Discovery Travel - Khao Lak

Leave the crowds behind…and discover something new!

The Best Khao Lak Tours

Here at Discovery Travel we are not satisfied just to do the “same old things”. We believe that travelling and holidays should be remembered forever! That is why we have searched around to bring you the best private tours and small group tours on offer.

Make your Khao Lak visit amazing with the best Khao Lak tours around! Along with our re-makes of the classic “must do” day trips, we also have a few exclusive Khao Lak tours that are not available anywhere else. With all of our tours we take only small groups to enhance our customer’s enjoyment of the location.

All of our amazing package tours can be made into private tours with the click of a button!

Start your Khao Lak adventure today!

Khao Lak Tours

Looking for Things to do in Khao Lak when it rains?…

Exclusive mangrove kayaking adventures, perfect in all weathers.

Private and small group tours available.

Khao Lak Mangrove Explorers

sustainable travel operatons

TAS Sustainability 5 Star Award

Here at Discovery Travel we work hard too ensure that our operations  and Khao Lak tours do not have a negative impact on local eco-systems or communities.

All to often the effects of tourism destroy the very thing it wishes to celebrate. It is important to us that we operate all our day trips and Khao Lak tours in the most sustainable ways possible, so that all of our destinations can be enjoyed by generations to come.

To help us do this we have spilt our sustainability goals into 3 simple headings.

Travelife Certified

Plastic Free Tours

Plastic Free Tours

“Be part of the solution, not the pollution!”

Low Impact Tourism

Khao Lak Mangrove Explorers

“Take only photos, leave only footprints!”

Support Local People

Support Local Skills and People

“Employing local people and keep these skills alive for future generations.”

award winning Khao Lak tours

Award winning tours
Thailand Tourism Awards - Silver Award Discovery Travel

Thailand Tourism Awards 2023

‘Outstanding Travel Itinerary: Thailand Tourism Silver Award’

New & Exclusive … Just for you!

Become one of the family and discover traditional lifestyles.

Khao Sok Jungle Cooking Class

Search our website to find  more information about all of our Khao Lak tours and find the answers to all your Khao Lak questions.

Khao Lak Day Tours

E.g. Khao Lak Kayaking Tour, Khao Lak snorkeling trip, Private tours,  Khao Lak National Park tours, James bond Island tour from Khao Lak, Similan island tour from Khao Lak, Khao Lak island tours, temple tours, Khao Lak boat trips, Khao Lak jungle safari, Khao Lak fishing trips, The best Khao Lak tours….and much more!

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The Best Khao Lak Tours

We have everything you need to make your Khao Lak adventure amazing. It doesn’t matter if you are travelling alone or travelling with kids, excursions and tours are the highlight of every holiday. Make your holiday the best it can be with our selection of private tours and small group tours.

First time in Khao Lak? Take a look through out day trips from Khao Lak and visit Khao Lak today. A snorkeling trip from Khao Lak is not to be missed! We have so many Khao Lak boat trips available you can be sure to find the one that is right for you. Our sustainable Khao Lak tours are amazing and will be remembered forever.

If you are looking for amazing beaches and islands then look no further than a Similan Islands day trip from Khao Lak. Situated just over an hour’s boat trip from Khao Lak the Similan Islands National Park provides stunning beaches and rock formations. If you are looking for the best snorkeling then a Surin Islands tour from Khao Lak is the trip for you!

The Surin Islands have the best snorkeling reefs in Thailand and are recognized as being one of the top ten snorkel and dive sites in the world. However, both of these destinations are only accessible with speedboat tours from Khao Lak, and speedboats are expensive if you want to make your tour private. But do not worry! Our local snorkeling tour with our specially designed tour boat, is the perfect alternative if you are looking to make your Khao Lak island tour a Khao Lak private tour.

There is such a wide range of tours from Khao Lak, Thailand that you be sure you will never get bored. Our Khao Lak kayaking tour has become a must do tour in Khao Lak. James Bond Island tours from Khao Lak and Khao Sok tours from Khao Lak are just as popular as ever. But that doesn’t mean you have to travel for hours for at the start of every Khao Lak excursion. There is plenty to see and do closer to your resort in Khao Lak. So, what are you waiting for? Go on, tour Khao Lak!

