Khao Lak - The Charm is Still There

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"Khao Lak - The Charm is Still There"

Last week I visited Khao Lak, Phang Nga, on an inspection trip. Khao Lak was formerly well-known as a new beach destination that welcomed visitors that wanted to escape overcrowded Phuket.

It has a wonderfully long beach sweeping along the coastline and is a hub for divers to explore the coral reefs of Similan and Surin National Parks. Unfortunately this beautiful stretch of coast was badly hit by the Tsunami of 26 December 2004. The Tsunami unfortunately not only washed away the villagers, their homes and the hotels but also tourists. However, after all the efforts of governments and various aid agancies I can see that Khao Lak is now fully recovered. The hoteliers have put a lot of effort into reconstructing their resorts; so much so that I feel visitors will get very good accommodation at relatively low prices, especially when compared with Phuket and Samui, Khao Lak, Pakarang and Bang Sak beaches are as beautiful as before. Lots of coconut groves and other trees fringing the shore, bright sunshine, the quiet life of the villagers and sleepy Khao Lak town that still waits for tourists to return.

It was a good trip which assured me that Khao Lak is again ready to welcome tourists. Though God won't give you everything, He also won't take everything away. It was good to discover that there are some beaches, such as Bang Sak and Pakarang, where the shore used to be too steep for not-so-good swimmers but now due to the Tsunami the shore has become wider and more shallow to the extent that it is suitable for safe swimming. Also, Tai Muang Beach used to have a small, uninteresting coral reef but the Tsunami has opened the sand banks and created a wider coral reef. It's now a good diving spot for practice dives to a depth of 7-10 meters.

So, what you can expect from Khao Lak are not only good quality hotels at good prices but also beautiful, peaceful beaches still far from the usual tourist traps. It will be a good choice for beach lovers in 2007, I'm quite sure.

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