Khao Lak and the Similan Islands: Why We Skipped Phuket’s Beaches

Updated April 2026 | 4 min read

Everyone flies into Phuket and stays in Phuket. We flew into Phuket and drove straight to Khao Lak, an hour and a half north. It was the best decision of the trip.

Why Khao Lak Instead of Phuket

Khao Lak is quieter, cheaper, and closer to the Similan Islands than anything on Phuket’s west coast. We stayed at the Le Meridien Khao Lak Resort, which had a pool that faced the Andaman Sea and a dive center right on property. No tuk-tuk negotiation, no Patong traffic. Just beach and jungle. Pack a waterproof dry bag before you go — you will use it every single day between speedboat transfers, beach hopping, and keeping your phone alive at the night markets.

The town itself is small. A handful of restaurants along the main road, a couple night markets, and not much else. That was the point. After 20 hours of travel from New York, the last thing we wanted was another crowded beach town.

Similan Islands Day Trip

The Similan Islands are a national park about 70 kilometers offshore. You can only visit during the open season (roughly October to May), and the water clarity is unreal. We booked a full-day speedboat trip through the dive center at Le Meridien. The boat left from a pier about 20 minutes from the hotel at 6:30am.

The trip hits 4-5 islands over the day. Snorkeling stops had visibility of 20+ meters. The beaches are white powder with massive granite boulders. It looks fake. We saw a reef shark on our second snorkel stop, about 3 meters below us. If you have a GoPro, this is where it earns its price — phone housings fog up at depth but the visibility here deserves a real underwater camera.

Tip: book the Similan trip early in your stay. Weather can cancel boats, and you want a backup day. We went on day 2 and it was perfect conditions.

Diving Richelieu Rock

This was the reason we picked Khao Lak over Krabi or Koh Samui. Richelieu Rock is consistently rated one of the top 10 dive sites in the world, and it is only accessible from Khao Lak as a full-day liveaboard or long-range day trip through Surin National Park.

We did a full-day dive trip. Two dives at Richelieu Rock, lunch on the boat, then a third dive at a nearby site. The rock itself is a horseshoe-shaped pinnacle covered in soft coral. The fish density is absurd. Schools of barracuda, giant trevally, and if you are lucky, whale sharks (we were not lucky, but two divers from the day before saw one).

The dive costs around 5,500-6,500 THB ($155-185 USD) including equipment rental. Worth every baht. The Similans require reef-safe sunscreen (they check at the pier and will confiscate regular sunscreen), so buy it before you go.

You need at minimum an Open Water certification. We had just gotten certified in Bali the year before, so this was our second real dive trip. Richelieu was significantly more advanced than Bali’s sites, with stronger currents and deeper descents (18-25 meters).

James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay

On day 6 we did a speedboat tour of Phang Nga Bay, which includes the famous James Bond Island (Ko Tapu) from The Man with the Golden Gun. The limestone karsts rising out of the water are genuinely dramatic. We also stopped at Panyee Island, a floating Muslim fishing village built entirely on stilts over the water.

The James Bond Island stop itself is a 20-minute photo op. Crowded, commercial, exactly what you would expect. But the rest of the bay, especially Hong Island and the mangrove channels, made the full-day trip worthwhile.

We booked through Viator and the pickup was directly from our hotel lobby.

The Night Markets

Khao Lak has a rotating night market schedule. The biggest one runs on Wednesday and Saturday evenings near the main intersection. Street food runs 40-80 THB ($1-2.50 USD) per dish. Pad thai, som tam, mango sticky rice, grilled seafood skewers. We ate at the night market three of our seven nights.

For sit-down restaurants, the seafood places along Beach Road are good but not cheap by Thai standards. Expect 300-500 THB ($8-14 USD) per person for a full meal with drinks.

What It Cost

For 8 nights in Khao Lak (January 2025):

• Flights (NYC to Phuket via connection): ~$850/person round trip
• Le Meridien Khao Lak: ~$180/night (booked with Marriott points for 4 of 8 nights)
• Similan Islands day trip: 3,500 THB ($100) per person
• Richelieu Rock dive trip: 6,000 THB ($170) per person
• James Bond Island speedboat: 2,800 THB ($80) per person
• Food and transport: ~$25-40/day for two

Total for two: roughly $3,200 for 9 days including flights. Thailand remains one of the best value destinations we have visited.

Getting There

Fly into Phuket International Airport. From there, it is a 90-minute drive north to Khao Lak. We pre-booked a private transfer through the hotel for 2,200 THB ($62). You can also grab a taxi at the airport, but negotiate the price before getting in.

For staying connected, grab an Airalo eSIM before landing. We paid $5 for a 1GB plan that lasted the whole trip (hotel WiFi covered most of our usage).

Bottom Line

If you are going to Thailand for diving, skip the southern islands and base yourself in Khao Lak. The Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock are world-class, the town is relaxed, and you can still do all the Phang Nga Bay tourist stuff from there. We would go back.

Planning a Thailand trip? Compare flight prices on Skyscanner and book tours through Viator.

Book on Klook:

• Similan Islands Snorkeling Day Trip
• James Bond Island Tour

Book Tours: GetYourGuide Similan Islands snorkeling day trips from Khao Lak | GetYourGuide Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island boat tours

Plan your own trip: guides I actually use

More from this region:

• Italy by Train in 2 Weeks: Rome to Milan via Naples, Amalfi, and Florence
• Venice to Rome via Monza: Italy for the F1 Grand Prix
• Paris vs London vs Rome vs Tokyo vs Mexico City: The Best City Trip for Your Budget
• Eurail Pass vs Train Tickets vs Budget Flights: Which Actually Saves You Money in Europe
• Amalfi Coast vs Capri: Which Should You Visit in 2026?

Cards, lounges & insurance:

• Best Airport Lounges I Have Actually Used — From Changi to Istanbul
• Is Priority Pass Worth It in 2026 — My Honest Review After 15 Airports
• Best Travel Credit Cards for 2026: The Cards I Actually Use and Why
• Best Travel Insurance for 2026: What I Actually Recommend After 15 International Trips
• The Credit Card Points Strategy That Funded $15,000 of Travel

Finding cheap flights:

• Going vs Dollar Flight Club vs Thrifty Traveler: Which Flight Deal Service Is Worth It in 2026?
• When to Book Flights by Region — The Booking Windows That Actually Save Money
• How to Find Error Fares and Flight Deals — The Services I Actually Use
• Google Flights vs Skyscanner vs Momondo — Which Actually Finds the Cheapest Flights

Staying connected abroad:

• Best VPN for Travel 2026 — NordVPN vs Surfshark and Why You Need One
• Best eSIM for Travel 2026 — Holafly vs Airalo vs Nomad

Travel gear I actually use:

• Best Portable Chargers for Travel in 2026: Which Size You Actually Need
• My Exact Travel Tech Setup After 15 International Trips
• Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for Travel in 2026: Tested on 40+ Flights
• Best Travel Backpacks for 2026: The 5 I Have Actually Used
• Phone Photography Tips for Travel: How to Take Great Photos With Just Your iPhone