Region: Southern Thailand> Province: Phang Nga> Location: Khao Lak
Khao Lak guesthouse and hotel reviews
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Nang Thong and towards Phuket
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Bang Sak beach and surrounds
Nam Khem village and Laem Pom
Nang Thong and towards Phuket guesthouses and hotels
Nang Thong beach (commonly referred to itself as Khao Lak) is the area's major hub and this is where you'll find the biggest concentration of dive shops, nightspots and accommodation to suit the broadest range of budgets. The tsunami reached up to the main road here, but didn't go further as the ground slopes upwards from the beach quite a bit. As of June 2006 there was still a lot of rebuilding going on along the beach path, and most projects were due for completion by October or November. The main road, however, wasn't affected as badly and quickly filled up with restaurants, bars, clothes shops and Internet cafes in 2005. Immediately south of Nang Thong is Khao Lak mountain, which has several excellent top-end lodgings and a good budget choice in the Khao Lak Lamru National Park. There's also a small, sandy beach (Pepe Beach) accessed by a 5 minute walk through the rainforest off the main road. A few kilometres further south is Khao Lak beach, with a smattering of top-end resorts, and the Thap Lamu pier, the departure point for the Similan National Park.
Toprange
4,000B to 8,000B
Khao Lak Palm Beach Resort - Well-equipped
26/14 Moo 7, Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 429 200; Fax: (076) 420 095
A lavish resort amid the national park, the buildings here are fairly packed in and it feels more run-of-the-mill than Khaolak Paradise Resort next door. The rooms are fully kitted out and come ... Khao Lak Palm Beach Resort complete profile
Toprange
4,000B to 8,000B
Khaolak Merlin Resort - Extravagant
7/7 Phetkasem Rd, Khao Lak beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 428 300; Fax: (076) 443 200
The architects didn't hold back on this one -- with a fitness centre, games room, beauty salon, clinic, ballroom, conference room and no less than five pools, Merlin is the luxury traveller's idea of ... Khaolak Merlin Resort complete profile
Toprange
4,000B to 8,000B
Khaolak Paradise Resort - Terrific, but expensive
26/24 Moo 7, Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 429 100; Fax: (076) 429 129
A very stylish high-end resort on the hill at the southern end of Nang Thong beach, Paradise lives up to its name. The resort feels like it's set in the heart of the rainforest even though you also ... Khaolak Paradise Resort complete profile
Backpacker
Under 600B
Khao Lak Nature Resort - Peace in the park
26/10 Moo 7, Khao Lak, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 420 179; Fax: (076) 420 179
The Nature Resort has simple bungalows spread amid the trees of the Khao Lak Lamru National Park. Rooms are all twins, but you can push the beds together and if you're lucky you'll have a fridge on ... Khao Lak Nature Resort complete profile
Midrange
1,500B to 4,000B
Khao Lak Sunset Resort - Good value but it doesn't quite fit
26/7 Moo 7, Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 420 075-7; Fax: (076) 420 147
Khao Lak Sunset is a cheaper option than most of the other resorts up the hill at the southern end of Nang Thong, with perhaps only a little less luxury. The stark, white buildings, however, don't ... Khao Lak Sunset Resort complete profile
Midrange
1,500B to 4,000B
Nangthong Bay Resort - Central location
Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 485 088;
Nangthong Bay Resort has a great beach location at the end of the path that links Nang Thong's main road to the beach. Statues of women perpetually pour more water into the pool through pumps, a ... Nangthong Bay Resort complete profile
Midrange
1,500B to 4,000B
Suwan Palm Resort - Good choice on Nang Thong beach
30/27 Moo 7, Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (02) 9396 200; Fax: (02) 9396 499
This redone resort used to be called the Khaolak Orchid Resortel before the tsunami, and reopened for business after rebuilding in October 2005. Accommodation is in three-storey buildings set around ... Suwan Palm Resort complete profile
Backpacker
Under 600B
Father & Son - relaxing grounds
Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (081) 9560 662;
Father & Son has group of bungalows on a huge lawn behind Nang Thong Supermarket. There are two styles to choose from -- cheap and cute bamboo jobs with mosquito nets and double beds, and better, ... Father & Son complete profile
Backpacker
Under 600B
Happy Lagoon - Not always so happy
Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Sometimes referred to as the Unhappy Lagoon because of the grumpy staff, the Happy Lagoon has a row of simply-furnished, semi-detached bungalows to one side of its excellent restaurant. A bit of ... Happy Lagoon complete profile
Midrange
1,500B to 4,000B
Khao Lak Bungalow - Once intimate
26/3 Moo 7, Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 485 145; Fax: (076) 485 142
Towards the northern end of Nang Thong beach, Khao Lak Bungalow had a breezy, intimate feel after it opened late 2005, but has since been turned into a construction site. Works are due for completion ... Khao Lak Bungalow complete profile
