Page 102 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Phuket

100 ❯❯ Phuket Area by Area

Khao Lak
7
MAP E2
Pristine jungles hug
the coastline, while the
clear waters and white-
sand beaches of Khao
Lak offer a natural
paradise for those
seeking tranquillity.
A number of fascinating
diving and snorkeling
sites, hidden beaches,
and upscale resorts
Maya Bay’s hideaway location populate Khao Lak.
The Khao Sok Lam Ru National Park
Ko Phi Phi Leh
5 features beau tiful sea cliffs, estuaries,
and mangroves. Treks and long-tail
MAP F3
Framed on three sides by steep boat trips can be arranged at the
lime stone cliffs, and caressed by park’s visitor center. The 2004
calm crystal blue waters, the breath- tsunami devastated Khao Lak,
takingly pictur esque Maya Bay (see but the area has made a strong
p51) on Ko Phi Phi Leh is best known recovery, and today tourism is
for its appear ance in the Hollywood flourishing again.
movie, The Beach. Day tours provide
Ko Panyee
lunch at Maya Bay; there are no hotels 8
on the island, but tour companies offer MAP F2
sleepaboards just offshore. Most of this small island consists of
a massive limestone outcrop that
rises vertically out of Phang Nga Bay.
ECO CONTROVERSY The main attraction here is the stilt
While The Beach was being filmed on village constructed in the shallow
Ko Phi Phi Leh in 1999, environmentalists waters along the island’s south side.
claimed that filmmakers damaged The island’s economy today relies
Maya Bay by clearing coconut trees increasingly on day-trippers from
and grass, and altering sand dunes nearby Phuket. Fresh seafood
in order to make the beach appear restaurants line the shore, and
more attractive. The tsunami in 2004,
however, essentially washed away all a mosque towers over the village.
signs of human tampering. Visitors often visit Ko Panyee and
Ko Phing Kan combined as part
of a packaged tour.
Phang Nga Bay
6
Dramatic limestone cliffs
jut up from this bay (see pp36–7),
providing extra ordinary scenery for
boat cruises, kayak journeys, and
island tours. To experience the bay
fully, spend an entire day here, ven-
turing beyond the pop ular tourist
sites such as Ko Phing Kan and Ko
Panyee. Kayak tours explore cave
tunnels that open into fantastic
hongs (lagoons). Traditional Chinese
junk boats, long-tail boats, and
speedboats can be hired along
Phuket’s east coast piers, as well
as from Chalong and Rawai Beach.

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