Had a great day out and experienced so much.
Will surely go again.

Anders Jensen

Email, Mar 2020

Good service, friendly guide, great experience, good language, THANK YOU!

Alexander Sperrer

Comment Form, Feb 2020

Wonderful guide and very service minded we would highly recommend him to anyone.

Hansen Family

Comment Form, Feb 2020

Fantastic day out and well worth the money.

Charles G

TripAdvisor, Oct 2019

We couldn’t have had a better guide and mini guide on the day.

AmyPoppins

TripAdvisor, Jul 2019

Click the link to discover our full list of semi-private and private tours and start your Khao Lak adventure today!

Unique and Authentic

Community based holiday packages

Make your holiday the trip of a lifetime.

Travel with local people, make new friends.

New & Exclusive!

Khao Lak Guide

Just a bit of background information to get your holiday started.

Be sure to check out our Khao Lak Travel Blog and Travel Advice pages for further hints and tips.

Or just head straight to check out the best Khao Lak tours

Khao Lak, Thailand

The area collectively known as Khao Lak is actually a selection of several different villages that have merged together as the number of hotels in Khao Lak grows. Each year thousands of tourists are drawn to the beaches in Khao Lak to enjoy the beautiful Thailand weather. 

Khao Lak gets its name from the large mountain that is now mostly controlled by the Khao Lak national park. Khao Lak translates to mean “Main Mountain”. This mountain has been used by seafarers for many hundreds of years as a landmark marking the entrance to Thap Lamu harbor. 

For those wishing to travel around and see Thailand, there is no better place to make your base than Khao Lak. Airport transfers from Phuket to Khao Lak take just over an hour. The beautiful Khao Sok National Park and the famous James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay are also just over an hour drive from Khao Lak center. For those who wish to experience amazing diving and snorkeling it is just as easy to get a speedboat to the Similan Islands and Surin Islands from Khao Lak.

CLICK HERE to find out more!

Khao Lak Beaches

These days Khao Lak is segmented into the original village sections to make Khao Lak easier to navigate, namely Khao Lak Beach (sometimes referred to as Merlin Beach), Nang Thong Beach, La Own Beach, Bang Niang Beach, Khuk Khak Beach, Pakweep Beach, Leam Pakarang and Bangsak Beach.

It is possible to walk the full length of the town and further along the beach, although some areas are blocked at high tide when the sea reaches the sea walls infront of certain hotels.

The Khao Lak beaches are mostly perfectly safe for swimming. In most areas the water is shallow and the bottom is sandy. The majority of larger hotels also usually have lifeguards on duty, and red/green flags to help people keep safe in the sea.

In the monsoon seasons (May-Oct) however the sea can become very rough and the waves very large. It is not usually recommended to swim in the sea during these stormy times. It is always best to check for green flags before entering the water.

 

Getting to Khao Lak

Unfortunately, there is no Khao Lak airport, however both Phuket airport and Krabi airport are relatively close. The easiest way to get to Khao Lak is to fly into Phuket airport and get a taxi from to your hotel. The drive takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes from Phuket airport to Khao Lak.

Khao Lak town is conveniently located on the main road. So busses from Ranong, Surat Thani and Bangkok drive through the town on their way Phuket. The closest major bus station is in Takuapa, about 30 minutes north of Khao Lak. There is also a small bus office near Khuk Khak morning market.

Most busses will also stop for you if you wave at them as they go past. Most public busses in this area are painted orange, blue or sometimes pink (depending on their route). 

Local bus stations can usually give you an approximate idea of when to expect the bus, but communication can sometimes be tricky. One solution is to ask someone who speaks English and Thai to help call and translate for you. Time tables published online may not always be accurate. 

For longer distance bus trips, such as trips to Bangkok, it is best to book a ticket from the local bus station. 

Taking the bus is a great way to reduce the carbon footprint of your travels, save costs, meet local people and admire the scenery. However, it is worth noting that the busses don’t run to a strict schedule. So if you need to be somewhere at a certain time (to catch a flight for example), it is best to take a taxi. CLICK HERE to book your taxi now!