Backpacker
Under 600B
Khao Lak Seafood - Popular spot
19/1 Moo 7, Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 420 318; Fax: (076) 423 311
Behind its popular restaurant on the main street of Nang Thong beach, Khao Lak Seafood has a dozen relatively new, very solid bungalows around a semblance of a garden. This is quite a good location ... Khao Lak Seafood complete profile
Backpacker
Under 600B
Jai Restaurant and Bungalows - Getting on
5/1 Moo 7, Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 420 390; Fax: (076) 420 390
Jai's offers slightly less value for money than the similarly set-up Khao Lak Seafood nearby. The bungalows out the back of this restaurant are more expensive, but older and tattier, and the grounds ... Jai Restaurant and Bungalows complete profile
Toprange
4,000B to 8,000B
Khaolak Wanaburee Resort - A river runs through it
26/11, Moo 7, Nang Thong beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 423 333-5; Fax: (076) 420 750
A good-looking resort wedged between the national park and the southern end of Nang Thong beach, Wanaburee was still rebuilding in June 2006 and planned to reopen in December. The beach is clean of ... Khaolak Wanaburee Resort complete profile
Bang Niang guesthouses and hotels
Situated about two kilometres to the north of Nang Thong, Bang Niang beach bore the brunt of the tsunami. The ground here is flat and the wave penetrated up to four kilometres inland. Rebuilding in Bang Niang was very quick, and aside from the police boat sitting to one side of the main road there isn't a lot of physical evidence of the disaster that stands out. There are some wonderful top-end lodgings near the beach, at the southern end of Bang Niang. You'll also find some good mid-range options on the main road, a marketplace and the infamous police boat.
Toprange
4,000B to 8,000B
Mukdara Beach Villa and Spa - Well-designed luxury
26/14, Moo 7, Bang Niang, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 429 999; Fax: (076) 420 099
The best-looking resort on Bang Niang beach sprawls over 32sq kms of well-designed luxury. Accommodation is split into two hotel wings and clusters of villas, many set around an absolutely massive ... Mukdara Beach Villa and Spa complete profile
Toprange
4,000B to 8,000B
Spa La Flora - On the beach
59/1 Moo 5, Bang Niang
Tel: (076) 428 000; Fax: (076) 428 029
Spa La Flora is one of many, large-scale, top-end resorts to open in the wake of the tsunami. Most accommodation is in three-story hotel buildings spaced amid well-maintained grounds. The rooms have ... Spa La Flora complete profile
Flashpacker
600B to 1,500B
Araya Villas - Low-key villas
53/2, Moo 5, Bang Niang, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 423 108; Fax: (076) 423 110
Araya has reasonably-priced air-con villas with high-pitched roofs set in a low-key spot on Bang Niang beach. The resort opened on December 26, 2006, exactly one year after the tsunami. Other ... Araya Villas complete profile
Backpacker
Under 600B
Emerald Guesthouse - Good value near the beach
67/26 Moo 5, Soi Haad Bang Niang, Bang Niang
Tel: (076) 420 513; Fax: (076) 420 547
In a tidy-looking emerald-green building, the rooms here are big and clean. While they aren't bursting with personality they represent good value in Bang Niang for a 5 minute walk to the beach. ... Emerald Guesthouse complete profile
Flashpacker
600B to 1,500B
Taveesub Apartment - New, but plain
26/41 Moo 5, Bang Niang, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 420 770;
Taveesub is in a big, lime green building on the main road, opposite the market in Bang Niang. It's not much to look at and sits on the busy main road, but everything's new and the beds are big and ... Taveesub Apartment complete profile
Backpacker
Under 600B
The Traveller's Inn - Small and friendly
57/5 Moo 5, Bang Niang
Tel: (081) 1716 891;
Run by a very chatty British expat, The Traveller's Inn is a good budget option near the beach in Bang Niang. The rooms are simple, but well-done and sit above a mini-mart near Spa La Flora resort. ... The Traveller's Inn complete profile
Flashpacker
600B to 1,500B
Ladda Resort - Cheap, and a noisy location
56/46 Moo 5, Bang Niang, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 486 294;
Ladda has around ten rooms in a two-story, motel style-building on a side soi about five minutes from Bang Niang beach. Unfortunately, a noisy construction site, to become a huge, top-end resort by ... Ladda Resort complete profile
Flashpacker
600B to 1,500B
Sinee Guest House and Cyberpoint Internet - Big, blue bungalows
26/18 Moo 5, Bang Niang, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 486 772;
Sinee has a small group of well-sized, blue bungalows behind an internet cafe on the main road of Bang Niang. They're good value, even if they are close to the main road and the balconies aren't ... Sinee Guest House and Cyberpoint Internet complete profile
Bang Sak beach and surrounds guesthouses and hotels
North of Bang Niang lies Khuk Khak beach, Cape Pakarang, Pak Weep beach and Bang Sak beach, and there's some fantastic top-end resorts in this area. There's no tourist centre here of the likes of Nang Thong, just a few villages and some very relaxing landscape. There's also a couple of good bamboo-hut restaurants on the road that runs along Bang Sak beach.
