Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
closer to the famed Hin Daeng and Hin Muang dive sites, has an easygoing fishing
village and goes to bed relatively early. Families typically opt for Lanta over rowdy
Phi-Phi.
KO LANTA RAILAY
Two hours
from Ko Lanta to Krabi Town.
5 minutes
from Krabi Town to Railay.
Railay (
Click here
)
Since you're in the neighbourhood, you might as well hop over to Railay's karst-
studded bay for a big gulp of coastal scenery. If the view from the ground isn't good
enough, you better strap on a harness so you can climb up the cliffs to find the hori-
zon. A kayak trip skimming through the towers might offer a better perspective. Or
better yet, a simple sunset cocktail might just do the trick.
RAILAY KHAO LAK
1½ hours
from Railay to Phuket.
Two hours
from Phuket's bus station to Khao Lak.
Khao Lak (
Click here
)
A mainland town on the Andaman Coast,
Khao Lak
is the most convenient gate-
way to the famous dive sites in the northern Andaman, including the
Surin Islands
Marine National Park
and the
Similan Islands Marine National Park
. These two
protected areas are renowned among globetrotting divers for their underwater geo-
graphy and marine species. Dive companies arrange multiday live-aboard excur-
sions that cut out the commute, giving you more chances to slip below the ocean's
surface.
KHAO LAK KHAO SOK NATIONAL PARK
One hour
from Khao Lak.
Khao Sok National Park (
Click here
)
The southern rainforest refuge of
Khao Sok National Park
provides the perfect an-
tidote to beach fatigue (if such a thing exists) as it sits midway between the gulf and
the Andaman coasts. The park is filled with rugged limestone mountains criss-
crossed by muddy trails and a dam-filled lake best explored by kayak. Your visit
might coincide with the flowering of the giant
Rafflesia kerrii,
whose vegetal per-
fume mimics the smell of putrid flesh in order to attract carrion pollinators.
