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Khao Lak holidays

Escape to where the locals go and take advantage of the jungle on your doorstep on Khao Lak holidays

Devour a delicious curry in a family-run restaurant, chase waterfalls in a national park or nest on soft sands where there’s hardly anyone else around. Khao Lak has everything you need for a low-key holiday; it’s essentially a handful of small town centres and a 15-mile stretch of beaches along one main road. There’s an effortless balance of quiet and convenience, the kind of place visitors slowly fall in love with and return to year after year.

If you love the outdoors, Khao Lak is the perfect gateway to both tropical jungles and stunning underwater worlds. Just two hours’ drive or boat ride means you could be snorkelling or diving in the Surin and Similan Islands – the best place for marine life in the Andaman Sea – or trekking through the rainforest of Khao Sok National Park. At Elephant Hills, you can go glamping in the jungle, sleep on a lake to the sound of calling monkeys and get up close with elephants in one of earth’s oldest rainforests.

Talk to us and we can help you find the best beach spot or jungle adventure for a bespoke holiday in Khao Lak.

A chilled-out beach resort just an hour from Phuket
Quiet sandy beaches and night markets along one main road
A choice of family-friendly resorts and boutique hideaways
An excellent base for snorkelling and diving around the Surin and Similan Islands
Ideal combined with trekking in Khao Sok National Park’s jungles.

Top hotels in Khao Lak

The Sands Khao Lak by Kata Thani Resorts

from £1,101

The Sarojin

from £1,383

Khao Lak Paradise Resort

from £1,313

Bangsak Village

from £992

Show all 5 hotels

Best time to visit Khao Lak

Khao Lak is hot year-round. The peak season here is between November and February when the climate is drier and slightly cooler. The wonderful Similan and Surin National Marine Parks can usually be visited from November to mid-May – they're closed for conservation during other months. May to October sees high rainfall. This is the time to benefit from the greatest value offers and less crowded beaches, but you'll need to be a little more flexible with your plans, which may need to be rescheduled if there's heavy rain.

Khao Lak holiday highlights

Khao Lak is a refreshingly uncrowded tourist destination close to the Phang-Nga area’s rugged natural beauty. It’s made up of a few towns and white-sand beaches – all scattered along a 15-mile stretch so no spot ever feels too busy. For travellers who like their holidays low-key, Khao Lak’s easygoing, local feel is enticing enough to return year after year.

There’s a good choice of quality local restaurants and shopping at the two main centres, Bang La On and Bang Niang, which are both easily reached from most resorts by taxi. The regular night market at Bang Niang is a popular stop for shopping or a late-night snack, or you can go further afield to the Sunday market at Takua Pa Old Town where stalls are set up among pretty Sino-Portuguese buildings.

Nature lovers can soak up the slower pace and go hiking around Chong Fah’s waterfalls or combine the Khao Lak’s beaches with a few nights in the incredible Khao Sok National Park. Home to elephant sanctuaries, one of the oldest rainforests in the world and floating camps like the one at the award-winning Elephant Hills, Khao Sok is a delight for anyone with a love for the outdoors. For keen snorkellers and divers, the Surin and Similan Islands are just two hours from Khao Lak by boat. These islands are some of the best places to dive in Thailand and are part of a protected national marine park.

Where is Khao Lak?
Khao Lak is on Thailand’s mainland in the beautiful Phang-Nga region on the west coast. It’s an hour north of Phuket and stretches across 15 miles of the Andaman coastline. The easiest way to get to Khao Lak is a road transfer from Phuket airport (around an hour), which is linked by international flights from the UK and domestic flights of Bangkok (approx. 1½ hours). From Khao Lak, you can reach Krabi by road in around 2½ hours and Khao Sok National Park in two hours, while the Surin and Similan Islands are 1 to 2 hours from Khao Lak by boat for excellent snorkelling and diving. With a tropical climate that’s similar to Phuket’s, Khao Lak is affected by the south-west monsoon and is generally warm year round. See our best time to visit guide for information on Khao Lak’s weather by month.

Getting around
Taxis and tuk-tuks are the best way to get around Khao Lak. Local taxis are generally cheaper than hotel taxis; it’s good practice to agree on a price beforehand. A speedboat is the fastest way to get to the Surin and Similan Islands.

Diving & snorkelling
Khao Lak has easy access to the Surin Islands and the Similan Islands, which are collectively some Thailand’s best areas for diving and snorkelling. As part of a protected national marine park, both parks are open between 15 October and 15 May and are reached by around 1½ hour’s speedboat ride from Tab Lamu pier close to Khao Lak. Sea temperatures are warm year-round and visibility can reach over 30 metres during peak season between November and April. Divers can hope to see manta rays, whale sharks, leopard sharks, hawksbill turtles and plenty of tropical fish.

Food & drink
Thai cuisine is world-famous, thanks to its distinctive combination of salty, spicy, sweet, bitter and sour flavours. Most hotels and resorts offer American, English and continental breakfasts with Thai savoury dishes like congee (porridge-style rice) and fried rice. Around Khao Lak, there’s a good choice of quality local restaurants serving up authentic local food like pad thai, tom kha soup and fried rice. You can find sweet treats and delicacies at night markets, and Western cuisine is generally easy to find – most resorts and hotels serve familiar favourites at a dedicated restaurant or as à la carte options.

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