Trip report: Trang and south Thailand

[buksida]

Mulling the idea of taking the family to Trang for a few days over Christmas, has anyone been there? Any recommendations?

[Edit: title has been changed, trip report starts further down.]

[dozer]

Love Trang, have stayed at the http://sikao.anantara.com/ a few times. There are plenty of accommodation options in the area around the hotel. The town it's self is not up to much, a bit like Krabi, but surrounding areas are beautiful ......

[buksida]

Cheers, found some bungalows on Koh Sukon which look good, surprising that there is still a fair bit of availability at this time of year.

[dozer]

We have been there mostly during school break time, but surprisingly it has always been very quiet, it seems it is still very much a hidden gem.

[buksida]

It'll be a long drive and ferry connection, probably too much to do in one day so we want to break the journey with an overnighter somewhere south of Surat but not too far off our route (see map). Looked at Google maps and there doesn't seem to be much around the middle there - any suggestions welcome!

[Bamboo Grove]

Kkhao Sok National Park. It's a bit out of your circle but a very interesting scenic area. Just google the name and check also the photos.

[buksida]

Khao Sok looks fantastic but on further investigation its very expensive - all geared up for big Thai tour groups, you need to charter a boat costing several thousand just to get anywhere near the lakeside accommodation which seems to be sold on an all-inclusive package basis.

Suggestions still welcome, looking for a couple of days somewhere off the beaten track.

Koh Sukorn is a cool little island - no cars and not much else, a real getaway!

[Bamboo Grove]

Did you check out EGAT's hotel? That's where we stayed a few years ago. They are usually good value and can also organize tours on the lake. Egat has hotels in every reservoir area and though I've only tried the ones in Kan and Khao Sok, they both have been very nice.

[buksida]

Got a link or contact number? Will check it out.

[Bamboo Grove]

You could try this one
Thailand’s National Parks Information Centre, tel: +66 (0)7 739 5139
or this
http://www.dnp.go.th/parkreserve/asp/st ... dation.asp

Khao Sok National Park

Booking can be arranged through in this website or telephone booking at +66 2562 0760. Reservation can be made 60 days in advance. Payment at Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited, needs to be done within 2 days after the reservation is being made.

Foreign clients who perform online accommodation booking from outside Thailand must transfer the accommodation fee (except bank service charge) to Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited, Thailand, account number 039-6-02816-0.

It is important to e-mail The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to np_income@dnp.go.th with the following information : 1) Booking Code. 2) Name of booking person as shown in the booking information. and 3) Name of National Park that has been booked.

This hotel doesn't look bad either

http://www.khaosok.net/room-rate.html

[buksida]

Nice, booked a couple of nights.

Have re-titled this thread an turned it into a trip report.

The journey to Koh Sukorn, in the southern part of Trang province, needed a break - it was a little too far to drive in one day if we were to make the boat before nightfall.

The mrs had some distant relation living on Phuket so we decided to detour there for a night. Wishing we didn't as the place is a complete tip, it had been at least 5 or 6 years since I had been to Phuket and the changes were huge - and all bad.

Anyone that complains about driving in Hua Hin should try it in Phuket, the once lush tropical island is now covered in six lane highways, clogged with traffic, most of which consists of minivans and Fortuners going at break-neck speeds to get ahead of the vehicle in front which cant move. A melting pot of road-rage is the only way to describe it.

We were staying in Thalang district which was north of the island but I wanted to see how much the rest of it had changed. Gone are all the little local shops and quaint eateries, all have been replaced with massive malls and shopping complexes, some of which even dwarf those in Bangkok. The closer you get to the beach areas the more Russian signs start appearing, I pulled a u-turn and headed out, God only knows what a hole Patong would be these days.

What used to be the quiet part of Phuket (the north) is now a massive construction site, a little like the suburbs of Hua Hin. Ridiculously priced farang housing estates in states of partial completion are everywhere, trash is all over the place and gangs of dubious looking labourers loiter on street corners.

It was time to get out of dodge - which is exactly what we did as soon as the sun broke the following morning.

To be continued, photos to follow ...

Edit: Trip report continued here: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=22615