Went on a short vacation to Khao Lak. First I had to fly to Phuket International Airport. An hour direct flight from Penang with Firefly Airlines. Then it’s 1.5 hour trip on the road from Phuket airport to Khao Lak, a southern coastal town in Phang-nga province.

We stayed at The Haven Khao Lak for 9 nights booked through Luxury Escape. The hotel has its own beach front along Khuek Khat beach. Extremely private as it’s the only hotel along the beach. I think the hotel has a policy with no children under 12. It’s good for anyone who doesn’t want to have screaming kids 😂 Although the hotel has 110 rooms and almost full, it doesn’t feel crowded. There are plenty of daily free activities for guests that I’ve tried and enjoyed. Beach yoga, water tai chi, stretch and abdomen exercise on the beach! Free bicycle and kayak which was nice. The longest swimming pool I have ever swam, and I swam every morning while I was there. Followed by a free 8am exercise class. All staff are nice and friendly.

The negative comments if I have to be picky is that the hotel needs a lot of maintenance and there is no dining option for air conditioning seating areas at breakfast or the main restaurant serving lunch and dinner. There is not enough fans in the restaurants. I felt sorry for the staff. I could see them sweating as they were working hard serving customers. I hope this will change in the future as it is quite a nice place to stay and some guests I’ve met are nice and friendly. Some staying longer than us. For 2 weeks. One couple staying for 1 month! There is some renovation noises at the pool restaurant while we were there. But fortunately our room is on the opposite side, which is nice and quiet.

We made a short day trip to an old town called Takua Pa Old Town. That was nice.

In Khao Lak, there isn’t much to do except some small shops and Bang Niang market, which it seems all tourists visiting Khao Lak would have been there at least once since most hotels provide a free shuttle. Other than that, it is about winding down and relaxing by the pool or on the beach. For the more adventurous, there are several organised day trips in the area.

#khaolak #thailandtravel