Stay in Khao Lak or Phuket

Old Jan 22nd, 2012, 09:55 AM
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Stay in Khao Lak or Phuket

Our family of 4 with kids 18 and 15 have 4 days for the beach portion of our whirlwind Thailand trip. Trying to decide if we should stay in Khao Lak or Phuket. We will want to do a day trip of island hopping/snorkelling and another half day trip kayaking. If Khao Lak we can snorkel the Similan Islands and kayak the Ao Phang-Nga inlet. If Phuket it will be island hopping to Ko Phi-Phi area.
We value daytime activity over nightlife but do like to enjoy good food. Quaint/cultural setting over resort monstrosities. Examples: Maui over Waikiki or Negril over Montego Bay.
Any input would be much appreciated. We will already have stayed in Bangkok, Siem Reap and Chiang Mai at this point.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2012, 12:01 PM
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JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa Phuket: Just 15 kilometers North of Phuket International airport, set in a tropical paradise, where the glistening sands of ... Stay

http://www.asiarooms.com/en/thailand...arriott_phuket...

My fav with kids usually get good deals here or piceline.com
Sometimesmarriott.com sites cash points Specials on Biz CC awards also for me.

Happy Hunting!
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Old Jan 22nd, 2012, 01:00 PM
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Khao Lak is certainly quieter than Phuket. And if the JW appeals to you, there is a JW Marriott at Khao Lak that several regulars here just love.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2012, 01:03 PM
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From what you say you are looking for Khao Lak would probably suit you, but you have not said which time of year you are visiting ? This is important as certain times of the year it can be rain but possibly more important seas can be rough.

Khao Lak has plenty of places to stay, so it depends on your budget, plenty of absolute beachfront hotels and resorts. Nearby Khao Sok National Park is great to visit.


For best deals I would suggest local booking websites that cover the Phuket and Khao Lak area.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2012, 01:04 PM
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There are lots of places to stay, again though it depends on your budget and the style of place you want.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2012, 01:17 PM
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i love both the meridien and jw marriotts in K/L... there are also many smaller hotels in the town and good food abounds..

it is much nicer than phuket, and just one hour north of phuket airport
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Old Jan 22nd, 2012, 04:16 PM
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Going mid March so I don't think rain or rough seas are an issue.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2012, 08:00 PM
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One of our main interests is snorkelling. Is it better from Phuket than Khao Sok?
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Old Jan 23rd, 2012, 12:13 AM
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Khao Sok is a national park covered in rain forest - a great place to visit but no snorkelling!
http://www.khaosok.com/

Snorkeling from Khao Lak will usually involve a day trip by boat but I think there is one reef that can be reached by longtail from the beach. The reefs will be in better condition than those around Phuket/Phi Phi but there are more options around Phuket
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Old Jan 23rd, 2012, 04:54 PM
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March time will be fine for weather

Take a trip to Tachai island - stunning !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BRrVftk3g4

From what you say you will enjoy the Khao Lak area far more than Phuket, which continues to develop non-stop.

Get in quick for Khao Lak as my guess is over the next few years will develop at a fast pace.
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Old Mar 1st, 2012, 03:10 AM
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I think snorkeling at the Similan Island will be a great experiance for the whole family. Its absolute stunning over there.

Phang Nga Bay is my favorite area tho. Make sure to take a hong island trip instead to really experience the area to its fullest.

Make sure you dont safe on those trips. Because if you do, you will end up on crowded boats, reaching everywhere just when everywhere else is going. We had a great tour operator the last time around and really enjoyed traveling with them. Is a Thai family business so no European rip off. Really liked it.

I am not sure if I can post links of a company, but if you like some more detail, let me know

Enjoy your holiday!
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Old Mar 7th, 2012, 10:39 AM
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Thanks Phad Thai. I would be interested in the name of the tour operator you used for the hong island trip.

Thanks
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Old Mar 7th, 2012, 06:57 PM
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This is Phad Thai's first post - I expect he is a tour operator. If he posts a link to his business, his post will be deleted as advertising (against the terms of service).

You can no doubt find a local tour operator once you get there.
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Old Mar 7th, 2012, 08:33 PM
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This is who we have used for PhangNa Bay trips.. http://www.andamanseakayak.com/

We have had fantastic service from them and it has never seemed overcrowded.

We have used them from Phuket but I am pretty sure that they will pick up in Khao Lak.
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