One of our new favourite places in Thailand is Nang Thong Beach in Khao Lak. It is a clean little town with some great restaurants, very good beaches and there are some worthwhile excursions to be done from here.
How to get there:
The easiest is to take a flight to Phuket and get a taxi from the airport to Nang Thong Beach. The drive takes about 90 minutes and you have a bit of scenery along the way. Tip: You can haggle down the price to 1500 Baht. There as no other transport services between the places so you are at the mercy of the taxi drivers.
If you are already in Phuket or Krabi you will also be able to get a direct taxi connection from these towns. The trip from Patong Beach, Phuket will also take about 90 minutes.
Hopefully the transport services between these places will improve in the future.
The easiest is to take a flight to Phuket and get a taxi from the airport to Nang Thong Beach. The drive takes about 90 minutes and you have a bit of scenery along the way. Tip: You can haggle down the price to 1500 Baht. There as no other transport services between the places so you are at the mercy of the taxi drivers.
If you are already in Phuket or Krabi you will also be able to get a direct taxi connection from these towns. The trip from Patong Beach, Phuket will also take about 90 minutes.
Hopefully the transport services between these places will improve in the future.
Where to stay:
We were dropped off by the taxi driver on a road near to the beach. We walked into a few places but found the best rooms at Nang Thong Beach Resort. The resort is clean, there is a nice pool, cheap restaurant and you have direct access to the beach.
We paid 2000 Baht a night in peak season and had a room at the back of the resort which was still fine as it was a very short walk to the pool and beach. Tip: You can order ice from the restaurant and they will bring it to your room.
Website: http://www.nangthong2.com/index.htm
We were dropped off by the taxi driver on a road near to the beach. We walked into a few places but found the best rooms at Nang Thong Beach Resort. The resort is clean, there is a nice pool, cheap restaurant and you have direct access to the beach.
We paid 2000 Baht a night in peak season and had a room at the back of the resort which was still fine as it was a very short walk to the pool and beach. Tip: You can order ice from the restaurant and they will bring it to your room.
Website: http://www.nangthong2.com/index.htm
The view from the restaurant:
Delicious seafood rice from the resort's restaurant:
The walk from the room to the beach:
Nang Thong Town
The town is a short walk from the resort up a slight hill. Along the way you will find a few shops, restaurants and other resorts. Tip: Just outside the resort's gates you will find a cheap restaurant serving great Thai food, you can also buy beers and soft drinks at the little shop.
Tip: The Resort has a shuttle service to the Main Road and they will drop you off right in front of the biggest supermarket in town.
The town is a short walk from the resort up a slight hill. Along the way you will find a few shops, restaurants and other resorts. Tip: Just outside the resort's gates you will find a cheap restaurant serving great Thai food, you can also buy beers and soft drinks at the little shop.
Tip: The Resort has a shuttle service to the Main Road and they will drop you off right in front of the biggest supermarket in town.
There are a few restaurants and pubs that line the Main Road, just don't expect the rowdy crowd of Patong in Phuket, it is a lot more laid back with some places offering live music. We had seafood one night that was a bit disappointing but when we stuck to Thai food it was very tasty and cheap.
The Monkey Pub was a personal favourite for us:
Tip: If you go up the hill from town you will find a restaurant on the right hand side that has breathtaking views. The food was excellent and very cheap for the setting. You have a bird's eye view of the whole coastal strip that forms Khao Lak.
The restaurant, the view from the deck and you can't get a much better table than the bottom pic:
The restaurant, the view from the deck and you can't get a much better table than the bottom pic:
The beach
The long sandy beach is lined by resorts and you can have a leisurely stroll all the way passing the other resorts with their beach bars and restaurants. Tip: Have a seat at one of the luxury resorts and a have a drink or two from the bars.
The beach is clean and there are hardly any touts that bother you with their goods.
Nang Thong Beach Resort had deck chairs around the pool and some on the beach. Tip: The grass embankment along the beach is a great place to sit and do some people watching without the sand infiltrating all your belongings.
The resort also has a few ladies that offer massages,manicures and pedicures at reasonable rates.
The long sandy beach is lined by resorts and you can have a leisurely stroll all the way passing the other resorts with their beach bars and restaurants. Tip: Have a seat at one of the luxury resorts and a have a drink or two from the bars.
The beach is clean and there are hardly any touts that bother you with their goods.
Nang Thong Beach Resort had deck chairs around the pool and some on the beach. Tip: The grass embankment along the beach is a great place to sit and do some people watching without the sand infiltrating all your belongings.
The resort also has a few ladies that offer massages,manicures and pedicures at reasonable rates.
