Khao Lak Information – Khao Lak belongs to the Takuapa district in Phang Nga province in the south of Thailand and is situated on the west coast facing the Andaman Sea, lying within one to two hours drive of other popular tourist destinations such as Krabi and Phuket. A large proportion of this province is still covered by forest, and most of it is designated as national park areas.
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Khao Lak itself is a national park, rich in natural attractions and a hub to many other places in Phang Nga. Khao Lak’s biggest attraction is the beauty of its natural borders – the Andaman Sea on one side, and beautiful natural forests on the other sides.
The center of Khao Lak area is La-On village, only a kilometre in length, but home to a great collection of restaurants. Here you will find a small but good selection of Thai & European restaurants. If you’re looking for night life than you in the wrong place, which doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on, just that it is quiet. The best address for a night out is the Happy Snapper.
The shopping scene in La-On village is dominated by souvenir shops which come to life as the afternoon grows late and cools off. They offer just about every thing imaginable from t-shirts to beach gear, art, CDs and DVDs, silk wall hangings, wooden knickknacks and of course, paintings.
In the village you will find a few internet cafes and photo shops. ATMs, banks and money exchange booths are also found in the village. North along the main road you will find Bang Niang with many new places for dining, shopping & drinking. The best way to get around in Bang Niang is to walk. Walk the main street towards the beach or better yet, walk right onto the beach. In Bang Niang you will find the police boat which was washed up on shore during the tsunami in 2004.
Khao Lak Information Topics
Season and Weather in Khao Lak
Southern Thailand has only two seasons – the Wet and Dry seasons. The south west monsoon brings rain and often storms from May through October. The dry high season for the Khao Lak area is from November to April. Then it is mostly sunny and if it does rain, then only briefly. So, great weather conditions for snorkelers, scuba divers and beach lovers alike, with average temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius.
History of Khao Lak
Before tourism became the main source of income the locals worked in tin mining, rubber and coconut plantations or went fishing. Until the end the 80’s there were only a few small settlements in the area. A small fishing village called “Khao Lak”, which was destroyed by the tsunami in 2004, gave name to a whole region. At the beginning of the 90’s the former rubber farming community “La-On” became a central tourist spot. Still kind of a village, it took over the name Khao Lak, the same as the whole area. Khao Lak now consists of La-On, Bang Niang, Khuk Khak, Pak Weep and Bang Sak. The first tourist development in La-On, which is located at Nang Thong Beach, took place in 1987. At the end of the 90’s, the first real tourist boom took place.
The Beaches of Khao Lak
You will find more than 20 km of beaches here with rocky parts now and then, lagoons, kasuarina trees, palm trees and many other exotic plants.
Khao Lak Beach
You will find Baan Khao Lak here, a small village. The beach here is still very natural with many old kasuarina trees. In the north is bordered by the Lamru National Park.
Sunset Beach
This beach is about 1 km long and characterized by many rocks and small lagoons which make this beach interesting and adventurous. There are steep hills just 50 to 100 m back of the beach.
Laguna Beach
This small 500m stretch of beach is situated between Sunset and Nang Thong Beach. The land behind the beaches is very flat.
Nang Thong Beach
The beach looks very similar to Laguna Beach. Small boulders and rocks, often covered with mussels and shells, poke out of a shallow sea and in the northern part you will find a small lagoon. It is a perfect place to enjoy bathing and swimming throughout the year.
Bang Niang Beach
This is the longest part of the whole beach with a length of about 3.5 km. Here there are no rocks or boulders in the sea and the area behind the beach is flat. Read More about Bang Niang Beach…
Khuk Khak Beach
Another long beach about 3 km long, interspersed with small lagoons. The hinterland is characterized by small kasuarina forests, coconut plantations and lakes which are relics from the tin mining time.
Cape Pakarang
This tip of a small peninsula marks the western most point of Thailand’s mainland. The beach is long and flat and shallow. The northern part is covered with broken corals and is not recommended for swimming.
Pak Weep Beach
This is a beautiful natural beach with a length of about 2 km with fine white sand.
Bang Sak Beach
A 3 km beach with changing character, the southern part being very natural. The middle part has a road running parallel to the beach. This part is popular for Thai people, coming from Takuapa and neighbouring villages. Here you can find many small Thai restaurants.
Getting There
By Air
From Bangkok by air to either Phuket Airport or Krabi International Airports, then continue overland. Daily flights from Bangkok to Krabi and Bangkok to Phuket are conducted by Thai Airways in both high and low seasons. Contact us for Flights to Khao Lak and Airport Transfers.
By Road
From Bangkok, travel via Highway 4 south to Phang-Nga province. Khao Lak lies 30kms past the town of Takua Pa on the main highway. Travel time from Bangkok is about 12 hours. Daily bus services running from Bangkok to Phang-Nga leave from the southern bus terminal in Thon Buri, and there are many private services available from almost any travel agent and hotel tour desk in the city.
From Phuket you follow route 402. Pass the Sarasin bridge to Phang-Nga province, turn onto Highway 4 and head toward Thai Muang and Thap Lamu. Khao Lak lies just beyond. It takes about 90 minutes. Bus services from Phuket to Phang-Nga town are also available hourly from the Phuket bus terminal. The trip takes about 2hours. In Phang-Nga Town catch a local bus to Takua Pa and asked to be let off at Khao Lak, or Ban La-on. Phuket-Khao Lak bus tickets
From Krabi take Route 4 north to Phang-Nga, through the town and continue on Route 4 through Takua Thung, Thai Muang, and then to Khao Lak. The trip can take up to 2 hours depending on weather and road conditions. If going by bus from Krabi, take one heading toward Phuket, and change at Kochloi to a bus heading for Takua Pa and Ranong. Ask to be dropped at Khao Lak or Ban La-on.
Getting Around
There are 2 categories of transportation in Khao Lak:
- 1st category – Cars, motorbikes, and bicycles. Rental cars re available at the airports or can be booked in advance. Many hotels can arrange for motorbike rentals, and some also have mountain bikes available.
- 2nd category – Local taxi trucks, hotel shuttle buses.
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