Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget

Travel Reference

In-Depth Information

Siam Cottage Northern Hat Kai Bae T 089 153 6664.

With cheerily painted interiors, partly outdoor bathrooms

and decks, the wooden bungalows here face each other

across a narrow but well-watered, flowery l ot tha t runs

down to the sea and a cute restaurant. Double B500

Post o ce On the road between Sai Khao and Khlong

Phrao (Mon-Fri 10am-noon & 1-6pm, Sat 10am-1pm).

Tourist police At the north end of Hat Klong Phrao

( T 1155).

KO MAK

Tiny Ko Mak (sometimes spelt “Maak”) is

20km southeast of Ko Chang and offers a

slow-paced, peaceful alternative. An

interior of palm and rubber plantations

makes road journeys a pleasure, and the

colourful reefs and fishes of nearby islands

are a treat for scuba divers and snorkellers

(contact Koh Mak Divers, T 083 297

7724, W kohmakdivers.com). he

palm-fringed, white-sand and shallow

Ao Kao on the southwest coast is the most

developed beach, with plush resorts and a

couple of budget options. Long, curvy Ao

Suan Yai , on the northwest coast, also has

fine sand and a pretty outlook. Most

bungalows offer, or can arrange, motorbike

(B300-350/day) or mountain-bike (B150/

day) rental, and there's a small clinic off the

Ao Nid road, though no banks or ATMs.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

From Trat/Laem Ngop In high season, up to five

speedboats a day run from Kromaluang (Monument) pier

in Laem Ngop, to either Ao Kao or Ao Suan Yai on Ko Mak

(45min; B450). A/c minibuses to Laem Ngop from

Bangkok, for example, will sometimes only go as far as the

Thammachat or Centrepoint Ko Chang piers, however -

check exactly which piers are served when you buy your

minibus ticket, or you may be able to pay the driver a little

extra to go on to Kromaluang.

From Ko Chang The main company is Bang Bao Boat

( T 087 054 4300), which in high season runs a slow boat

once daily (2hr; B400) and a speedboat twice daily (1hr;

B550) from Bang Bao pier in the south of Ko Chang to Ao

Suan Yai on Ko Mak. Prices include transfers to or from the

west coast of Ko Chang.

HAT THA NAM LONELY BEACH

Nature Beach Central Lonely Beach T 081 803 8933.

Responsible for Lonely Beach's party reputation, this

place's rooms, bar-restaurant (with built-in DJ station) and

the beach out front are all hugely popular. The cheapest of

its shady, closely set bungalows are attractive, polished-

concrete en- suite a bodes with verandas at the back by the

road. Double B500

Siam Hut Central Lonely Beach T 086 609 7772. Row

upon row of flimsy, primitive, bamboo huts, all of which

are en suite. It is, however, one of the few remaining

budget options on the beach. There's a big restaurant/bar

deck that's great for watching the sunse t and hosts

barbecues, movies and parties. Double B480

The Sunflower Soi Sunset T 084 017 9960. Run by a genial

German and his Thai family, the bungalows here are set under

palm and banana trees 200m or so from the roadside village

and equidistant from the rocky coast at Sunset Hut , a 5min

walk south of the sandy beach. Choose between wooden fan

bungalows with mosquito nets and open-roofed, hot-water

bathrooms, and concrete bungalows with a/c; all have good

thick mattresses and ar e kept very clean. The restaurant is

also good. Double B500

10

BANG BAO

★

Cliff Cottage West side of Bang Bao bay T 085 904

6706, W cliff-cottage.com. British-run resort with a nice

deck restaurant on a west-facing cove, and kayaks and

snorkels for rent. Basic, thatched, bare-wood huts with

decent mattresses, mosquito nets, shared bathrooms and

good sunset views sit up on a small, dusty, shady rise;

there's also a rowhouse of a/c roo ms, all with hot showers,

facing in on Bang Bao bay. Double B400

Good View Bang Bao jetty T 089 108 0429, W goodview

bangbao.wordpress.com. Built over the water halfway down

the east side of the jetty, the good views from this guest-

house take in the shoreline opposite. Lovely, clean, bright,

large, wooden-floored bedrooms come with huge hot-water

bathrooms, big balconies and a/c - it's worth paying B200

extra for an upstairs room. There's a very la rge, a ttractive

ground-floor deck with a book corner. Double B800

ACCOMMODATION

It is best to book accommodation in advance for free

pick-up transfers from the piers.

Baan Ing Kao Ao Kao T 087 053 9553. Located over a

steep hill at the western end of the beach, this secluded

resort of thatched bamboo bungalows exudes a quaint,

village-like atmosphere. The beach is rocky and k ayaks can

be rented to explore the islands close by. Double B350

Island Hut Ao Kao T 087 139 5537. The cheapest option

on the island, offering en-suite rough-hewn timber huts,