Best Day Trips from Khao Lak, Thailand

Being an avid browser of Luxury Escapes, I found a deal to stay at the Haven Resort in Khao Lak, and for 8 nights at only $700 I just couldn’t resist. In addition to having a very luxurious place to sleep, the package also included airport transfers, daily breakfast, dinners, massages and a cocktail package- so it really was a no brainer.

When I booked the trip (and roped in a few friends to tag along) I fully intended on spending most of my time relaxing by the pool, reading books and drinking cocktails. Anyone who knows me also knows that I was completely delusional thinking I could spend an overseas trip doing nothing. So… a week after securing accommodation and flights I was researching tours and activities to do from Khao Lak (shocker!).

Thailand was full of surprises! I wasn’t expecting there to be so many fun activities and beautiful scenery to take in. I’m so glad I listened to my inner voice and booked a couple of tours through Get Your Guide, discovering how fantastic the country actually is.

All of the highlighted trips were day tours with pick up and drop off at The Haven Resort. Being in Thailand for 8 nights, these 4 tours provided the perfect balance of exploring some of Thailand’s highlights and having enough downtime to relax by the pool.

Phi Phi Islands

Phi Phi Islands is a must see stop on any Thailand itinerary. The national park is made up of two big islands, Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Le, and four smaller islands Koh Yung, Koh Mai Phai, Koh Pida Nok, and Koh Pida Nai.

Thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio and his movie The Beach, Phi Phi Islands has become incredibly popular and is packed with movie buffs wanting to visit some of the iconic filming locations. As the name suggests, the Phi Phi Islands Early Bird Tour from Khao Lak is a full day snorkeling trip which kicks of early in the morning, hitting key sightseeing spots before the usual crowds pack out every beach. The boat departed from Phuket with a 1 hour journey by speed boat to get to our first stop, Maya Bay.

Rounding the limestone cliffs, the initial views of the Maya Bay were absolutely stunning! The huge rock formations emerging from the ocean and traditional Thai boats drifting in crystal blue waters is a view straight out of a travel brochure. Beautiful in itself, but it was topped off by monkeys jumping across the cliff faces.

We stopped at Pileh Lagoon and enjoyed jumping off the boat into the water to swim. The water was so clear that fish could be seen swimming around the lagoon; this pumped up the excitement for our next stop to snorkel just off Bamboo Island. The tour provided all the snorkelling gear and had local guides on hand to swim and take photos with you. Once I got the hang of the gear I was down swimming through the reef and taking in all the sea life… mind you I still wasn’t as graceful as it looks in the photo below.

Before heading back to Phuket, our last stop was to grab some food and check out Phi Phi Island. After a quick snack and refreshing beer at one of the beachside bars we walked to the Phi Phi Island viewpoint. Taking in the spectacular views of the thin strip of land separating the two sides of the island I was particularly struck by the beautiful jewel tone blues of the ocean and magnificent limestone mountains that make these islands so memorable. This alone made the 2 hour round boat trip well worth it.

ATV Waterfall Adventure

The pictures used to advertise the Khao Lak ATV Quad Bike Tour boast of trekking through muddy trails to lush green mountainside scenery… I am happy to report that the tour was exactly that! Our small group tour was led by a fantastic guide who provided us will all the safety gear and training ahead of our ATV tour. Navigating through the natural and picturesque forest terrain, we blasted around different trails and through a dried river bed before stopping off to visit a couple of waterfalls.

The tour included pick up and drop off from the hotel and our guide for the day was fantastic, cracking jokes and keeping us informed on Thai culture and customs. Also included was lunch at a local fish farm, which was absolutely delicious!

Surin Islands

The Surin Islands are a continental archipelago of 5 islands located 55km off Thailand’s west coast. The Full Day Snorkeling in the Surin Islands tour included hotel pickup and drop off, a delicious lunch, multiple snorkeling stops, and visits to one of the island villages.

We departed from Phuket and travelled by speed boat across the Andaman Sea, which was more than a little bumpy and left plenty of people on the boat feeling green (definitely not me…). The islands are one of the few untouched places in Thailand so it was very special to first visit the village of Morgan and take in the more traditional Thai living.

We stopped in two snorkeling locations to swim and look for Nemo and his friends in the coral reef. Unlike Phi Phi Island, the reefs surrounding Surin are in deeper waters. Much like in Finding Nemo, the shallow reef waters have a sudden drop off into the ocean depths. It’s a little confronting at first wondering if the Kraken is going to appear out of the murky blue abyss, but thankfully the corals are so beautiful and the fish so brilliant to watch that they provided a nice distraction.

Elephants & Sea Turtle Conservation Centre

Saving the best for last, the Khao Lak Rafting, Elephant Bathing & Sea Turtle Centre Tour. This full day adventure was definitely the highlight of the trip! Our first stop was the Khao Lak Sea Turtle Conservation Centre. This organisation is crucial in supporting sea turtle numbers; rescuing and rehabilitating injured turtles and caring for them permanently if they can’t survive on their own. The center also has breeding programs which tends to hatchlings before safely returning them to the sea.

Located 20 minutes from Khao Lak, the centre is run by the Royal Thai Navy and local volunteers. It features large pools where turtles from just 15 days old can swim freely. Some of the older turtles are the size of a car tire, and I must admit it’s heartbreaking to hear about the injuries and illnesses of some of the rescues.

The main highlight of the trip was of course the elephant feeding and bathing; it was a bucket list experience I didn’t know I wanted until visiting the Elephant Sanctuary. I will never forget spending the day with these beautiful animals.

Like me, I’m sure you have heard of some troubling cases of cruelty used in animal tourist attractions. The Khao Lak Ethical Elephant Sanctury and Khoa Lak Elephant Home are two organisations which take in rescue Asian Elephants, rehabilitating and providing them with a quiet and safe environment to live without restrictions.

We spent a few hours feeding the elephants bananas, lettuce, and other veggies, and I was delighted by their cheekiness in stealing food from the bag I carried on our walk to the river. While swimming I laughed so hard at their playing and splashing around, rolling onto their side to enjoy belly and ear scratches. We helped to rub mud all over their backs, a ritual done in the wild which offers sun protection. I constantly admired their beautiful eye lashes, and was often caught off guard when they stared long and deep into my eyes, looking at you as if they had known you a lifetime.

In between visiting the sea turtle and elephant conservation centres we stopped off at the Ton Pling Waterfall. Swimming in the shallow pool at the base of the waterfall, we enjoyed the peaceful soundtrack of the water falling over the rocks and watched the native birds dance around in the forest trees surrounding us.

We also enjoyed a short ride on a bamboo raft. Steered by locals from the nearby village, we floated along the calm river for a tranquil ride through the rainforest. Along the river banks we spotted monitor lizards, butterflies and plenty of different birds species. What I wasn’t thrilled to see were spiders living in the bamboo raft, but thankfully they were only small and I could still enjoy the views with only a minor distraction.