We came to the Andaman coast expecting the clichés — and got some of them, plus a few surprises. Here's the honest account.
Ko Lanta: A beachy rom-com at Christmas
We spent Christmas on Ko Lanta, which turned out to be a better decision than expected. The island has a genuinely pleasant atmosphere at that time of year — busy enough to feel alive, not so packed that everything feels like a queue. Christmas Eve on the beach was one of those spontaneous evenings that works out without much planning.
Christmas dinner itself was a different story. We had high hopes for the fancier restaurant options and they didn't really deliver — the food was fine but blandly international, like every beachfront tourist restaurant that tries to do Christmas and ends up with a compromised version of it. Next time: find somewhere that isn't bothering with the holiday menu.
The beaches and sunsets are good. Ko Lanta does exactly what it promises.
Ao Nang: Briefly
One night in Ao Nang, which was one night too many for somewhere this commercial. The town exists as a logistics hub for day trips to the islands, and that's really all it is. The limestone formations visible from the beach are beautiful, and the sunset views from the hills above the town are worth the walk. But we were glad to leave.
Phi Phi: Better than expected
We expected Phi Phi to be destroyed by tourism and it wasn't — or at least, the beauty of the place absorbs the crowds better than we anticipated. The trick, as with most heavily visited places, is to get up early. We hired a private long-tail boat for a full day and reached bays where we were the only people swimming. Snorkelling in clear water with dramatic limestone walls rising straight out of the sea around you. It's genuinely special.
The nightlife on Phi Phi Don is as described. We participated in some of it. We have no regrets.
Ko Yao Yai: Briefly and expensively
One night, which was probably right. Ko Yao Yai is quiet and rural in a way that's genuinely refreshing after Phi Phi, but the prices for accommodation are high relative to what you get, and there wasn't quite enough time to fully appreciate the slower pace. It would work better as a two-night stop at the start or end of an Andaman trip, rather than squeezed in between busier islands.
Phuket / Patong: Mixed
Patong did what it does. We happened to be there when there was a Circoloco festival, which was a stroke of luck — the event itself was good. The surrounding street vendor pressure and general Bangla Road experience was less so. One of us was ill for part of the Phuket stay, which coloured the impression, but even accounting for that, Patong isn't somewhere we'd rush back to.
The beaches further south on Phuket (Kata, Karon) are considerably calmer. If you're basing yourself in Phuket, those are worth the extra twenty minutes in a songthaew.
Khao Sok: The highlight
We ended the Andaman leg with two nights at Khao Sok, which is technically on the edge of the Andaman region — inland but linked to the same routing. More on that separately, but it's worth flagging here: if you're doing the Andaman coast and haven't built Khao Sok into the itinerary, add it. It's one of the wildest places we visited on the whole trip.
The Andaman coast works best when you resist the urge to try and see everything. Pick three or four stops, spend at least three nights at each, and get onto the water early. The things that make it memorable — the light on the limestone, the quiet bays, the jungle coming down to the sea — are available to everyone. You just have to be up before the tour boats.