Updated June 2008
The Amsterdam Resort is at the Indian Ocean coast in Phangnga province in Southern Thailand, not to be confused with the island of Koh Phangaan close to Koh Samui. Bang Niang Beach is 70 KM north of the bridge which connects the island of Phuket with the mainland, 3 KM north of better known Khao Lak, 30 KM south of Takua Pa and 200 KM south of Ranong. Click at the link Contact Page on top of this page for a map of Southern Thailand with an arrow pointing to the exact location. Previously the owner of the resort (Kees van Dobben) had a guesthouse/restaurant/bar in Hua Hin, the Amsterdam Bar/Usaah Guesthouse. Kees speaaks Engish, German, Thai, French and of course Dutch The Amsterdam Resort has been open since november 2001 . The place had to be completely rebuilt after the december 26, 2004 tsunami. The resort has a variety of different types of bungalows and rooms. There is a breezy restaurant upstairs in the main building which is open the whole day. We have an internet room with 3 computers. There is an inhouse travel agency which sells tickets and tours to the local sights. We also rent out small mororcycles, and we can assist with renting a car. Rooms with a fan and cold water in the main building cost 550 Baht per night, prices are per room and not per person. There is one airconditioned room with hot water in the main building, which costs 850 Baht. Small bungalows with a fan and cold water go for 650 Baht. Big bungalows with a fan and hot water cost 800 Baht, except for one family bungalow with two rooms which goes for 900 Baht. Big bungalows with airconditioning and hot water cost 1000 Baht. All rooms and bungalows have a private bathroom. Rooms are cleaned on a daily basis. Prices do not include breakfast, which can be ordered seperately in the restaurant. In the low season (May through October), we only rent out the big bungalows, 400 Baht with fan and 500 Baht with airconditioning. The restaurant is closed during the low season, but many restaurants nearby are open the whole year.In the low season it is better to telephone us before you come, 0818575881, or contact us by email, keeshuahinth@hotmail.com . At New Photo 1 Page and New Photo 2 Page you will find recent photos of the resort and the surrounding area. At the useful links page you will find links giving information about Thailand in general. Down at this page are maps of Khao Lak and Phangnga province, and at Contact Page there is a map of southernThailand. The Old Photo Page shows Photos of the resort before the tsunami, and you can find my personal survival story on the Tsunami page.
Hereunder will be explained how to get here, and then follows an updated description of Khao Lak and the surrounding area, and what is to be seen and to be done there.
Many people go to Khao Lak from Phuket Airport, which is only a one hour drive away. From Phuket Airport it might be possible to take a minivan or a bus to Phuket town, and take a Takua Pa bound bus from the busstation there. It is a lot quicker and easier though, just to take a taxi from the airport to Bang Niang Beach, all taxidrivers know it. There is a counter in the arrival hall where taxis can be prepaid, but it works out cheaper to walk out of the small airport and negotiate with the taxi drivers who are standing around just outside on the public road. Don't pay more than 1400 Baht, and depending on your bargaining skills you can maybe get it for as low as 1100 Baht. Take care sometimes taxidrivers will try to take you to another resort because they are paid commissions for that.
To go from Bangkok to Bang Niang, there are three different possibilities. First of all it is possible to fly to Phuket and proceed from there. There are many flights daily from Bangkok to Phuket, done by competing carriers. Low budget Air Asia can very easily be booked online, depending upon how many seats are still available, the price varies between 1400 and 3200 Baht. Other low cost carriers are Bangkok Air , Nok Air and One Two Go, and also Thai Airways also often has low cost flights. Take care some flights leave from the old Don Meuang Airport, and some others from the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.
It is also possible to take a Takua Pa bound bus from the Southern busterminal in Bangkok, and get off at the Bang Niang beach junction about 30 KM South of Takua Pa (The bus will continue to Phuket, mind you not all Phuket bound busses pass through Takua Pa and Bang Niang/Khao Lak).
Last of all it is also possible to take a train from Bangkok to Surat Thani, and take a bus from there wich goes to Phuket via Takua Pa.
Once you are here, when you telephone us (0818575881), we will usually be able to pick you up. Alternatively, just walk towards the beach and take the last turn right just before the beach, where you will see signs directing you to the resort. From Phuket similarly take a bus to Takua Pa and get off at the Bang Niang beach junction just after Khao Lak. For more information, please email , keeshuahinth@hotmail.com or telephone 0818575881.