Midrange
1,500B to 4,000B
Similana Resort - Rainforest setting
4/7 Moo 1, Bang Sak beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 420 166; Fax: (076) 420 169
A mainstay on the Khao Lak accommodation scene for more than 10 years, the Similana escaped extensive damage from the tsunami thanks to its hilly location. It's just a two minute walk from the beach ... Similana Resort complete profile
Luxury
over 8,000B
The Sarojin - One of Asia's best
600 Moo 2, Pak Weep beach,Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 427 905; Fax: (076) 427 906
Of all of the top-end resorts along the Khao Lak coast, the Sarojin has become the most famous, and many believe the best. With stunning villas, tranquil grounds and impeccable staff, it's hard not ... The Sarojin complete profile
Midrange
1,500B to 4,000B
Best Western Premier Palm Galleria Resort - Surprising
27/102 Moo 2, Cape Pakarang, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 427 000; Fax: (076) 427 007
Things Best Western and lavish beachside resorts don't immediately come to mind at the Best Western Premier Palm Galleria Resort. The company has done a fair job here, with a good selection of ... Best Western Premier Palm Galleria Resort complete profile
Midrange
1,500B to 4,000B
Khaolak Orchid Beach Resort - Isolated spot
61 Moo 3, Khuk Khak beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 423 041; Fax: (076) 423 467
Set on an isolated spot on Khuk Khak beach, Khaolak Orchid is a good spot to get away from it all if you're willing to splurge a little. Rooms are in a three-storey, semi-circular building set around ... Khaolak Orchid Beach Resort complete profile
Toprange
4,000B to 8,000B
Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach and Spa Resort - Massive and impersonal
9/9, Moo 1, Bang Sak beach,Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 427 500; Fax: (076) 427 501
Khao Lak's branch of the worldwide super-hotel chain Le Meridien is a massive world unto itself. Set on 50 acres of well-manicured grounds, the resort has clothes shops, a dive school, travel agent, ... Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach and Spa Resort complete profile
Midrange
1,500B to 4,000B
Royal Bangsak Beach Resort - Fortress-like
2/4 Moo 8, Bang Sak beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 592 555; Fax: (076) 592 579
The Royal Bangsak is a step down from the other high-end resorts in the area, with slightly smaller rooms and few extra facilities on offer, though there is a pool near a lovely section of beach. The ... Royal Bangsak Beach Resort complete profile
Backpacker
Under 600B
Amnat's place - Small and simple
Main road, Bang Sak beach, Takua Pa
Tel: (081) 2067 746;
Amnat, a friendly Thai man, now lives alone after he lost family in the tsunami. He has a couple of simple bungalows behind the two-storey house charity group The Mercy Foundation helped him to ... Amnat's place complete profile
Backpacker
Under 600B
Pakarang Bungalows - Coziness on the cape
47/3 Moo 2, Cape Pakarang, Takua Pa
Tel: (076) 423 666-9;
Pakarang opened 20 bungalows in two neat rows amid a fairly rocky garden in December 2005. The rooms themselves are neat, with big balconies, but a bit more landscaping wouldn't go astray. It's not ... Pakarang Bungalows complete profile
Nam Khem village and Laem Pom guesthouses and hotels
Few travellers stop in the pretty little fishing village of Nam Khem, about 7km south of Takuapa. While it's not really a place to stay it's worth a day trip of you've never seen an authentic Thai coastal village. Nam Khem was established as a tin-mining centre in the mid 1900s, attracting a lot of rough characters and earning a bad reputation for its illegal casinos and brothels. By the 1990s, the tin had dried up and Nam Khem reverted to a sleepy fishing port.
The village lost proportionally the most of its inhabitants in the tsunami of any village in Thailand. A stroll around the Nam Khem reveals two large fishing boats that were washed in by the tsunami sitting by the side of the road. They've since become local landmarks.
Just south of the village is the tiny enclave of Laem Pom, which has a decent beach and a tsunami memorial park. The area is safe to visit, but it's worth knowing that Laem Pom has been at the centre of a bitter land rights dispute. Several years ago thugs employed by a well-connected Thai developer erected a barbed-wire fence around the village and tried to force the locals off the land. All of the buildings here were destroyed or severely damaged in the tsunami, and most were rebuilt in 2006. But the battle over who has rights to the land (the developer or the villagers) still rages.
For an excellent account of the lives of four Nam Khem families before, during and after the tsunami, pick up a copy of Wave of Destruction by Erich Krauss.
Backpacker
Under 600B
Suni Guesthouse - Village living
Ban Nam Khem ,Takua Pa
Tel: (081) 7286 123;
Suni Guesthouse consists of three semi-detached house off a side soi in Nam Khem village. The houses each have two bedrooms that you can rent separately or together. There's also a lounge room in ... Suni Guesthouse complete profile
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