Orchid7

I've read your posts and seen some pictures that you've posted from Khao Lak, Merlin.
I'll be staying at Le Meridien for a week next month. My main concern is getting around, since there is nothing near Le Meridien. The hotel is asking for 1800 baht for pick up at the Phuket airport and 500 baht for shuttle to Khao Lak (both one way). Those prices seem high, so I am wondering if there is an alternative. Would it be easy to find a local taxi at the airport and around the hotel?

KimJapan

The transfer from the airport isn't so far out of range. There are taxis/limos at the airport, but they have a captive audience and might be tough to negotiate a better rate to Khao Lak. For ease and the great service they'll provide, I'd book the transfer from the airport to Le Meridien right with them. You won't have to worry, they'll be there waiting for you right outside the door of the airport.

We found that the Merlin also charged 500 baht one way to town (and it takes 5 minutes tops), and did this once. Then we found there were taxis parked at the end of the road that charged between 50 - 150 baht one way, depending on the time of day, number of people, mood, level of boredom...negotiable in other words. Finding a taxi from town back is as simple as walking down the street. A surefire place to get a taxi if you are in a hurry and just can't wait is right in front of the supermarket...there's only one, you can't miss it. Maybe take your first trip to town using Le Meridien's 500 baht car, and on the way, see if you can spot where a few taxis are parked waiting for fares. There is bound to be a place. It is also possible to book a taxi by phone...you could ask the hotel to call one for you if you were brave enough to shun their expensive service outright like that.

Orchid7

Thank you KimJapan, I'll take your advice and book airport transfer with Le Meridien. As you wrote, we can take hotel's car once and then try to find a taxi driver who would be willing to come and pick us up at the hotel in the evenings.

BTW, it's great to hear that there is a supermarket in the town!
I asked on another forum what the Khao Lak town was like (never been there), and was told that there were no shops at all, only very few restaurants and some stalls.

Thank you again for your info, it is rather difficult to find any new info on Khao Lak, since not so many people choose to travel there after the tsunami. We just want to stay some place peace and quite (prior to 2 weeks in Bangkok), and spend some money there where local people really need it badly.

KimJapan

The town has many shops and quite a few restaurants. The shops are mostly the same, selling the same variety of stuff you see anywhere in Thailand...sarongs, t-shirts, postcards, cotton dresses, some gifty kind of things...nothing special that we found. We did like a restaurant called Dive In right on the main road closer to Le Meridien than the supermarket. The food was excellent and the staff super friendly and the price very cheap. There is an internet cafe right next door to the Dive In. The supermarket we thought was pretty good...not a huge place, but well stocked with things tourists might buy, including simple medicines.

You are going to Khao Lak for the same reasons we did. Because there are really no tourists around...there were very few even at peak season Christmas/New Year this year...many of the shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and hotels are quite desperate I think. We bargained, but didn't bargain hard and paid more than I would have elsewhere for t-shirts. The town has a new road, 4 lanes, with bus stops (no buses that we ever saw), and the beachside places are gradually being rebuilt. You will see the devastation of the tsunami, for sure, but you will also see recovery and just by going there and spending your tourist dollars you are offering support.

If you get sick or injured, I can recommend the Takuapa municipal hospital as very good. You might have read about our adventure with our daughter's suspected hemorragic dengue fever...which thankfully turned out to be a seriously powerful bacterial infection easily treated with strong antibiotics...anyway, everyone there, from the security guard to the cashier to the doctor was just great. The doctor and a couple of the nurses spoke pretty flawless English.

Orchid7

Such a relief to hear that there is a good hospital nearby. On every trip to Thailand I somehow manage to get nasty ear infection, last time in Ao Nang, luckily, there was also a very good doctor nearby.

I did read about your daughter being in hospital, but didn't know why, it must have been frightening for all of you. Good to hear she recovered from it, and that the hospital staff were kind to you. I must say that I have never experienced an unkind doctor/nurse in Thailand, and I have been to many of them, at least on 15 occasions. Most of them spoke English better than me (I'm from Denmark).

I will definitely check the restaurant you recommended, but you really made my day by saying there was an internet cafe in the town (I'm an internet addict).

I love to buy gifts, so good to hear I will be able to do that, but otherwise I'm not much of a shopper, hate to bargain, so I usually pay what they ask if I think it's worth it, or my husband gets to bargain if I really want something very expensive.

The Merlin was our second choice in Khao Lak, but it did look a bit dark on pictures, lots of shadows and trees around the rooms and pools. The only reason we chose Le Meridien was that it looked kind of 'airy' and spread, maybe I am completely wrong, I'll hopefully find out in 3 weeks.

KimJapan

The Merlin wasn't at all dark, and we chose it over Le Meridien because Le Meridien was triple the price of the Merlin over New Years and we couldn't afford Le Meridien. Our daughter wanted to stay in a place with amazing pools, which the Merlin had and she enjoyed. We generally prefer less hotelish places, and our preferences were confirmed after this last trip with stays in the Merlin and the Conrad in Bangkok. Next trip we'll be back to smaller, more personal places wherever we go.

Le Meridien looks really nice, and it's pretty much by itself up where it is, along with the Sarojin...nice beach there and nice scenery. Good shell collecting.

maisymoo

Orchid 7 please post a trip report in relation to khao lak as I have been doing research and have not found a lot of information either. I am particularly interested in what you think of the Le Merdien we are regulars to the Le Merdien in Phuket and are contemplating Khao Lak for 2007.

Kim Japan where would I find your trip report and photos mentioned by Orchid 7.

Orchid7

Here is the link for KimJapan's thread

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=27

If you search the forum for Khao Lak or Merlin you will find all the posts from KimJapan.

I will also post my report when I come back.

Orchid7

This one should work

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34741258

KimJapan

Orchid7 kindly postedthe picture link. Here's a link to the report.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34734627