The calm side of the Andaman.
Longtail mornings out to James Bond Island, snorkel days across to the Similans, elephants in the hills behind town. What each trip is really like, what it costs, and where to book it.
Seven Khao Lak days worth clearing the calendar for.
First visit or fifth, these are the trips that fill a week here: the longtail run to James Bond Island, a morning bathing rescued elephants upriver, and the boat out to the Similan reefs before the crowds.
Rafting, Elephant Bathing & Sea Turtle Center Tour
Khao Lak day tour with ethical elephant bathing, bamboo rafting, Ton Pling Waterfall, and a sea turtle conservation center, plus lunch.
From $73 per person
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★ 4.8Books out fastEthical Elephant Sanctuary Experience in Khao LakFrom $56778 reviews
★ 4.8Traveller favouriteFull-Day Temple Tour Including Dragon Cave from Khao LakFrom $77696 reviews
★ 4.7Andaman classicKhao Sok Jungle Hike & River TourFrom $95688 reviews
★ 5.0Worth the early startThai Cooking Class in Khao Lak by Amazon Prime Series ChefFrom $59661 reviews
★ 4.7Small groupsBamboo Rafting, Waterfalls, and Turtle ConservationFrom $48622 reviews
★ 4.9Easy winElephant Bathing and Turtle Center VisitFrom $63490 reviews
The longtail day to James Bond Island.
Out through Phang Nga Bay by longtail, past the leaning limestone of Ko Tapu, into sea caves the tide opens and closes, then lunch at the stilted village on Ko Panyi. It is the day almost everyone books, and the one they keep talking about after.
Which island day is yours?
Three boats leave the Khao Lak piers, and they do not head for the same sea. Pick the one that matches your dates and your idea of a good day, and every trip behind it is priced and reviewed.
November to May
The Similan reefs
9 hours · from $83 · 136 reviews
The clearest water on this coast: granite boulders, coral the guides still get excited about, sand the colour of flour. The national park closes from mid October to mid November, so this is a high season booking. Early start, long day, worth both.
See the Similan trips →
Quieter water
The Surin day
12 hours · from $122 · 410 reviews
Further out and far less crowded than the Similans, with shallow reefs made for slow snorkelling and a Moken sea gypsy village on the beach. This is the gentler island day, the one for families and anyone who would rather float than rush.
See the Surin trips →
The famous one
Phi Phi and Maya Bay
13 hours · from $125 · 75 reviews
South past Phuket to the islands from the films: Maya Bay, the hidden lagoons, the sheer limestone walls. It is a longer run by speedboat and it is busier than the Similans, but the scenery earns every bit of the crowd.
See the Phi Phi trips →
The Andaman saves its best hour for dusk.
The sea turns gold behind the islands and the longtails begin to head in. On the plankton tours you slide a sea canoe into dark water and it lights up blue under every paddle stroke. The finest hour on this coast costs almost nothing.
Mornings with the rescued elephants.
The camps behind Khao Lak have moved on from riding. Now it is mud, river baths and feeding, out in the forest where the herds actually live. Three mornings that are worth the early alarm.
Bamboo rafts and jungle rivers.
Khao Sok is older than the Amazon and barely an hour from the beach. Raft the still rivers under the karst, walk for gibbons at first light, or sleep on a raft house out on Cheow Lan lake if you have the days to spare.
The old town, the temples, the cave.
Behind the resorts sits an older Phang Nga: Takua Pa old town with its Sino Portuguese shophouses and Sunday walking street, gilded temples up the coast, and a dragon cave set deep in the limestone. The Tsunami Museum near the shore remembers 2004 quietly, and is worth the time.
The Andaman, bay by bay.
Khao Lak works as a base, not a checklist. Phang Nga Bay for the karst. The Similans and Surins for the reefs. Khao Sok and Cheow Lan for the rainforest. Takua Pa for a slow afternoon.
Know what you are after?
Twelve ways to spend a day out of Khao Lak, from reef trips to jungle rivers. Start with the kind of day you want, and the boats and prices are already sorted underneath.
Gone by seven, back by dark.
The best of this coast is a boat ride or a minibus away. Islands, rainforest, and a lake you can sleep on, all close enough to be back in Khao Lak the same night.
Three days, done right.
You cannot do all of this coast in one trip, but you can do the right three days. This is the run we would hand a friend checking into a Bang Niang hotel tomorrow.
Day 1
Ease in by the water
Bang Niang and Nang Thong beaches while the flight wears off, the Little Amazon mangroves by canoe, then a longtail out for the sunset. Gentle first, on purpose.
Plan day one →
Day 2
The big Andaman day
Out early on the boat: James Bond Island and the Phang Nga sea caves, or the long run to the Similan reefs if the park is open. Salt, snorkels and a proper lunch on the water.
Plan day two →
Day 3
Into the hills
Trade the coast for the rainforest. A morning bathing rescued elephants, or bamboo rafts and gibbon calls in Khao Sok. Check the forecast and give this day the clearest sky.
Plan day three →
The newest reviews.
★ 4.81.5-Hour Small Group Surfing ExperienceFrom $4811 reviews
★ 4.5Surin Islands Snorkeling Day Trip By Love Andaman From Khao LakFrom $11911 reviews
★ 4.5Khao Lak Elephant Sanctuary Tour with Waterfall and LunchFrom $11211 reviews
★ 4.0Half Day Khao Sok River Tour By Bamboo Raft From Khao LakFrom $6511 reviews
★ 4.0Similan Islands Snorkeling Day Trip By Love Andaman From Khao LakFrom $12012 reviews
★ 4.5Takuapa Cultural History Half-Day Tour From Khao LakFrom $5512 reviews
★ 4.8Day Trip to Phi Phi with Private Longtail TourFrom $51612 reviews
★ 4.8Private Tour James Bond, Ko Panyi & Samet NangsheFrom $36612 reviews