Southern Thailand: The Andaman Coast Travel Guide

The landscape along the Andaman coast is lushly tropical and spiked with dramatic limestone crags, best appreciated by staying in the lovely Khao Sok National Park or taking a boat trip around the bizarre Ao Phang Nga Bay. Most people, however, come here for the beaches and the coral reefs: Phuket is Thailand's largest island and the best place to learn to dive, but it's package-tour-oriented, so most backpackers head straight for the beaches off Krabi , and the islands of Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta . Unlike the Gulf coast, the Andaman coast is hit by the southwest monsoon from May to October, when the rain and high seas render some of the outer islands inaccessible and litter many beaches with debris; prices drop significantly during this period however.