Amazing Day Trips from Khao Lak, Thailand

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I stayed in Khao Lak as part of a month-long trip to Thailand over Christmas. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I honestly loved it. It has a great selection of bars and restaurants, and the Bang Niang night market was probably one of my favourite markets in Thailand for the vibe and variety of shops.

For everything you need to know about visiting Khao Lak, including all the best things to see and do, check out this blog on: ‘Unmissable things to do in Khao Lak’

One of the great things about Khao Lak is that it is perfectly positioned to experience more of what Southern Thailand has to offer. It is surrounded by national parks, meaning that there are some simply amazing days trips available. Here are some of the best day trips to take from Khao Lak.

Amazing day trips from Khao Lak

Similan Islands

A boat trip to the Similan Islands is perhaps the most popular daytrip from Khao Lak, and with good reason!

The Similan islands are a collection of islands located in a protected area of National park, just over 1 hour by boat from Khao Lak, in the Andaman Sea, and they are simply stunning.

The water is a colour of blue that is rarely seen in real life and the sand is pure white.

The journey to the Similan islands can be quite long, roughly about 1 hour 15 minutes, but I would say that it is definitely worth the long journey there. I would recommend going with a tour operator that has a large catamaran boat, rather than a smaller speedboat, as this will be a much more comfortable journey, especially if you are prone to sea sickness. My husband gets extremely sea sick and I was a little worried about the length of time that we would be on the boat travelling to and from the islands, however, with a bigger speed catamaran, he was absolutely fine, as the boat is so much smoother.

Most tours offer the same or very similar itinerary around the Similan Islands. Our itinerary took us to the ‘Donald Duck’ islands, where we hiked a short distance to the Sail Rock viewpoint, with gorgeous views over the beach and bay. We then had a snorkelling stop, before heading to a gorgeous beach for lunch and lounging on the beach. In the afternoon, we headed to another gorgeous beach before our final snorkel stop of the day. The tour I booked was with Love Andaman – book the same Full Day Love Andaman Similan island Tour here. Another popular operator is Wow Andaman, who offer a similar tour itinerary: Book your trip to the Similan Islands, here

Surin Islands

A boat trip from Khao lak to the Surin Islands is a great alternative to the Similan Islands. The Surin Islands tend to be a little quieter and less visited than Similan, however they are just as beautiful, with crystal clear, turquoise water and pristine white sand.

A full day tour to the Surin Islands includes swimming, snorkelling and relaxing on the beach, however the main difference to the trip to the Similan islands is that you will also visit the Sea Gypsy Moken Village, where you can discover the traditional way of life of people who live in and by the sea. Book a full day snorkelling trip to the Surin Islands, here.

Phang Nga National Park

Phang Nga National Marine Park is located in the south of Thailand, between Krabi and Phuket. It is one of the most beautiful marine parks in Southern Thailand.

On a boat trip around Phang Nga Bay, you’ll see striking limestone karsts rising from the emerald-blue water, as well as beautiful mangrove forests. You’ll also visit the famous Hong Island, otherwise known as ‘James Bond Island’, after it was featured in the James Bond film, ‘The main with the Golden Gun’.

The landscape here is truly magical. One of my favourite trips during my time in Thailand was a full day boat trip to Phang Nga Bay. This is the trip to Phang Nga bay that I went on, which was from Phuket.

However, there are also plenty of trips available that depart from Khao Lak.This Twilight sea canoe trip from Khao Lak is great for late risers. Or this Island Adventure Tour from Khao Lak offers early morning departures if you prefer.

Many of the trips to Phang Nga Bay will include an opportunity to kayak or canoe, which I would highly recommend as you can get up close to the karst islands and float through the mangroves.

If you have extra time in your Thailand itinerary, you can stay in Phan Nga National Park and experience total tranquility. There are quite a lot of accommodation options to choose from, all around Phang Nga Bay, for a range of budgets.

If you are travelling on a budget, Phang Nga Bay Khanittha Homestay is a good option, right on the edge of the bay. On the other end of the scale – for complete luxury, book a night at the Sametnangshe Boutique with unrivalled views over the islands and bay. There are plenty of mid range options also, like the Bor Saen Pool Villa resort and Ao Luek Panoramic Pool hotel.

Whether you choose to visit for a day, or stay overnight, a trip to Phang Nga National Park is definitely a great addition to your itinerary!

Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok National park was one of my favourite places I visited in Thailand (I feel like I say that a lot, but it truly was!) The landscape is truly magical and I had the most amazing experience here. I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Thailand.

If you have the time, I would encourage you to spend a couple of days in Khao Sok so that you can fully immerse yourself in the rainforest. I stayed at Khao Sok Riverside Cottages for 3 nights in a jungle log cabin. From there, I experienced a night jungle trek, a trip to Khao Sok hot springs and went rafting down Khao Sok river, joined by a family of monkeys. But the highlight of any trip to Khao Sok National park is a visit to Cheow Lan Lake. There are plenty of day trips you can take, however if you have time, I would recommend staying overnight in a floating raft on the Lake. Waking up to witness the sunrise over the lake, followed by spotting an elephant on a morning boat is a moment I’ll always remember. You can read my full blog on Khao Sok, here

If you don’t have time to stay a couple of nights in Khao Sok, don’t worry, you can still take a day trip from Khao Lak and experience the highlights of Khao Sok. In one day, it will be hard to cover everything that the national park has to offer, so the day trips usually offer either a tour of Cheow Lan lake, or, an opportunity to explore the rest of the National Park. So, if you are only going for the day, make sure that you know which part of the national park you most want to see and check the tour itinerary.

This full day Bamboo raft tour to Khao Sok from Khao Lak takes in the highlights of Khao Sok National Park, without a trip to the lake.

If you don’t want to miss out on a trip, go for this full day Cheow Lan Lake tour from Khao Lak.

Phi Phi Islands

The Phi Phi Islands are an archipelago of six small islands in Southern Thailand, sitting in between Phuket, Krabi and Ko Lanta. The largest and only inhabited island is Phi Phi Don. You can easily spend a few days on Phi Phi Don and I have written a full travel guide on everything you need to know about visiting Phi Phi Don, here. However, if you are short on time, or just want to explore the islands by boat, you can take a full day tour from Khao Lak.

A full day tour to the Phi Phi Islands will include a stop at the famous Maya Bay – which earnt its recognition from 90’s cult classic ‘The Beach’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. There is no doubt that this small, protected island and bay is beautiful, however, be aware that Maya Bay can get extremely busy, with large crowds of people. If you can zone out the crowds and are prepared to be joined by others, then this is a great stop. Next up on the tour, you will visit Pileh bay, which is a beautiful emerald-green lagoon, surrounded by limestone karsts. This is a great spot to get some photos! Most trips also include a snorkel stop around Phi Phi Le and some also include a stop at Bamboo Island to enjoy the beach and relax.

While this was not my favourite tour I did in Thailand, it is still beautiful and if you are spending a couple of weeks in Khao Lak and are looking for another day trip to take, this is a worthy option to consider. Book your Phi Phi Island trip here.