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Why we love being here! |
This is what visitors to the Khao Lak & Bang Niang area said about it ... can you see yourself enjoying something similar? |
Elvira, Willi, Stephanie and Peter on Bang Niang beach |
| Stephanie: We are all staying in the same hotel (one of the big resorts near the sea at Bang Niang) and we have all enjoyed our stay in this area. It has been very relaxing and we have been to see many places.
Peter: We have rented a motorcycle and driven into the mountains to see the villages. The people are so friendly. When it started raining, one family invited us into their house. All through this area it is very calm and peaceful, very nice, the people are very kind and friendly. Stephanie: We came because friends recommended it. They said it was one of the nicest places in Thailand. We think it is very nice. It is also very easy to get far from any touristic places and see some of the real Thailand. And prices are very good. We had expected more destruction from the tsunami but we did not realise the power of the tsunami until we went to see the police boat. It was a complete surprise to us to see how far inland it had been carried.
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Willi: “We have done a lot with our time here. We have been on a temple tour to Phang-Nga and Bang Riang [Elvita shows her beautiful photographs of Bang Riang’s Kuan Yin and Naga Buddha]; we have been on a trekking tour …” Elvira “And we went shopping in Phuket.” Willi: “We have seen the tsunami sites. There were just a few tourists there.” Elvira: “We thought there would be more destruction but the people have rebuilt everything very quickly and with passion. It seems like nothing has happened. Everything continues.” Willi: “We have had a very enjoyable time here.” Peter: “Sometimes we can feel the shadow of the tsunami. In other countries, people would try to say eveyone needs to pay more to get them back on their feet – here they do not try to take advantage.”
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| Jenny in Khao Lak I like Khao Lak because you get off the backpackers' way of moving on every couple of nights – you can use it as a nice base whether you want to explore the area, do some voluntary work, or just go down to the beach. I’ve been here seven weeks, spending some of my weekdays as a voluntary English teacher in schools, an orphanage, at the Burmese learning centre and among local adults. Transport is easy here, by bus or by rented motorcycle, and you can see real Thai towns like Takuapa or, if you want something lively, you can go into Phuket – but Khao Lak and the area have everything you can want. During my time here I’ve taken yoga classes, had a couple of Thai lessons, Thai massages, attended a big Buddhist festival at a local temple, been off to see two different spectacular waterfalls – at one, Chong Fa, we were the only people there; and at the other, Lampi, we were the only non-Thais – it’s so easy to escape the tourist bustle. And the beaches are gorgeous – you can get on a beach, look either way and find you’re the only ones on it. One of my favourite things has been just watching the sun go down. Jenny was on a long trip away from her home in England |
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| Elvira, Willi, Stephanie and Peter are from Germany |
Danielle: It is relaxing and laidback, not as touristy as other areas of Thailand I have visited – it is all a bit more real. We rented a bike and we have been looking around for the last two days, the waterfall and the beaches which are really nice. Christian: I like the culture here. Seeing how the Thais react to us, what they are like. They have been very friendly to us. It has been good to see how the people and the area have recovered from the tsunami. A friend came to Khao Lak and said it would be good for us to visit. He was
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| Danielle and Christian at Lamru park near Khao Lak |
right. The Swiss do not like crowds of people, like in Phuket. This is just right for us.” Danielle: The diving looks really good here in the season. I would like to come back when diving is possible. You can find lots of places off the beaten track here. You can really get yourself lost in a good way. Yesterday we found a little place on the beach - I love finding little spots like that. Christian: Off season you can get a really good deal – a very good room for a few dollars. And the weather is okay: if it rains, it soon blows over. We’ve had a very good time. |
Danielle is Australian and Christian is Swiss |
Dan relaxing at Khao Lak
I visited for a week in February. I didn’t want tourism – I wanted to meet people. When my visa ran out I went on to Australia to see family. Then I came back for three months.
The best thing about Khao Lak is the people; I’ve made a lot of friends: local people, expats, people just travelling through.
My best experiences? Watching sunset on a little sandy beach, spotting wildlife, just living here really.
I met Steve, the man who runs Fun4Kids, a volunteer organisation that makes playground equipment for Burmese and Thai kids, as well as working on some other community projects. I’ve spent a lot of time helping on that. It has been a great way to meet people and get involved.
I’ve been travelling on a budget but my accommodation is good for the price, the food is excellent and I have rented a motorcycle. You could probably find even cheaper places around Thailand but this place is good – I get by comfortably on 600 or 700 bahts a day all in; you could live very comfortably on 1200 bahts a day.
The diving is pretty good in the season – wonderful visibility, wrecks, reefs and the Similan islands aren’t far off the coast. I got a good deal on learning to dive and had a wonderful time.
Language isn’t a problem here. Lots of Thais speak some English or German. And you soon pick up a bit of Thai.
Dan is English