Looking for a resort in Southern Thailand, the following criteria were important to us: Secluded, quiet, great nature and a healthy house reef for snorkeling. Is such a thing still to be found in the touristic area of Thailand? We were doing research for quite a time and finally found what we were looking for. Adang Island Resort [ad] on the Island of Koh Adang offers all the above features. For us this could be one of Thailand's last secluded tips.
Adang Island Resort is located in the southern part of Thailand´s Andaman Sea close to the boarder to Malaysia. More specifically, on the Island of Koh Adang in Koh Tarutao national park.
The journey to Koh Adang always requires a transfer via the Thai island of Koh Lipe. This island can be reached by the large speedboats from Pak Bara pier in the province of Satun.
Several providers serve the route Pak Bara – Koh Lipe several times a day. Check out the reviews at 12goasia.com [ad].
There are also transfers from Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta and several other Islands to Koh Lipe. If you want to avoid long driving and prefer to go by airplane, Hat Yai or Langkawi in Malaysia will be your destinations.
Once arrived on Koh Lipe, take a Tuktuk (50 THB per person) to the other side of the island. Ask the driver to drop you at the football pitch next to Koh Lipe School at Sunrise Beach. That's where the resort´s longtailboat will pick you up. These boats are marked with “Adang Resort”. From this point only five more minutes separate you from your Thai secluded Island holiday.
From that moment on, you don't need shoes anymore. With jumping off the longtailboat into the warm waters of the Andaman Sea and walking in the white sand to the resort, your holiday on this secluded island begins.
Since there is only the national park administration campsite on the island besides Adang Island Resort, you will likely eat at the resort's awesome restaurant most nights. As it is an open air restaurant, there is always a pleasant wind and you don't have to sweat while eating.
Breakfast is served from 08:00 to 10:00 am. They serve a fruit platter and toasts. Additionally, you can choose American breakfast, chicken salad, fried rice and fried noodles from the menu. The buffet offers various jams, butter, juices, coffee and tea. We tasted every single choice from the menu and can say everything was delicious. The jams are a bit sweet for the European taste.
Lunch and dinner are served a la carte. The selection of Thai dishes is really great. The quality of the food is really sensational. We tried a new dish every night and were thrilled every single time. The restaurant closes at 21:00. The bill of the day is settled every night.
Staff is very quick and friendly. They're fancy to take time for a friendly chat with their guests.
Since Koh Adang is a mountainous island, there are some options for hiking. Especially the hike to Viewpoint, which lasts about an one and a half hour one way, is really cool.
Starting from Adang Island Resort, the path leads you in the jungle directly. Ask an employee to show you the starting point as it´s somewhat hidden. After about twenty minutes, you´ll arrive at a lonely snow-white beach. Following that beach, you´ll get to the campsite of the national park administration. Walk past the tourist information and the restaurant to the end of the grounds. A small path leads up the mountain. Follow the signs to Viewpoint/Chado Cliff. From this point the path gets really steep and sweaty.
Carry at least 1.5 litres of water per person and start as early as possible in the morning. When you start at 10 a.m. – like us – it's going to be almost unbearably hot. The ascent from this point took us about 45 minutes.
During the ascent you will pass three viewpoints with the third marking the end of the hike and offering the best view. The view of Koh Lipe and the Andaman Sea is truly breathtaking.
There are some other trails to the island's waterfalls, which should be very cool. During our stay, the waterfalls had little to no water due to the dry season, so we skipped this.
The Adang Island Resort offers its guests kayak and snorkeling equipment for free use. You can combine snorkeling and kayaking here.
We recommend a tour past the National Park campsite, past the old rusty raft. From the kayak you can already see the corals in the water. The trip took about two hours. We were alone all the time - as it should be for an insider tip in Thailand.
You can visit the hussle and bussle of lively Koh Lipe. Maybe that’s a good option if you want to have dinner outside the resort. Adang Island Resort's free shuttle service operates several times a day between Koh Lipe and the secluded island of the Thai island of Adang. The resort also offers guided tours to other surrounding islands for snorkeling and swimming, but due to the beauty of Adang and the local reefs, we didn't take advantage of that offer.
In the evening, the staff guys build up a screen on the beach and stream current blockbusters or sport events.
The resort is picturesquely nestled between green jungle on one side and white-sanded beach and turquoise Andaman Sea on the other side. It offers four room categories – several classic garden bungalows and deluxe garden bungalows, as well as one beachfront villa and one honeymoon villa. All Rooms are designed in rustic simple wood and are equipped with AC. En-suite bathrooms and – depending on the location - a veranda are part of the deal.
The clean pool features showers and loungers. The lovely sun deck comes with comfortable seating.
If you want to spend a few days in a tropical island paradise and don't want to miss out on delicious food and clean rooms, we have found an absolute top spot and insider tip for you in Thailand.
Especially food and nature above and below the surface convince during a stay at Adang Island Resort.
We love Adang Island Resort – where a secluded tropical island meets a nice amount of comfort.
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