Reconstruction of heavily tsunami hit Khao Lak has completely finished now, the place looks more developed than before the disaster. In a few years time I expect it to look like Koh Samui. The total number of hotel rooms in the coming 2008/2009 high season is expected to surpass the number of hotel rooms before the tsunami. All the roads in the beach area are paved now, and there are street lights everywhere. At the time of writing in the Bang Niang beach area there is a choice between 11 small and middle sized resorts, and 4 large resorts where mostly package tourists are staying. Because the package tourists are coming the whole year, more and more shops, restaurants, bars, massage places and so on in the beach area are also open in the low season now. Also at the mainroad (1200 meter from the beach), and at the road leading to the main road, more and more restaurants, shops and bars are opening, which operate the whole year round. The last two years also a lot of hotels and guesthouses opened at or close to the main road.In the beach area it is still quiet, but the part of Bang Niang at the main road is looking more and more like a proper town. There is a big afternoon market in Bang Niang right at the mainroad at the junction with the road leading to the beach, which operates monday, wednesday and saturday. A bit further away, at the main road 3 KM to the north, there is the daily fresh market. There are also a lot of shops, restaurants, bars, hotels and so on in Khao Lak village center, 3 KM north of Bang Niang. In Bang Niang all facilities which are needed for a carefree stay are there: supermarkets, ATM's, transport facilities, medical care, and so on.
Bang Niang Beach, where the resort is located ,is a good starting point for long walks along the beach. One can walk southwards towards Khao Lak, or northwards towards Coral Cape.
Walking to the north, one reaches the very pretty lagoon after less than one kilometer. At low tide it is very easy to wade through the lagoon, at high tide the water is about one meter deep. The same applies for two other rivers you have to cross if you are going all the way (7KM) to the cape. After having crossed the lagoon you will see very few other people.. About one kilometer after the lagoon one passes by the upmarket Orchid Resort, where it is possible to have a drink. About 7 KM from Bang Niang is Pakkarang (Coral) Cape, a narrow peninsula that protrudes about two kilometers into the sea. At the base of the peninsula there are a lot of big resorts for package tourists. It is worthwile to walk to the tip of the peninsula where there are enormous amounts of dead coral laying around on the beach. Especially at low tide it is interesting, the water goes way back then, and local people are looking for edible things at the dry seabed. From the cape it is a pretty long walk back to the main road, you could also continue walking northwards to Bang Sak Beach, which is close to the main road where one can catch a bus or a songthaew back to Bang Niang. By the way a songthaew is a pick up truck modified to carry passengers. Bang Sak Beach is popular among the local people, there is a string of inexpensive restaurants, you can eat right behind the beach, maybe Thai style just sitting on a straw mat. At the northern end of Bang Sak there are a few luxury resorts catering for package tourists. Walking southwards from Bang Niang, Khao Lak can be reached in about half an hour, including a stop at a restaurant or bar to rest and have a drink. You will see when you get there, because there are many restaurants and bungalow resorts right at the beach. After about 10 minutes walking one has to cross a shallow river, it is also possible to be put acoss by a small boat, which will set you back about 10-20 Baht. By the way the men sitting around at the rivermouth with longtailboats can also be chartered for longer trips, to places just off the coast where there is good snorkeling. A 3-4 hour trip should cost about 1200 Baht, for the boat and not per passenger. Walking to the southernmost end of Khao Lak will take about another 30 minutes, where the beach finishes there is a short but steep path uphill leading to a restaurant (Muanlai, name only written in Thai) where one is rewarded with a breathtaking view over the whole bay. In Khao Lak unlike in Bang Niang the main road is close to the beach. There are many other daytrip destinations which are too far to be reached by foot, one has to rent a small motorbike (about 200 Baht per day) or a jeep (about 900 Baht, cheaper in Phuket) or at least a mountainbike (about 150 Baht). It is also possible to book organized tours to many destinations, right here at the resort or at one of the many local travel agencies. Taking the road from Bang Niang Beach to the main road and then turning left, there is the turnoff to the right to Chong Fah waterfall after about 300 meters. It is a very nice drive up to the waterreservoir and the national park building, where you will have to park and proceed on foot. It is half an hours walk through the jungle to reach the waterfall. I am not sure if right now you will have to pay the 100 or 200 Baht national park entry fee. When you continue on the main road towards Takua Pa, you reach the turnoff for Pakkarang Cape after about 7 KM. There is a very pretty beach called white sand beach, to go there turn left to Pakkarang Cape, and then right at she sign for the Sarojin Hotel. White Sand Beach has plenty of shade, and there is a string of inexpensive restaurants. Continuing on the mainroad after the turnoff for Pakkarang, after 2 kilometers one reaches the turnoff to the right to Rainbow waterfall (or Sairung waterfall in Thai, the sign is on the left hand side), it is a bit tricky because after taking the turnoff to the right one has to turn right again after less than one KM, there is only a small wooden sign indicating this. Under the waterfall there is a small pool which is pleasant for swimming. There are a lot of locals in the weekends, but weekdays you will have the place practically to yourself. There is also a small restaurant.
