The best way to view Thailand is by scooter/motorbike, everyone seems to own one. Not remotely our first time in the country, however this holiday was our first time we hired a bike. We wish we had done it sooner as not only did it give us our freedom it was so safe and the roads are better then the UK in most places! What are you waiting for? Go ahead and Scooter in Khao Lak!
Where to Hire a Scooter From In Khao Lak?
We were based just north of Khao Lak and we chose to hire our scooter from 5 Star Motorbike. They delivered the bike to our hotel along with two helmets and we we able to hire it for two out of the four weeks were were there for. It was brilliant, I can highly recommend them, we will be using them next January too. (Not affiliated at all with them, they are just a great company to use.)
Beach Hop
Don’t just sunbathe on your own beach, as there are so many to choose from all with their own characteristics. Just because they may all appear to be on the West they definitely do not all look the same. When you hire your Scooter in Khao Lak, you can find so many beaches to visit. Take Poseidon beach as an example, it is covered in stunning lava rocks and is very different from the likes of ‘White Sand Beach’. Read 6 beautiful beaches to visit in Khao Lak you can easily reach by scooter. Can you find the hidden beach on your scooter located somewhere in Khao Lak Lamru National Park?
Temple Tours
Thailand is covered in temples of all sizes and colours and one temple just north of Khao Lak town centre will not disappoint. With colourful bunting, elephant statues flanking the sides of the main building there is so much to take in. Don’t forget it is essential for ladies to cover their shoulders and knees to enter religious sites. This particular temple is called Kuek Khak Temple and it was lovely to spend a short while wandering around the grounds. Another building we passed several times had many statues of cockerels outside and we think this could be a temple too?
We scooted around this temple complex (probably not the done thing) as it was completely empty! There are so many places to park your scooter around Khao Lak you can be more respectful than me and have have a proper look around.
Pay Respects At Khao Laks Tsunami Memorials
The tsunami of 2004 killed thousands of people in many countries, Thailand being one of the worst affected. Khao Lak was at the centre of the devastation and therefore there are lots of memorials dotted around to commemorate lives lost. Read my tsunami memorials post to find out which ones we visited during our stay. There are three in the area which we visited very easily, and they were all really different. One was laid out as a lush park with restaurants and a Buddha Statue. Another was more like a museum. The third had the turtle sanctuary (see below) next to it, kill two birds with one stone here.
Turtle Sanctuary
This attraction may not seem terribly usual however it is the location this conservation which is. The sanctuary is accessible only by entering the Royal Thai Naval Base! Interesting! Many tanks of varying sized turtles can be seen, all whom have been rescued. Read more here about what you need to take with you in order to gain entry. A tour is also available which combines going jungle rafting in the National Park with visiting this sanctuary. For more information click here.
Find Secret Jungle Hotels - Lost to Nature
I love stuff like this, it was almost like being in Tomb Raider! Not necessarily seen as a top tourist attraction in Khao Lak, it is however unusual! This hotel was sadly destroyed by the 2004 tsunami and nature was taking it back. I couldn’t get much closer as there was a river in my way and I was concerned about snakes being in the undergrowth. You can find this just south of the Devasom hotel on the beach side of the road behind Khuk Khak Beach.
Tucked right in the trees you may miss it like we did but you can see what remains of the roof at the bottom of this picture below the bar, opposite what I remember to be some kind of meteorological station (to detect more tsunamis one might hope!). Mr C had to turn the scooter around as we had gone right past it. I have added a map in my tsunami memorials post so you can easily find it.
Kho Koh Khao Island
A very short longtail or ferry boat trip away from the main land is Kho Koh Khao Island. Dotted around with some lovely luxury hotels this island is perfect for a day trip or to stay a few nights. There are signs that covid hasn’t been friendly to all businesses but I’m sure that it will pick back up. If you have a bike this is worth a little day trip. We drove the scooter all the way from the south to the north of the island really easily. Khao Laks roads are perfect for your motorbikes and scooters, even on a seemingly deserted island.
Boon Soong Iron Bridge
With several waterfalls to choose from you can get your waterfall fix here. Always best viewed towards the wet season as they can run a little dry. These falls were reached via a very short walk from the parking area. A lovely little restaurant was on site too in case you are hungry and thirsty.
Visit Takua Pa Old Town
On a Sunday Takua Pa Old Town has a walking street market. The main road through the ‘High Street’ is closed off to traffic and stalls are set up along the length selling all sorts. It begins at 3pm and goes on in to the evening and is an excellent way to get amongst local life. Fancy combining the Old Town, some temples with a bit of lunch? Here are some more ideas to enhance your trip and see the most of of the area.
Ton Pling Waterfall
This little waterfall is really cute and is just off of the main road and up a little hill. Reviews I had read said there would be lots of monkeys running around but that must have been pre-Covid. We had the whole place to ourselves, not a single other human or animal was there.
Eat Local
Whether it's up a hill or on a beach - you decide where you would like the next pad thai to come from. We found this cute little place up a really steep hill overlooking Khao Lak main town. Very glad of the bike, this road was exceptionally steep! We were not the only ones to discover it so arrive early to avoid disappointment. The name Phu View should have been a clue.
Khao Lak Lamru National Park
If you fancy a little trek in the jungle which ends up at a beautiful little sandy beach then scoot your way to Khao Lak Lamru National Park. 200baht entry fee for foreigners also gets you entry to the local waterfall a few minutes down the road and the other side of the National park too! The restaurant at the main entrance down the road was being renovated when we were there this year (Jan 2022), hopefully it will be open next year when we return. It looked like a great place to cool off with a drink overlooking the sea.
