Day 4 - Saturday 28 November 2015

Turning up the wick........Yesterday I turned the wick down so low the light nearly went out. Today I need to turn it up a bit but I don’t want to set the house on fire. There seems to be enough in the larder to get by this morning and there’s coffee in the room. At 10.30am I’d better have a look around the area. This is Khao Lak right? Wrong! If you check any map you will not find a town or even a village named Khao Lak. Khao Lak is a mountain which gives its name to the national park nearby. So where am I? Well, the 20 km of sandy beach north of the national park consists of three villages which nowadays all seem to merge into one along highway 4 to form Khuek Khak sub district of Takua Pa district. The highway runs inland, two to three kilometres from the coast except where the road crosses the headland near the national park office. There is no coastal road and no high rise hotels. After the Asian Tsunami of 2004, the authorities realised that far more destruction and loss of life could have occured if it were not for the forest. Now discrete but expensive resorts dominate the shoreline particularly at the southern end of the strip. Further north they are less evident and the beaches quiet. Armed with more knowledge of the area I can set about locating some sites of interest.
Police Patrol Boat 813........As a stark reminder of the force a tsunami can exert, Thai navy boat 813 (Tor 813) lies beached almost 2 kilometers inland from Bang Niang Beach. It was on patrol, serving as a guard to a grandson of the king, Bhumi Jensen while he was jet skiing in front of La Flora Resort. Despite rescue efforts, he could not be saved from the power of the waves. His mother (Princess Ubolratana) and sister survived by fleeing to an upper storey of La Flora. Boat 813 was carried inland and came to rest opposite Bang Niang's marketplace. The area in which it sits is now being renovated to include a museum dedicated to the events of Boxing Day 2004.

Khao Lak National Park........Khao Lak Lamru National Park is the dominant national park along this stretch of coastline with its headquarters on a headland overlooking Khao Lak Beach to the south. There is an entry fee for the park of 200 baht but I get a break. While I was walking around police boat 813, I wasn’t happy. I needed the ‘happy room'. Could I use the toilet in the police station nearby I wonder as Katoon can charm the birds out of the treetops? Sure I can. But we also get good advice. Don’t pay at the park. Just go to the park entrance and tell them you’ve just come to eat at the restaurant. WOW! That works. It’s not quite lunchtime and we will take lunch overlooking the ocean with stunning views but while we’re here, may as well go down to the sandy cove below. That’s another piece of advice as otherwise in the area are select resorts where they get fussy who they let onto their beach. OK I don’t need to test it, the bay here is secluded but at high tide there's not too much sand: Enough however for me to take a dip. I’m not inclined to do much more than that as the waves are quite strong. I don’t want to leave anytime soon but it’s time to eat.

Sairung (rainbow) Waterfall........For Sairung Waterfall I need to double back past the resort. This waterfall is off a turning opposite Bang Sak Beach, north of the Pakarang Headland. After 1 km turn right. It’s easily reached 2.8 km from the main road. The waterfall is almost a sheer drop of about 15 metres into a small rock pool. When I arrive there are just local children playing in the water but other foreigners soon arrive and it gets a bit too crowded for me but the kids provide good entertainment. It’s nearly 3pm.

Bang Sak Beach........I could easily go back to the resort and sleep now but we’re in the same area as Prarang Villa which I used on my first night here. A sign to White Sands Beach catches my eye and I head for it. I mentioned earlier that there are some high rated resorts in the area but this seems to be the main one on Bang Sak Beach. When I arrive there, all I can do is look around and take some photos. This is way above what I’m used to, straight out of a holiday brochure. Now it time to head back yet there is another road marked ‘boat yard’. OK when I arrive I see no boat yard but a restaurant called the Boat Yard. The Staff tell me this is Coconut Beach. You only have to look up to see why. OK I’m going to get into the mood for a fresh young coconut drink because I can’t resist taking another dip in the sea. So that’s blown my siesta but back at Sangsawan Resort, I try to get an hour’s rest before dark. As we head back out to Tarn Restaurant I’m somewhat off seafood. If I eat anymore I’ll turn into a whale and eat Jonah so I just take a burger and chips for a change. I have to say I can’t really fault this day for anything but just maybe by now I’m getting a bit travel weary. Something that won’t help that, is a late night due to the MFL fixture between Coleshill and Hereford. I just about get a signal in my room but not enough for the radio commentary. Thank goodness for Twitter! All ends well with Hereford winning 4 : 1. Next Page.