Beaches in Khao Lak and Takua Pa

Khao Lak South Beach is located at the Southern end of the Khao Lak Lamru National park. With a length of about 2km it is the shortest of Khao Lak’s‚ beaches. Khao Lak South Beach is the one with the most tropical atmosphere, located in the middle of large granite rocks, tall shady casuarina trees and other huge tropical flora and fauna. It is nestled beneath the mountains and National Park and is idea for a quieter beach spot; not many tourists walk along here, but you can still find the odd massage hut to give you a ‘Head, Neck and Shoulders’ after your stroll along the sand.

The only hotels located here are the Merlin Hotel, Emerald Hotel, Diamond Hotel and The Briza Hotel. This is a small, but perfectly adequate, tourist area. It has all necessary amenities to hand: two ATMs, a currency exchange desk, a few small supermarkets, souvenir shops, opticians, tailors and a dozen or so restaurants and bars.

Sunset Beach is located just after the Khao Lak Lamru National park. The hotels that line this beach are Sunset Hotel, Palm Beach Hotel, Bayfront Resort, Paradise Resort, Khao Lak Resort Hotel and Wanaburee.

All the hotels along here are on Highway 4 among jungle trees and perched on the slope of the mountain, within the lush vegetation of the rainforest. Sunset Beach has restaurants, bars, supermarkets and small in-house tailors that are provided by the hotels, but Khao Lak centre is within walking distance for more retail choices.

Nang Thong Beach is the tourist centre of Khao Lak. The beach is golden yellow, with sporadic granite rock protrusions and large casuarina trees and coconut palms around the edges. It is a wide beach, with a background of tropical trees on the mountain slopes. It is a perfect place for walks and has the best facilities of all the beaches. There are many supermarkets, typical Thai family restaurants, pubs, bars for every taste, banks, exchange bureaus, tailors, souvenir shops, opticians, photo shops, pharmacies, doctors, dentists, book stores, street vendors, and many diving schools.

There are some hotels here, such as Laguna Hotel, Baan Khao Lak Hotel, Seaview Hotel, Golden Place Hotel, Suwan Palm Resort, Countryside Hotel, Green Beach Resort, Nangthong1 Hotel, NangThong2 Resort, Oriental Hotel, Bhandari Hotel, Ocean Breeze Hotel as well as some small bungalows.

Bang Niang Beach is the next small village north of Khao Lak (La Own), about 5-10 minutes drive away. The beach of Bang Niang is not as broad as that of Nang Thong or Sunset, but it does have a very good selection of hotels such as Chong Fah Resort, La Flora Hotel, Ramada Resort, Khaolak Resort, Sudala Hotel, Ayara Villas, Casa De La Flora and many more.

There are plenty of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, ATMs, exchange bureaus, massage parlours, opticians and tailors here. In particular, there is an interesting market in Bang Niang on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in the afternoon. Other places of interest in Bang Niang are an impressive tsunami museum and across from the market you can find a police boat that was washed inshore by the 2004 tsunami.

Khuk Khak Beach is very long; it reaches from Bang Niang to Pakarang. It is quite wide and there are often lagoons or rivers that you will need to cross if you are walking along here. There are a few hotels in Khuk Khak, including the JW Marriott, Orchid and Andamania, each is several hundred meters apart from the next, all spaced at a comfortable distance.

Except for a few beach restaurants and massage huts, there are only a couple of supermarkets along the highway here, but Khao Lak centre is just 10 minutes away in a taxi. Khuk Khak Beach is quiet, but one of the most beautiful places to take a long walk.

Bang Niang Beach is the next small village north of Khao Lak (La Own), about 5-10 minutes drive away. The beach of Bang Niang is not as broad as that of Nang Thong or Sunset, but it does have a very good selection of hotels such as Chong Fah Resort, La Flora Hotel, Ramada Resort, Khaolak Resort, Sudala Hotel, Ayara Villas, Casa De La Flora and many more.

There are plenty of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, ATMs, exchange bureaus, massage parlours, opticians and tailors here. In particular, there is an interesting market in Bang Niang on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in the afternoon. Other places of interest in Bang Niang are an impressive tsunami museum and across from the market you can find a police boat that was washed inshore by the 2004 tsunami.

Pak Weep and Bangsak Beaches are the quietest and least developed sections in Khao Lak. Bangsak has a promenade with some typical Thai restaurants; on weekends you will see these eateries full of Thais on their day off. They come to Bangsak beach restaurants with friends and family to relax and enjoy the local fresh seafood.

The Le Meridien Hotel, Kantari Hotel and Sarojin Hotel are all on Pakweep Beach, many believe this is the best beach of the lot, take a look for yourself to see if you agree! Bangsak Beach is a little further north, here you will find the Royal Bangsak Resort, Bangsak Village Hotel and the Haadson Hotel.

The island has over 16 km of almost unspoilt sandy beaches and is appromimately 15 km long and about 7 km wide.To the east there is an extensive mangrove forest area and in other areas casuarinas and coconut trees line the wide, secluded sandy beaches.There is only one ATM at the harbour and a few restaurants; this is a place suitable for those seeking tranquillity and for beach walkers looking for that Robinson Crusoe feeling, which is guaranteed.

Takuapa is the oldest city on the west coast of Thailand. Sitting approximately 35 km north of Khao Lak, it is the nearest large city and is famous for its tin mines.

In the old town you can see the beautiful Chinese temple and a few fragments of the ancient city wall.The city has some very good restaurants, and you can visit the original market town with its Sino-Portuguese architectural style.