Thailand Guide
Southern Thailand: the Andaman coast
Sheer limestone crags spike every horizon along the lush, tropical Andaman coast, whose translucent sea laps the most dazzlingly beautiful islands in the country, not to mention its finest coral reefs. The big centre here is Phuket, Thailand's largest island and the Andaman Coast's major resort destination. It borders spectacular Ao Phang Nga, whose scattered karst outcrops are one of the country's top natural wonders, best appreciated from a sea-canoe. The region's second hub is Krabi province, famous for the flawed but still handsome island of Ko Phi Phi, and for the majestic cliffs and superb rock-climbing of the Railay peninsula at Laem Phra Nang.
Awesome, world-class reefs draw snorkellers and divers to the remote National Park island chains of Ko Surin and Ko Similan, with many choosing to base themselves at the mainland beach resort of Khao Lak. Inland, it's all about the jungle – with twenty-first-century amenities – at the enjoyable Khao Sok National Park, where accommodation is on rafts on the lake and treehouses beneath the crags. There's Thai life in spades across on the quiet rural island of Ko Yao Noi, and horizon-gazing aplenty at mellow, barely developed Ko Jum. For more energetic beach life, try mainland Ao Nang, or one of half a dozen luxuriously long beaches on Ko Lanta Yai.
The Andaman coast is hit by the southwest monsoon, which usually generally lasts from the end of May until at least the middle of October. During this period heavy rain and high seas render some of the outer islands inaccessible, but conditions aren't usually severe enough to ruin elsewhere, and you'll get tempting discounts on accommodation.
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