Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights & Activities
Phang-Nga is a scruffy town with little going for it, backed up against sublime limestone
cliffs. There isn't a whole lot to see or do unless you happen to be here during the annual
Vegetarian Festival
in late September or October.
Boat Tours
About 8.5km south of the town centre is Tha Dan. From here, you can charter boats to see
half-submerged
caves
, oddly shaped islands and
Ko Panyi
, a Muslim village on stilts. There
are tours to the well-trodden
Ko Phing Kan
(James Bond Island) and
Ao Phang-Nga National Mar-
ine Park
(500B per person for a two- to three-hour tour). Takua Thung, another pier area
about 10km further west of Tha Dan, also has private boats for hire at similar prices to
tours. The park office, inside Ao Phang-Nga National Marine Park, also offers boat tours.
Although it can be a pain to haggle with boatmen, it's nice to create your own itinerary.
Of course, it's easier (and cheaper) to go with an organised tour through an agency in
town. Several are clustered around the bus station.
Sayan Tours
( 08 1397 4717, 08 3692 0537;
www.sayantour.com
)
has been doing tours of Ao Phang-Nga for many years, and continues to
receive good reviews from travellers.
Mr. Kean Tour
( 08 9871 6092, 0 7643 0619)
, owned by
the man himself, is another great choice. He's been running tours in the area for over 20
years. Half-/full-day tours cost from 700B to 1600B per person and include
Tham Lawt
(a
large water cave), Ko Phing Kan and Ko Panyi, among other destinations. You can even
add a bit of kayaking.
Sleeping & Eating
Phang-Nga doesn't have much in the way of quality sleeping and most folks just choose
to swing by on a day trip. Several food stalls on the main street of Phang-Nga sell deli-
cious
kà·nŏm jeen
(thin wheat noodles) with chicken curry,
nám yah
(spicy ground-fish
curry) or
nám prík
(spicy sauce). There's a morning market open from 5am to 10am daily
and a small night market on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, located just
south of Soi Lohakit.
Baan Phang Nga
( 0 7641 3276; 100/2 Th Petchkasem; r 650-850B; )
It's a mom and pop kind of place with spa-
cious, spotless rooms in an old relic. Ceilings are high, the concrete floors are painted and
GUESTHOUSE
$$
