2017 ISSUE 02 47THAILAND
Beautiful beaches,
no crowds
If, in the past, you’ve favoured
the sands of Phuket or the bustling
streets of Bangkok, thailand’s trat
Province in the country’s east will
likely come as a surprise. here,
many of the tropical islands are part
of the Mu ko chang National Park,
protecting them from the worst
of mass tourism. koh kood is one
of the easternmost isles and the
region’s second biggest. traffic-free
roads connect villages, there are
three beautiful waterfalls hidden
in the forest, and its picturesque
beaches are some of the country’s
best. one of the prettiest, Bang Bao
Bay, has a touch of paradise about
it: calm turquoise water, wooden
jetties stretching out from the coast
and groves of palm trees throwing
shadows across the sand. there
are some luxury resorts here – away
and the Beach Natural resort come
highly recommended – but there
are also homestays and locally
owned bungalows and hotels. You
can head to the fishing village of
ao Yai – have lunch at chonthicha
Seafood – or simply spend your
days lolling by the water in
hammocks, occasionally dipping
into the ocean to cool off. Make
sure you bring all the books in
your tBr pile. tourismthailand.org
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