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VOL. 12.7

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By Terry Blackburn
 

The Germans have a secret. Less then 100km and an hour’s drive from Phuket, there’s a place bounded by lush green forest with a near-endless, perfect white-sand beach with no litter, no hawkers, no time-share salesmen, just the occasional deckchair and cheap, well-spaced accommodation, so close to the water that you can sleep with the sound of waves lapping almost at your door. Unfortunately for them, the secret’s out.
 

The place? Khao Lak National Park. For the past 13 years or so mainly German, mainly elderly holidaymakers, have been returning year in, year out to the same two or three bungalows at the north end of the beach. Things have been changing over the past five years, as the area has begun to develop at an increasing pace. Fortunately for all concerned, however, a set of guidelines drawn up by the Phang Nga Business Association have been strictly adhered to. This means you won’t see any high-rises, go-go bars, para-gliders or jetskis at Khao Lak.

American Doug Fairweather and his Thai wife Mai first built a house mid-way down Nang Thong Beach 10 years ago. Lacking electricity at the time, it functioned as a weekend retreat from his home in Ranong, an industrial town close to the Burmese border. “We were the only people there for a few years,” he says. “We were cut off from the north end of the beach at high tide, so I got used to swimming au naturel. Then one day I was spotted by a couple of girls who approached from the south, where new bungalows had just been built. They were nurses, so I guess they’d seen it all before, but that’s when I realized things were changing.”

A short time later, Chong Fah Beach Resort (Tel: 076 229 1253) was built half a kilometre or so from Doug’s house, bringing electricity to the area. A pleasant hotel with reasonably priced rooms and attached luxury bungalows and restaurant, Chong Fah heralded a new era for Khao Lak. Even though Doug had come to Thailand to retire, Mai had different ideas; she and Doug took up permanent residence in Khao Lak and set about designing and building Mai’s Quiet Zone (Tel: 076 420 196).

The name says it all, really – a more tranquil location would be hard to imagine. Built in and around the existing trees on the beach, the 23 fan-cooled wooden bungalows are admittedly basic, but hard to beat on price and ambience. The “tree-house” – literally just that and originally built for Doug’s grandchildren – is the most popular bungalow on offer, since it looks directly out to the sea about 10m away. This will set you back a mere 500 baht a night. The rest are cheaper still. Mai has worked hard to create a family atmosphere. There’s a small playground for kids, and ducks and chickens roam freely around the place. Their restaurant also boasts one of the best Thai chefs in the area.

Mai’s also boasts a resident yoga teacher, perhaps the only bungalows in the province to do so. Bangkok-born German Andrea Bode suffered from acute back pain for many years. After consulting a multitude of specialists, she finally found relief through yoga. Settling at Mai’s two years ago in a purpose-built bungalow with a sea-facing platform, she now offers free classes for the early riser at 6am every day. Thai massage is also offered throughout the day, if you don’t feel too karmic at dawn.

Like many business people in the area, Mai and Doug see interaction with the local community as mutually beneficial for residents and guests. Doug teaches a free English class in the local town of Takuapa and, in return, his students are happy to arrange Thai dance groups to entertain guests on special occasions in Mai’s restaurant. There are also regular arts and craft fairs organized by local artists in Takuapa, offering a range of items a cut above the usual production line carvings to be found elsewhere.

Farther up the beach, at the Baan Soraya Beach Resort (Tel: 076 420 192-4), you can find one of the few international restaurants in the area, which serves daily specials ranging from enchiladas to rack of lamb. Satellite TV is available in the bar, if you really miss it that much. Owner Koenraan Schmitz, like Doug, originally planned to retire here after many years spent visiting Thailand. “I lived in Chalong for four years,” he explains, “but then we decided to buy property. Everywhere near the beach in Phuket was astronomically expensive, so we chose here instead.” He has no regrets. Like Mai, his wife Lek was restless, so oversaw the building of the Soraya. Offering just six brick bungalows with air-con and hot water, they’re a little less rustic then Mai’s, but still reasonably priced.

If you really can’t handle days spent strolling down the beach and lounging in hammocks, Koenraan will happily arrange an activity for you. Elephant treks, canoeing, fishing, snorkelling and diving are all available in the area – the Similan Islands are only a short boat ride away.

