Khao Lak Holidays

On Thailand’s southwest coast, Khao Lak is in the business of recharging batteries. The beaches are completely unfurnished, so all you get is long runways of powdery white sand. And the waters here attract scuba divers from around the world. The sea is mineral-water clear, so visibility can reach up to 30 metres.

It’s not just the coastline that deserves your attention, though. Three national parks nuzzle up to Khao Lak’s shore. The most popular is Khao Lak Lam Ru National Park, which spans 125 square kilometres and is made up of mangroves, waterfalls, jungle and 1,000-metre-high hills.

Accommodation in Khao Lak doesn’t stray far from the beach. Most of the hotels have been designed to blend into the natural environment, so they’re camouflaged from view. It’s in these boltholes that most of the evening entertainment happens, too. Traditional Thai meals are served in sea-view restaurants and cocktails are sipped in sand-side bars.

That’s not to say there’s nothing going on outside the hotels. Khao Lak’s centre, known as Bang La On, has a handful of restaurants and bars, where you can get everything from French cuisine to shisha pipes.