On the Road in Khao Lak

Of course, during our vacation we also explored Khao Lak. Here you can actually do some activities on your own.

Did you know that the place is actually called Baan Lah Own? Only the small mountain at the beginning of the town is called 'Khao Lak'. But somehow the name has become customary among tourists.

Downtown

Of course, it makes sense to first visit the 'downtown' of Khao Lak. Well, visiting might be a bit too much to say. There are some bars, restaurants, souvenir shops, tailors, shops like Seven Eleven...not much is going on here. Just what we wanted! Peace and quiet. It's definitely enough for a leisurely stroll through the streets.

Who stole the coconut?

One of the things I definitely wanted to do was treat myself to a coconut! How simple needs can sometimes be. Anyways, I did this directly on our first day and was then a bit surprised by what I got. I said to Luke 'I wanted a coconut?'. He replied 'That IS a coconut'. Yes, as a spoiled German supermarket shopper, I was actually of the opinion that coconuts grow on trees the way we get them in the supermarket: brown and hairy. Well, I was proven wrong. And this is what I always like to say: Travel broadens the mind!

Bang Niang Market

In Bang Niang, a section of Khao Lak, a market takes place several times a week. This market is quite touristy, but I would still recommend not missing a visit. For the food alone. There is plenty of choice of various foods and drinks for very little money. Certainly more expensive than a real, local market, but still much cheaper than in Germany! Besides groceries, there are of course all kinds of souvenirs, clothing, electronics, etc...

By Taxi

Since the way on foot was a bit too far for us, we took a taxi there for very little money. They usually wait at the hotel or on the roadside. In any case, we never had any trouble finding one. The price for the taxi ride is agreed upon in advance.

Feel like something different?

If you're already there, why not try a bag full of delicious insects! ;) In any case, during our first visit to the market, I didn't dare to and I was actually convinced that I would never eat something like that. I was proven wrong during the trip.

Food and Drink

In Khao Lak, there is also no shortage of various restaurants to choose from. You don't have to eat rice and noodles the whole vacation. There are also plenty of restaurants that offer Western cuisine. However, the local cuisine is cheaper. Here you get a meal with appetizer, main course, and drinks for 15-20 Euros. For two, of course! For only 2-3 Euros, you can get a delicious and sufficient meal at the street food stalls! Also, I don't travel 10,000 km just to eat schnitzel with fries. We were often at 'Gold Elephant', which conveniently was right across from our hotel. Right next to it is a cocktail bar, where we also went quite often. There are cocktails for only 99 Baht. That's about 3 Euros.

My Tip: If you're also sensitive to spicy food, it won't help at all if you order the curry 'not spicy please'. At least in my experience, everything there is still spicy! As a mild curry, I can recommend the Massaman Curry with potatoes and peanuts. Also, definitely try the Thai national dish Phad Thai!

Other notable things to see

In Khao Lak, there are a few other things to do. We didn't do all of them during our vacation. Among other things, we didn't visit the Chong Fah Waterfall and we also didn't go to the Tsunami Museum. There is also a nice view point, which we visited during another vacation here.