Khao Lak Hotels

Khao Lak has a whole range of hotels and resorts to suit all budgets and tastes. There are luxurious 5-star Khao Lak beach resorts and cheap and cheerful budget rooms and villas. It is easy to find a hotel in Khao Lak to suit everyone.

Click Here to view Khao Lak hotels on KAYAK. Or find great deals on Khao Lak with Agoda.

Khao Lak Weather

Khao Lak is generally warm all year round (average 28-30°C) with 2 distinct seasons. The dry season and the monsoon season. The Dry season is usually between November and April. This is usually the best time to visit as the weather is a bit more predictable.

May to October is a bit more difficult to predict. This is the monsoon season so expect rain. At this time of year, the weather can change in without warning. It can go from hot and sunny to howling wind and pouring rain in a matter of seconds. So, it’s best to be prepared. Luckily enough there is still plenty to do in Khao Lak when it rains, you just might get wet!

Click Here for more details.

Khao Lak Excursions

Click Here to check out all of our Khao Lak excursions and tours.

National Parks Near Khao Lak

Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park – the Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park head quarters is located in the mountain road and is usually one of the first sights people see as they arrive in Khao Lak for the first time. The most popular places to visit in the park are the Small Sandy Beach close to the park headquarters and the Ton Chong Fah Waterfall located about 12km inland from the national park visitor center.

Mu Ko Similan National Park – The Similan national park consists of 11 islands all arranged in an almost straight line just over 30 miles west of the Khao Lak coastline. These islands have become a Mecca for snorkelers and divers since the park opened in the late 1980s. One of the most famous views of the park is the amazing granite rock formations overlooking the pure white sandy beach and crystal-clear waters of “Donald Duck Bay” on the largest island (Isl.8, Koh Similan).

Mu Ko Surin National Park – The Surin national park is located to the north of the Similan islands and has become world famous for having some of the best snorkel and dive sites in Thailand. The Surin islands are also home to a tribe of Moken sea gypsies who are believed to have lived and survived in the Andaman Sea for over 4,000 years.

Khao Sok National Park – Khao Sok national park is the most popular national park in Thailand. Khao Sok is home to a rich and healthy natural rain forest which is claimed to be one of the oldest evergreen rainforests in the world. One of the major attractions of the Khao Sok national park is the Cheow Lan Lake where it is possible to stay overnight in floating resorts.

Khao Lak Nightlife

Khao Lak is nowhere near as lively as places like Patong or Patttaya, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good night out. Most of the bars in Khao Lak are friendly and easy-going beer bars where you can sit and enjoy a drink with family and friends while you watch the world go by. There are however a few more lively places for those who want a bit more of an energetic atmosphere;

Geko Bar – located in the street just behind Bang Niang night market, it is easy to walk straight past Geko Bar in the early evenings without even seeing it. This bar often gets busier later on and is popular with dive crews and young seasonal workers from Europe. Geko has a very chilled vibe with bar games such as pool and table football available for customers.

Thai Bar – This is one of the original bars in Khao Lak. Thai Bar has now moved from it’s original beachfront location to directly opposite Bang Niang Market. Each night the owner and his friends get out their guitars and enjoy the evening with a few drinks and a selection of Thai and Western hits through the ages. 

Moo Moo Cabaret – A great fun start to the night. Located almost next door to Degree opposite the Khao Lak Tsunami Memorial Park, Moo Moo’s is the first and only cabaret show in Khao Lak. Thailand has become well known for it’s ladyboy population and the Moo Moo show is a hugely fun and spectacular show with outrageous costumes, and dance routines that would put Las Vegas to shame.

Monkey Bar – Monkey is another great bar for live music. The house band plays a range of western music, usually classic rock with a few modern hits thrown in for good measure. Monkey Bar is located just down the road from the Happy Snapper on the Nang Thong main road.

Build Factory – This is Khao Lak’s only large night club. Outside there are tables and chairs for those who wish to drink and in relative quiet or strike up a chat with the brewery’s PR girls who float around ensuring peoples glasses don’t stay empty.  Don’t go thinking this is a typical sleazy girly bar however, their job is to keep people drinking. Once inside the resident band and DJ alternate throughout the night to keep the patrons up and dancing.