If trekking is your thing, then many interesting areas of tropical evergreen forest lie close to the beach. Chong Fah Waterfall is one of the most popular destinations, where, following a four-to-five-hour trek – or a considerably shorter drive, if you have an off-road vehicle – you can reward yourself with a refreshing swim in its freshwater pool. Along the way you may also be lucky enough to spot wild pig, deer, langurs and macaques. The national park headquarters offers information on treks and can arrange guides. Free camping is allowed in the park, and it can be an enchanting place to spend a night under the stars – just remember that many reticulated pythons and several other reptile species also call the place home.

At the other end of the price scale is Khaolak Laguna Resort (Tel: 076 420 200-3). Unobtrusively planned and well paced within extensive grounds, its bungalows offer all mod cons – air-con, fridge, mini-bar and baths. A large swimming pool, several restaurants and spa facilities complete this high-end package. Despite its size, the Laguna still has a homely, relaxed atmosphere in keeping with its less extravagant neighbours.

Situated at the head of Nang Thong Beach, Laguna is also where you’ll find Kon Tiki Divers, who offer courses in a very appropriate sport for the area – free diving. Dive Experiences, who run the course for Kon Tiki, is the only company in southern Thailand to offer the three-day programme, which has been proving increasingly popular for over a year now. Simply put, free diving involves diving to depths of 10-20m without the aid of scuba or snorkelling equipment, using ballast and airbags to assist your descent and ascent. In order to achieve this, special breathing techniques, meditation and yoga are all taught on the course. As Dive Experiences manager Johan Holmquist says, “We decided to offer the course in Khao Lak because it’s so much more relaxed here. It’s a quiet, peaceful area which is perfect for the mentality of the free diver. People who do the course often describe it as a spiritual experience.”

But even relaxed, spiritual types need some modern amenities these days, and an infrastructure of basic services has grown alongside the accommodation. It’s now possible to hire a car, have film developed, buy groceries and exchange currency in Khao Lak. You can find this strip of unfrenzied activity, along with many local restaurants, a couple of kilometres past Laguna. For Chong Fah Beach Resort, Mai’s Quiet Zone, Baan Soraya Beach Resort and Blue Village Pakarang Resort, watch for signs on the left about a kilometre farther on. To get there, either hire a car or catch a Surat Thani-bound bus from Phuket Town. When you go round a small headland and look down onto a stunningly beautiful vista of sea, sand and forest, you’ll know you’ve arrived.

Khao Lak National Park

Khao Lak lies along the southern coast of Thailand, around 100km north of Phuket. It contains mountains, a waterfall (during the rainy season) and a rugged rocky coastline. Khao Sok National Park lies just to the east of Khao Lak and a number of trekking companies run tours in the vicinity between the two parks. It’s a narrow strip of area with Highway 402 running straight through it. On both sides of the highway bungalows and resorts have cropped up over the past two years along with the necessary adjuncts of internet cafes, mini-marts and restaurants.

Getting There

Khao Lak is reached by heading north from Phuket, across the Sarasin Bridge and following Highway 402. Tour agents can set you up with a mini-van ride, or you can take the air-con bus heading to Ranong/Bangkok; or, better yet, hire your own car.

What To Do

The main attraction of Khao Lak is the Andaman Sea so, naturally, diving, fishing and snorkelling are all popular – the Similan Islands only a short boat ride away. There are a number of dive operators in the area, as well as a free-dive company (Dive Experiences Tel: (01) 979 3486). Elephant trekking, canoeing and river rafting are ways to experience the forest side of Khao Lak. Chong Fah Waterfall is one of the most popular destinations with its beauty and freshwater pool. Along the way you may also be lucky enough to spot wild pig, deer, langurs and macaques. The national park headquarters offers information on treks and can arrange guides.

Where To Stay

There’s a full range of accommodations now available in Khao Lak. Formerly there were only woven grass bungalows available (and they still are) but newer resorts have recently opened offering a full-range of amenities. Prices range from 300B to 12,000B per night. Free camping is allowed in the park itself. Ask at the park headquarters.