Pakmeng BeachKongthuan Beach
There is a "day beach" off the road leading to Palian. A row of sea pines and grassy area has salas with tables and benches. The beach and sitting areas are relatively clean
The beach is dark, almost muddy looking although the sand has a pleasant feel. The water is extremely shallow so swimming is likely difficult.
Basic services include beverages and toilets.
Getting there: On the road to Palian (route 4235), turn off at the 22 km marker. Follow the signs.
Pak Meng Beach
Probably the best known beach area near Trang. The sand is not as attractive as many beaches even though it is fine powder. The discoloration is probably due to the shallowness of the water and silt deposits.
The entire area is extremely shallow and swimming is probably difficult. It appears that one could walk to the offshore islands when the tide is out. But the beach is good for walking and lazing.
Food and beverage services; plus toilets are available. Several bungalow style resorts are a few kilometers from the main beach intersection.
Had Chao Mai National Park is 6 - 7 km south of the main beach intersection (across 2 bridges). It is a very natural area with lots of trees for shade and has clean sand.
Basic services are available. The park seems popular with Thai families but is not crowded at all, even on a recent holiday. The park has bungalows and tent rentals.
An interesting limestone karst in the park acts as a natural dividing point for 2 very long beaches. Cross a grassy area to get to a more remote beach to the south.
Boat Landing A pier with boat rentals for island tours is at the north end of the road paralleling the beach. This is the most developed part of the area.
It has a resort, tour operators, boat rentals, thai massage, souvenir shops, a resort and restaurants.
Activities:
Besides the nature areas, there is easy access to the Emerald Cave on Ko Muk, and the islands of Ko Chuak, Ko Kradan and Ko Rok.
Rajamangala Institute of Technology has a campus about 4 km from Pak Meng Beach. They will allow access to a very nice beach with a wide area shaded by sea pines on the back side of the campus.Warning: If you hire transportation from Trang to one of the resorts, don't let them drop you at the main beach intersection. You could have a walk of several kilometers, 6+ if you are headed for Had Chao Mai National Park.
Accommodations:
Chang Lang Resort - several km south of the beach road intersection. They have a restaurant and bungalows; Fan units at Bt 400 and air con at Bt 500.
Tel (075) 213 369, 213 608-9 Fax (075) 291 008
Laytrang Resort - across the road near the boat pier. Besides a large open air restaurant they have fan rooms at Bt 500 and air con bungalows from Bt 800 to 1,200. Off season discounts of 20%. e-mail admin@laytrang.com Web site www.laytrang.com
Pakmeng Resort - a few km south of the beach road intersection. The have a restaurant plus offer tours to various points of interest. Bicycle, motorcycle and car rental. They have 30 bungalows. Fan units are Bt 400 and air con at Bt 700. www.pakmengresort.com
A service agent for Ko Ngai Resort on Ko Ngai will accept your booking and arrange transport to the island. The beach is touted as splendid and a variety of room styles begin at Bt 780. www.kohngai.com
Getting there:
Trang has air and bus service connecting it to other provinces.
Pak Meng is about 40 km southwest of Trang Town. Songtaews and motorcycle taxis can be hired in town for the trip.
Car: From Route 4 southbound, turn right onto route 4046 to 4162. From route 4 northbound, take 4159 to 4046 then 4162. From Trang town take route 4046 to 4162. From Trang Town, the route is well marked with english language signs.
Kong Thuan Beach
A deserted beach with very nice scenery offshore. The wide beach has thousands and thousands of one type of slender conical seashell, but also has nice sand. There were no services as of this writing (12/02).
Getting there: The beach is off an unmarked road from Sikao that leads to Ao Sikao, or Sikao Bay. Look for a new concrete road to the south, about 4 km before an elevated lookout point.
Banyan Tree Phuket