When you keep following the mainroad after the turnoff to Sairung, You soon get to Bang Sak Beach.
Leaving Bang Niang Beach and turning right on the paved road, one soon reaches Khao Lak with its many resorts, restaurants, bars, supermarkets, exchange booths and so on. At the southern end of Khao Lak the road goes uphill pretty steeply before going down again, and at the highest point there is the Khao Lak/Lamru National Park headquarters. From the headquarters there is a steep path leading down to an isolated beach where many Thai students are camping in the weekends. The National Park might still arrange jungle walks from Khao Lak through the jungle back to Bang Niang. Note some jungle walks which are sold by travel agencies dont really go into the rainforest but only to rubber plantations which have been abandoned and grown wild. A little bit past the National Park Headquarters there is another a path leading down to a pretty small beach, the sign says small sandy beach. A bit further down you will see the path to the left to Asia Safari, which has a small zoo, a 200 Baht entry fee will be charged. Asia Safari also offers elephant trekking. About 1 KM further down there is the turnoff to the right leading to Poseiden Bungalows. After following a pleasant path leading through the forest for about 2 KM one reches the bungalow resort. From the resort there is a path leading to the beach, it is a very pretty bay with a lot of huge boulders on the beach. Walking northwards along the beach from there, after about 30 minutes one reaches the 6 star Merlin resort, which is still cheap to have a drink, for European standards. Going further down the main road, after 3 KM there is the turnoff to the left to Kienkoo Resort. (right before the post office! The sign says Lamkaen Bungalows). Kienkoo is right next to a lake at the bottom of a small waterfall which is very good for swimming, and it is a nice place to sit around, eat and maybe have a few beers. During the weekends, like at other waterfalls, there are a lot of locals there.
Northwest of Khao Lak there are a few untouristed islands that make for intriguing daytrips. Koh Kaw Khao is the one which is the most easy to reach. Turning left on the main road going towards Takua Pa, after 20 Km the large village of Bang Muang is reached, where there is a large turnoff for Nam Kaem, next to the police post where the village begins. There is a big sigh saying Koh Kaw Khao Resort at the junction.The village at the pier is called Nam Kaem. It was very heavily hit by the tsunami, and many aid organisations have built houses for the survivors. There is also a tsunami monument which is quite impressive, to get there turn left just before you get into the village. There is a good inexpensive seafood restaurant right next to the tsunami monument.
At the pier in Nam Kaem there are longtailboats waiting to take passengers across to the island, which is only about 200 meters from the mainland. A motorcycle can be shipped across in a longtailboat, going across and back by car with a larger privately owned boat comes at about 300 Baht .At the island there is surprisingly enough a very good road, although there are hardly any cars around. Going away from the village where the boat arrives, there is a junction after about one kilometer. One road forks off to the left, and leads to a string of luxury resorts which have recently been built. The road to the right is going to the longer established Koh Kaw Khao Resort, which has a broad white palm lined Maledives like beach in front of it. If the resort has boats available it might still be possible to do some snorkeling there. After the resort the road goes on to another village and then to a large open field which used to be an airport during the second world war, there are plans to build an airport here again.
