Khao Lak is about an hour north of Phuket airport. Or you can bus down from Bangkok in about 13 hours.

The resort area gently threads its way between the Andaman Sea and the local mountain range. There is a stretch of quiet upmarket resorts, the main shopping and bars stretch (picture above) and a long section of traditionally-built restaurants, places to stay, tour shops and specialist businesses like dive centres.

Khao Lak is easy going and safe, more Thai than bigger tourist resorts like Phuket and ideally situated for forays into surrounding areas. Have a look at our visitors' views page.

There is an amazing range of accommodation, restaurants, bars and shops when you consider its size and the fact that it has remained unspoiled by the commercial sins of many resort areas.

But if you ask visitors what they like the most, it is often the friendly welcome from local people that comes to mind.

For families, it has good beaches ... for romantics it has sunset strolls and quiet restaurants ... for the young at heart, it has full moon parties on the beach (without the 'extras' of some locations) ... for the wanderers, it has places to visit ... for the stressed it has everything you need to chill out.

And if you want to see something of the area, there are buses, sawnthaews, taxis, tours, car rental and, for the brave and well insured, motorcycles to rent.-