The 7 best activities in Khao Lak, Thailand - complete travel guide

The 7 best activities in Khao Lak, Thailand - complete travel guide

A brief summary of the absolutely best activities in Khao Lak, Thailand. From picturesque waterfall paths to learning the art of the eight limbs - here is the only guide you need to visit Khao Lak.

Khao Lak is a growing tourist hotspot in southern Thailand. A few hours north of the hustle and bustle of Phi Phi and Patong you will find epic beaches, authentic south -wing markets, waterfalls, hikes and bags of hostels and lively bareface.

I spent a month in Khao Lak and trained for my first Muay Thai fight in Thailand. In the time between training, I wanted to explore the best things to do and see in the area.

This blog post lists all the main attractions and a few hidden treasures that you can discover in beauty; Khao Lak, Thailand.

The best activities in Khao Lak

Let us immerse yourself in this updated list of the best activities in Khao LAK!

1. Rent and explore motorcycle

This is a child's play. A scooter is the best and cheapest option to explore every part of Thailand. Most beaches and hikes in Khao Lak require a means of transport. If you want to explore on your own, you can buy a simple "Scoopy" or Honda Click for about 150 baht a day. If you stay longer, you can get one for around $ 2,000 to $ 3,000 per month, which corresponds to about $ 2 to $ 3 a day, including fuel.

There are several motorcycle sellers in Khao Lak, so take a walk and select. Just remember that you will initially offer you a high price, take this as an opportunity to practice your exchange! Remember if you pay much more than above, you will be ripped off.

2. Train Muay Thai in Rawai

Muay Thai, Thai boxing, the art of the eight limbs. Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand and its popularity has spread quickly all over the world. His rules are very similar to those of boxing, except that they can use their legs, knees, hands and elbows. Muay Thai is an excellent way to get in shape or to experience a real and raw element of Thai culture.

Fortunately, Khao Lak is one of the best places in Thailand to do this. Rawai Muay Thai is a world -famous gym in the heart of Khao Lak. It is run by real Thai fighters, has several champion trainers and current champion fighters who train in the gym. The training of Muay Thai in Rawai is a really authentic Muay Thai experience for beginners and fighters.

A typical day in Rawai consists of a morning run up to 6 km (optional), followed by a 2.5-hour session with pocket rounds, technology, pad rounds, clinchs and body weight exercises. If you want to burn some of these Pad Thai and Changs, this is the best and fastest way to do this. You will also learn an invaluable ability and experience the raw NAK Muay lifestyle.
Alt = "Olly Gaspar Training Muay Thai at Khao Lak Rawai Muay Thai"

Read more: Find out how it is to train and fight as a foreigner Muay Thai in Thailand.

3. Go to the beach

Khao Lak is surrounded by a beautiful coast and untouched white sandy beaches. Take the scooter and go back to beach for the day (is that one thing?). I wrote a detailed blog post for the best beaches in Khao Lak, so save some time and take a look at it.

My favorite beach in Khao Lak is by far the Coconut Beach. It is hidden and requires a small ride through the rice plantations and coconut palms. It is really calm, with magically white sand and a cool swing for this iconic holiday inside photo.
Alt = "coconut beach in Khao Lak"

4. Look at the waterfalls

Khao Lak also houses some epic waterfalls that are only a short scooter trip from the city center. When you visit Khao Lak in the rainy season, you will definitely experience something special, even though the waterfalls flow all year round. Below I listed the best waterfalls in Khao LAK and a practical card that helps you to find them.

Tong-cha-fa waterfall

This is one of the most popular waterfalls in Khao Lak because it is only 7 km from Bang Nian's main street. Take a look at the card at the bottom or simply follow the street sign next to the Zantika nightclub and then take the winding road into the mountain.

This waterfall is located in the national park, so admission costs 100 baht per person. However, this is definitely worth your time and money, since they are rewarded with 5 levels of epic waterfalls, each of which is equipped with a deep pool underneath for swimming. The short windy hikes between the waterfalls are well signposted and beautiful. A must in Khao Lak.
Alt = “Ton Chong Fa Waterfall after the Monsun” Level one - after violent monsoon rain

Read full post: Ton Chong FA Wasserfall, Khao Lak, Thailand

Sai-tanged waterfall

If you are looking for something that is very easy to achieve and do not feel a hike. The waterfall Sai is just 10 km north of Bang Niang. Look for a street sign right for the Hotel Le Meridian.

This is a famous waterfall for Thai locals to go swimming with their families. It is only a 1 minute walk from the scooter car park. This waterfall proves to relax as a warm and pleasant place on a warm afternoon.
Alt = "What you can do on Khao Lak is the Sai-tung waterfall"

Read full post: Sai Wasserfall in Khao Lak, Thailand

Ton Prai waterfall

Ton Prai is about 40 minutes south of Khao Lak, so it is best if you leave it for a day trip. The winding roads to the waterfall are scenic and lead through some smaller Thai cities, in which you can buy cheap and delicious road meals for locals. Pay attention to signs that indicate the parking lot in front of the waterfall.

The waterfall itself is only a short hike from the parking lot, so make sure you are prepared. The winding hike into the mountain takes about 15-20 minutes. Perhaps this waterfall is calmer due to its relative seclusion compared to the alternatives and you can experience it yourself.

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Read full post: Ton Chong FA Wasserfall, Khao Lak, Thailand

Lampi waterfall

Lampi is about 30 minutes south of Khao Lak, so you could see it on the way to or after visiting Ton Prai. Shortly before the village of Thai Mueang you can see clear signs that point towards Lampi.