Also the city of Takua Pa might be of some interest, especially for those who know Thailand or Asia in general somewhat longer. Takua Pa is divided in two parts, New Takua Pa and Old Takua Pa. In New Takua Pa there is nothing of interest, but Old Takua Pa, which still has city walls, is like a living museum. Slowly dying off, since 30 years or so no new houses have been built, it looks like Thai cities used to look twenty-odd years ago. There is a strong Chinese presence in Old Takua Pa. To go there, one has to turn right upon reaching the second trafic light in New Takua Pa, after following the main road.
Phangnga Bay, famous for its James Bond Island, is at about 70 KM from Khao Lak. There is two routes to go there. The quickest way is a very scenic route, going South through Khao Lak and then turning left at the first big junction, the sign says Thung Maprao. Following the signs for Phangnga, one ends up just behind Phangnga, which is just a one street town. Driving through Phangnga and continuing about 5 KM one comes to the turnoff to the left for Phangnga Bay. The alternative is to drive down towards Phuket, to the small town of Thai Meuang. A few KM before Thai Meuang there is the turnoff to the left to spectacular Lampi waterfall, which is gorgeous for swimming, but you have to pay the 100 Baht national park entry fee . Going past Thai Meuang it doesn’t take much time to reach the town of Khokkloi, where one can go straight on to Phuket or turn left to Phangnga. Turning right at this junction, it is only a few KM to the Dusit Hot Springs Resort, where it is easy to spend the whole day, enjoying the hot spings and the fabulous swimming pool, entry fee is 500 Baht and includes use of towels and a soft drink. Driving towards Phangnga, one has to turn right where there is the official signpost for Phangnga Bay, ignore handmade signs one passes by earlier on. Arriving at the pier one will be besieged by men with boats offering their services. For a tour taking 3-4 hours to James Bond Island, to the caves with prehistorical paintings and to Koh Phanyi, the muslim village built on stilts in the water, expect to pay something in the range of 1000-1200 Baht, that is to say for the boat, and not per person.
Khao Sok national Park, which is at about 75 KM from Khao Lak, should not be given a miss. The park consists of tropical rainforest, and , which is highly exceptional for Thai national parks, there are a lot of walking paths, some of which can be negotiated wihout a guide. To appreciate the park one should spend at least two nights there. There are a lot of bungalow resorts close to the National Park Headquarters, most of them besides the river. The bungalow resorts all sell boat trips on the huge lake in the National Park, which is expensive (over 2000 Bath) but worthwile. The lake is about 70 KM east of the headquarters, the boattrip is cheaper if you find your way to the lake yourself. To go to Khao Sok one has to drive through Takua Pa, cross the river and keep going straight on, till one reaches a T junction after about 4 KM, where one has to go straight on towards Surat Thani, the turnoff to Khao Sok is after about 45 KM.
The other road, turning left, is going to Ranong. Following the scenic road to Ranong one soon arives in Sri Phangnga National Park, where there are a lot of waterfalls .
Going to Khao Lak it is practically a must to go to the Similan Islands. The Similans are an archipelago of uninhabited islands, about 60 KM offshore, which are a divers and snorkelers paradise. Obviously there is no ferry going there, one has to book a tour through a diving school, bungalow resort or travel agency. The cheapest reliable offer we could find for the last high season (2008) was 2300 Baht for a very well organized 1 day tour, including food, snorkeling mask and National Park entry fee. This tour can be booked here at the resort. .An alternative to going to the Similans is going to the similar Surin islands, a bit further out in the sea opposite the coast 60 KM north of Khao Lak. The coral is nicer at the Surin islands, and there are better facilities for staying overnight than at the Similans. We sell one day tours to Surin for 2500 Baht. We can also arrange for longer stays at the islands.
Last of all Phuket should be mentioned, the island is famous for its beaches, shopping possibilities and its breathtaking nightlife. By car/motorcycle it takes about 1,5 hour to go to Phuket Towm, by bus 2 hours. For shopping and nightlife Patong Beach has the most to offer. Karon Beach also has some nightlife but still has a bit of a pleasant countryside atmosphere. The beaches are not far from Phuket town. Phuket Town has an interesting historical city center, but few facilities for tourists such as budget hotels. Also if you are not into nightlife, it is better to stay at one of the beaches.
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Amsterdam Resort |
Old Photo Page |
Contact Page |
Useful Links Page |
Nederlandse pagina |
New Photo 1 Page |
The tsunami |
Deutsche Seite |
New Photo 2 Page