Things to do in Khao Lak

Khao Lak is a great centeral location for all kinds of excursions and onward destinations. Some of the best Khao Lak tours are just a short drive from most hotels in Khao Lak. 

Surfing in Khao Lak is also becoming very popular now, and is fast becoming known as Khao Lak Surf Town. The Memories Beach Bar is becoming one of the coolest places in Thailand, and is the best place for surf lessons in Khao Lak.

In the town there is a wide selection of restaurants in Khao Lak. There is something for everyone. A few of the Khao Lak restaurants will even offer a hands on Thai cooking class.

There are also many fully licenced and professional spa and massage shops in the main town, offering a range of health and beauty treatments. Including Aloe Vera massage for those who send to long in the sun!

Explore the Surin Islands in Private: An Exclusive Longtail Boat Adventure

Discover the beauty of the Surin Islands with Discovery Travel’s exclusive private longtail boat tours. Explore vibrant coral reefs, hidden snorkeling spots, and serene beaches at your own pace. Visit the unique Moken sea gypsy village and enjoy a personalized, crowd-free adventure in Thailand’s marine paradise.

Phang Nga Coastal Clean Up Challenge: A Growing Force for Sustainability

Discovery Travel organized the second annual Phang Nga Coastal Clean Up Challenge at Khao Na Yak Beach, where nearly 200 volunteers came together to collect over 300 bags of trash, including foam, plastic, and removed abandoned fishing nets from nearby coral reefs.

Discover a Hidden Paradise with the Khao Lak Mangrove Explorers Kayaking Tour

Explore Khao Lak’s untouched mangrove eco-system with our exclusive Khao Lak Mangrove Explorers tour. Kayak through peaceful waterways, see wildlife, and swim in a hidden lagoon. Book now!

Restoring Hope: Planting Seagrass with the Community of Baan Tha Din Deang

We believe in giving back to the environment that makes our region so special. Recently, we joined the villagers of Baan Tha Din Deang to restore seagrass meadows lost in the 2004 tsunami. Seagrass plays a vital role in supporting marine life and protecting coral reefs, especially as they face the threat of coral bleaching due to rising ocean temperatures.

What Not to Take Home: A Guide to Prohibited Souvenirs in Thailand

Traveling to Thailand offers unforgettable experiences. However, it’s crucial to avoid prohibited souvenirs. Learn what items are restricted, why they are protected, and how to make ethical and sustainable souvenir choices that support local artisans and preserve Thailand’s cultural and natural heritage.

Discover the Hidden Gems: Your Ultimate Guide to Unforgettable Tours in Khao Lak

Discover the hidden treasures of Khao Lak with Discovery Travel’s unique tours. Explore Thailand’s Andaman Coast with adventures that blend natural beauty and sustainable tourism practices, promising an unforgettable escape into Khao Lak’s best-kept secrets.

Leading the Way: Discovery Travel Among the Elite Few with Travelife Certified Status in Thailand

Discovery Travel’s commitment to sustainable tourism as we achieve Travelife Certified status for the second time in Thailand. Join us for eco-friendly adventures and responsible travel experiences across Khao Lak and beyond.

Navigating Choices: All-Inclusive Packages vs. Independent Travel in Khao Lak

Discover the best travel options for exploring Khao Lak, Thailand, with our comprehensive guide comparing all-inclusive packages and independent travel. Learn how to balance convenience with authentic local experiences while supporting the community and making the most of your Khao Lak vacation.

Enhancing Safety and Sustainability: Installing Mooring Buoys at Khao Na Yak Beach

At Discovery Travel, we're always striving to enhance the safety and sustainability of our tours while providing unforgettable experiences for our guests. That's why we're thrilled to announce our recent collaboration with Thai Muang National Park to install mooring...

Exploring Khao Lak and Phang Nga: A Guide to Responsible Travel with Discovery Travel

As responsible travellers, it’s essential to be mindful of our actions and choices. This guide to responsible travel that not only contributes to the well-being of the destinations you visit, but also enhances your journey.

Things to do in Khao Lak

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Discovery Travel - Khao Lak