After Phuket, we headed north to Khao Lak with the purpose of heading to the nearby Similan Islands. I didn't have any expectations when it came to Khao Lak, but was surprised by how much I liked it. Khao Lak was the hardest hit in Thailand in the 2004 tsunami with an unofficial death count of around 10,000. While it is quite mountainous, it devastated the coastline.
The beaches are relatively quiet with patches of resorts and shacks.
We were most interested in the Similan Islands and booked a tour with Fantastic Similan Travel. The tour company is primarily employed by ladyboys and they really are fantastic. We made three stops and the water was clear and the views were amazing.
So the trip was 'fantastic' except that a jellyfish managed to attack both my legs and now I have the nasty scars to prove it.