Southern Thailand is best known for its beaches, but the region between Phuket, Krabi and Trang has old towns, rainforest and sea caves too. These 5 places make a route of 10 to 14 days, and most are within 3 hours of each other by road or boat.
1. Phuket Old Town
Phuket Town grew rich on tin mining in the 19th century, and its old quarter is lined with Sino-Portuguese shophouses: Chinese shop fronts with European style arches and shutters, painted in pastel colours. Thalang Road and Soi Romanee are the prettiest streets, with cafes, small museums and family run restaurants serving Phuket’s own Peranakan dishes. On Sunday evenings Thalang Road becomes a walking street market.
2. Phang Nga Bay
Phang Nga Bay, between Phuket and Krabi, has more than 40 limestone islands rising straight out of shallow green water. Many have hidden lagoons, called hongs, that you can reach by sea kayak through low caves at the right tide. Koh Panyee, a fishing village built on stilts, is a good stop for lunch. Go early in the morning to beat the day trip crowds.
3. Khao Sok
Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani province protects one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Its centre is Cheow Lan Lake, a reservoir surrounded by limestone peaks, where you can sleep in floating bungalows and take a boat out at dawn to look for gibbons and hornbills. It is about 2 hours by road from Phuket or Krabi.
4. Railay Beach
Railay, near Ao Nang in Krabi, sits on the mainland but is cut off by cliffs, so the only way in is by longtail boat. It is one of the best known rock climbing areas in Asia, with routes for complete beginners and experts. Phra Nang Beach, at the southern tip, has a cave shrine and some of the clearest water on the coast.
5. The islands of Trang
Trang, south of Krabi, is quieter than its neighbours. Koh Mook is home to the Emerald Cave, where you swim through a dark tunnel about 80m long into a hidden lagoon and beach enclosed by cliffs. Koh Kradan and Koh Ngai have white sand and good snorkelling, and the town of Trang is known for its roast pork and dim sum breakfasts.
When to go
The Andaman coast is at its best from November to April, when the sea is calm and the skies are clear. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings rain and rougher seas, and some island boats stop running, but prices drop and the rainforest is at its greenest.
