Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Information
The park headquarters and visitors centre are 1.8km off Rte 401, close to the Km 109
marker.
There's an ATM outside the Morning Mist Mini-Mart and internet is available near the
park entrance for 2B per minute.
Getting There & Around
Minivans to Surat Thani (250B, one hour), Krabi (300B, two hours) and a handful of oth-
er destinations leave daily from the park. Otherwise, from Surat catch a bus going towards
Takua Pa; from the Andaman coast, take a Surat Thani-bound bus. Buses drop you off
along the highway (Rte 401), 1.8km from the visitors centre. If guesthouse touts don't
meet you, you'll have to walk to your chosen nest (from 50m to 2km).
To explore Chiaw Lan lake on your own, charter a long-tail (2000B per day) at the
dam's entrance.
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Khao Lak & Around
Hat Khao Lak is a beach for folks who shun the glitz of Phuket's bigger resort towns, but
still crave comfort, shopping and plenty of facilities. With warm waves to frolic in, long
stretches of golden sand backed by forested hills, and easy day trips to the Similan and
Surin Islands, Khao Sok and Khao Lak/Lam Ru National Parks, and even Phuket, the area
is a central base for exploring the North Andaman - above and below the water.
About 2.5km north of Hat Khao Lak,
Hat Bang Niang
is an even quieter version of sandy
bliss with skinnier beaches but fewer people. Khao Lak proper (also called Khao Lak
Town locally) - a hodgepodge of restaurants, tourist markets and low-rise hotels along a
grey highway - isn't exactly pretty, but it is convenient.
