The coast of the Andaman Sea is famous for its magnificent beaches, unique tropical vegetation, the azure pure sea and rocky coves. One of the most picturesque places of the coast is the most secluded resort of Khao Lak, which is located in the province of Phang Nga. Khao Lak represents an endless expanse of mangroves, all sorts of diverse flora, beaches, covered with white sand, and a lot of hills covered with jungles. Khao Lak is a national park, surrounded by three national nature reservations.
Khao Lak becomes every day more and more popular among fans of eco-tourism and diving. Over the past few years there has been built several hotels, in design of which great attention was paid to all the features of this area in order not to disturb the natural environment and to provide travelers with the best conditions. Among them are:
- JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort and Spa,
- Takolaburi Cultural, Spa and Sport Resort,
- Khaolak Emerald Beach Resort & Spa,
- Royal Bangsak Beach Resort,
- Khaolak Seaview Resort & Spa,
- Le Meridien Beach & Spa,
- Apsaras Beach Resort & Spa, and a couple of more hotels.
The uninhabited Similan Islands are among the ten best and most beautiful islands in the world, giving scope for scuba diving and snorkeling. In these places animals still trust humans and are not afraid of them. On the islands there is a great variety of coral beaches, magnificent jungles, vast and majestic cliffs, and beautiful palm forests. You can even stay on this deserted island for an overnight, as there are several bungalows and a special camp here for that case.
Similan Islands make a whole range of nine rocky islands, which are washed by the azure waters of the Andaman Sea. The name of the islands derives from the Malay word "Sembilan", which is translated as the number nine, and means "nine islands". The islands have the status of National Park, and are under the protection of the laws of Thailand.
Similan islands are recognized as the best places in the world for diving. One of the most fantastic and mysterious features of these islands is the presence of two completely different types of ecosystems concentrated in one place.
The west coast of the island is famous for its underwater gardens. Observation of the inhabitants of reefs and swimming with the stream under the water along the coral gardens is one of the most popular activities in these places. At selected sites, underwater gardens of soft coral growths are found, which rise from the deep sea bizarre. Navigation and diving in these places does not cause complications, which gives everyone the opportunity to explore and study the underwater beauty of these places.
The northwestern part of Similan Islands, called "Donald duck bay", is a small sheltered beach, which is often used for night dives in order to monitor squid, cuttlefish, crabs and lobsters, which at this time appear in the open areas of sand looking for food. The south coast of this bay is called the "turtle head", where you'll encounter with hard and soft corals, and sea lilies.
Similan Islands' eastern side, known as "Bacon beach", is a coral reef, which stretches at the length of several hundred meters and has a huge accumulation of leaf-like and soft corals, also dead corals. The south-eastern side of the island, known as "the end of Bacon" is characterized by the fact that the coral reef in this area is gradually transformed into rock piles, where frequently barracudas, stingrays, tuna can be noticed.
Diving in the islands is allowed all year round, but the best time is from October to May, when the weather is especially fine and beautiful and the visibility reaches to more than forty meters.
The resort of Khao Lak with its wonderful Similian Islands is a real dream for eco-tourism lovers and fans of diving. Islands, sea, virgin nature and magnificent hotels - these make the main reason why Khao Lak is worth visiting.