there are toilet and shower blocks, or on the wild beaches at Ao Son, Ao Makham and Ao Taloh Udang, where you’ll need to be totally self-sufficient.
The park authorities run two canteens (dishes 40-120B), one at Ao Pante Malacca, the other near the jetty at Ao Taloh Waw.
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Boats connecting Pak Bara and Ko Lipe stop at Ko Tarutao along the way; Click here for detailed