Phuket, Khao Lak
PHUKET
Phuket nestles in balmy Andaman Sea waters on Thailand's Indian Ocean coastline 862 kilometres south of Bangkok. Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoyed a rich and colourful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign trader’s ship logs. In recent times, though, Phuket's top earner has been tourism, which has transformed the island into Thailand's wealthiest province. Expect prices to be a bit higher than on the mainland. The west coast of Phuket was hit severely by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, but almost no evidence of the damage now remains. Phuket enjoys great popularity as a travel destination. Most beaches are on the west coast, with Phuket Town to the south-east and the airport in the north. Phuket is hot and humid throughout the year. The hot season is generally considered to be from March to early May. During the summer monsoon season from May to October, mornings and afternoons are still sunny and clear, but it tends to rain in the evenings and water clarity goes down. Locals consider November to February the "cool" season, and the weather is quite tolerable, much more so than in the tourism centers around the Gulf coast. It's comparable to Florida's summer weather in temperature and intensity of rain storms: 25-33 deg C, flying clouds, short and thunderous rainfalls in the afternoons and evenings. Surfing is possible off the western beaches. Phuket is a melting pot of Buddhists, Thai-Chinese, Muslims and even sea gypsies. The majority of the population in the rural areas is Muslim. Outside of the provincial town, the rural folk speak with a thick Southern dialect which is difficult for even other Thais to understand. The provincial town’s economy having boomed over the past decade has led to a lot of the youngsters leading similar lives to those in Bangkok. Altogether, the lifestyle of the urban Thai-Chinese resembles that of Bangkokians.
KHAO LAK
Khaolak is named after the national park (Khao Lak-Lam Ru). The park was declared a national park in August 1991. It occupies a vast area of 150² km and covers Amphoe Thai Muang, Amphoe Kapong, Amphoe Takua Pa and Amphoe Muang. Khao Lak is becoming increasingly popular, mainly with European visitors. It is easy to reach, quiet and, as yet, not overdeveloped. It is something like Phuket's past 20 years. You can walk northward along the sand for many kilometres, almost as far as Bang Sak beach. The main problem is that, in the off season starting in May, although the hotel prices are much cheaper, many of the shops and restaurants are shut down for the season (prices are still OK though). This is because of the predominately European tourism here. Most larger hotels will run a shuttle bus service into Bang La On, often described as Khao Lak ‘centre’ although these may be at limited times and may be chargeable. There are plenty of taxis as an alternative. Bang La On is about 20 min by shuttle or taxi from, for example, The Sarojin. Bang La On has the most shops, bars restaurants and banks. There are also many ATMs. Bang Niang is smaller, but still has a good selection. You will find the majority of visitors to Bang Niang are couples whereas at Bang La On it’s mainly families. Khuk Khak is still quite small with a handful of restaurants and a few shops. In the high season all of the restaurants will be open including a wide range of both independent and hotel based beachfront restaurants. In Bang Niang there is a large range of accommodation from the 4.5 star Ramada to bungalow resorts like The Sanuk Bungalows. In Bang La On the accommodation is primarily 3-4 star, for example, the Baan Khao Lak on Nang Thong Beach and The Paradise on Sunset Beach, the next beach going south. Just south of Khao Lak Lam Ru National Park there is Khao Lak beach which has the popular Merlin Resort and the relatively new boutique Lukanawadee resort. Bang La On - This is actually the town name for the place with all the shops and restaurants. It is only used by locals as the entire area is known to Westerners as "Khao Lak", and is signposted as such. If travelling by bus you will need to know at which particular beach you have booked or want to stay at or you will be dropped off in Bang La On near the Nang Thong supermarket. The beach of this name is a few hundred metres along the side street from this supermarket. Most of the action appears to be between Nang Thong Beach and Khao Lak Beach, the latter appears to be where the most expensive resorts are. Heading north as you come into the really winding part of the road is Khao Lak Beach, and when it straightens out, Nang Thong Beach. Beyond this in order are Bang Niang Beach, Khuk Khak Beach, Ao Thong Beach, Pakweeb Beach, and Bangsak Beach. The latter is some 18 km from Takua Pa.
PHUKET & KHAO LAK MAP