This is a popular local waterfall. On weekends you will often find many Thai families who swim and enjoy fresh water. The terrain consists of 3 levels, each with a small pool for swimming, so that the overcrowding is not a too big problem here. The main pool is also very wide and deep, so there is plenty of space for swimming and some short jumps.

5. Get fresh food in the markets

After a long day with Muay Thai training and waterfall hunt. There is nothing better than visiting the many local Thai markets in Khao Lak. Here you will find stands with fresh fruit and vegetables directly from the surrounding farms, street sellers, desserts and shake stands.

There are markets every afternoon in Khao Lak, but it seems that they change the evenings on which they open. In general, it is a good idea to try it out between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Below is a card where the common markets around Khao Lak are located.

Bang-Niang market

Bang Niang's market is always busy and lively, with exotic smells and happily smiling faces. Here you can buy fresh products or visit one of the many street sellers to find a great offer for a Pad Thai or a Thai curry. This is easy to recognize and is located directly opposite the tsunami boat in Bang Niang.

KHU Khak market

This is a morning market where you can get an authentic impression of Thai culture between dawn and 12:00 p.m. The locals usually buy their products here, where they can buy everything from dragon fruit to fresh fish or even processed and packaged food. This market is easy to overlook from the main street. However, if you go down the side streets towards Khao Lak Stadium (right next to 7/11), you won't miss it.

During our 6-week stay in Khao Lak, we often bought our products on this market to cook at home because they have the best prices. However, remember when you are a farang, pay a bonus for everything in Thailand. However, we quickly found that we would get a better price every time if we went to the same providers every week.

Market

My favorite night market in Khao Lak. The Build Market consists of old ship containers, which have been converted into permanent shop fronts. At night, when the market takes place, they are surrounded by pop-up street sellers and tables with fresh fruit. There are tattoo shops, clothes shops and of course street food retailers here.

6. Look at a Muay Thai fight

If you are sweating in the Rawai Muay Thai or have seen some of the posters where local Thai fights are shown, you will undoubtedly spend an evening in the local stadium to see authentic Muay Thai. The Khao Lak Stadion is hidden directly behind the main street in Bang Niang.

There are several signs that point out so that it will not be a problem to find it. Fights take place every Friday evening from around 9:00 p.m. The entrance fee is 1000 baht for the cheapest ticket, so it is a bit high, but it is worthwhile if you want to experience the excitement of a live Muay Thai fight. I would strongly recommend buying the cheap "stadium ticket", because it has the best view of the fight and you can walk around freely in the stadium.

The stadium itself is as authentic as possible. There are stray dogs and occasionally a rooster that runs on the earth and concrete floors around the stadium. The bathroom is a small hole in the floor with a bucket and you have to walk around to the preparation rooms, where you can take a quick look at the NAK Muays, which are massaged and prepare for entering the ring.

In this stadium I had my first Muay Thai fight in Thailand. If you want to find out how it is, take a look at my blog post or my video.

Alt = "Children fight against Muay Thai in the Khao-Lak Stadium"

7. Get a beer in the barefoot bars

There are so many great things to do in Khao Lak. After a long day of exploration, there is nothing better than a cool beer in one of the small barefoot bars in Bang Niang. There are several bars that are only a stone's throw apart, along the Chai has Road, which is connected to several resorts and hostels.

My favorite bar is definitely the Gecko Bar. A very small bar that always attracts like-minded travelers from all over the world who want to play a game of table football or billiards or want to talk about a 50-bahthang or Thai whiskey.

Khao Lak has proven to be one of my favorite goals in Thailand as a backpacker. It is easy to visit with a small budget and offers a lot of authentic adventures away from the leaked paths. I also wrote some other blog posts that show some of these experiences, such as: B. training and fighting in the Khao-Lak Stadium, checking out the best beaches or how to travel cheaply here. Make sure you check them!

Khao Lak accommodation leader: Where to stay?

Muay Thai accommodation: Rawaii Muay Thai If you spend a long time in Khao Lak, I would suggest booking a private unit or spending the night in Rawaii Muay Thai Gym. The gym has dormitories and private rooms and can negotiate discounts for training packages.

Best hostel: Dkaya hostel center location, great atmosphere, clean rooms and air conditioning! You really can't beat this hostel if you are looking for good accommodation in Khao Lak, Thailand, with the budget of a backpacker.

Best resort: Devasom Khao Lak Beach Resort & Villas one of the best rated resort on Khao Lak. Located on the beach, with a huge pool and a free breakfast, it is no wonder that the reviews are so overwhelmingly positive!

Where next in Thailand?

Did you like this quick and simple guide to the best activities in Khao Lak, Thailand? If you are looking for more adventures and remote travel destinations in Thailand, be sure to take a look at some of my other travel guides below!

Alt = "The 7 best activities in Khao Lak, Thailand"

My camera and photo equipment

• Mirrorless camera: Canon R5
• Drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
• 360-degree action camera: Insta360 One X2
• Landscape lens: Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8l
• All-round lens: Canon RF 24-105 mm f/4L
• Tele lens: Canon RF 100–500 mm f/f/4.5–7.1 l
• Long action rod: Insta360 Invisible Pole (Bulletime)
• Landscape lens filter: Hoya Circular Polarizer
• Camerarucksack: F-STOP Tilopa
• Favorite photo accessories: Peak Design Capture Clip

A list of my recommended photo equipment (including what I use and why) can be found in my guide for camera equipment for the trip.

If you want to use one of the photos on this website, please visit my licensing page to find out how. I also sell professional art prints, visit my print store or contact me directly for customs deductions from pictures on WE Seek Travel.
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