DAYS OUT - Trip to Trang

And unlike the crooks on Phuket, these are pretty fair, just make sure you agree a price before you jump on. Motorbikes can also be hired for as little as 200B a day. Heading to the south of Thailand usually means two things: Phuket or Krabi. However, just east of these provinces lies another option that gets a fraction of the attention. Trang is a charming coastal province with
stunning beaches and waters that only attract fleeting interest from tourists. Lured by the glamour of Phuket and Phi Phi, many travelers opt for these more celebrity resorts. Trang, meanwhile,
carries on its quieter, less glam life in the same way that it has done for the past century.

The provincial town is a collection of low-rise buildings and Chinese style wooden shopfronts. The Chinese influence here is incredibly strong – in fact one of the must-do things in Trang is to
sample the Chinese-inspired dim sum breakfasts. Ruen Thai in the town centre is simply fabulous. There’s no menu and you don’t need one, as diners stand around a long table full of tiny treats
and point at what they want. Bite-size prawns, deep-fried pork and dumplings are just some of the many varied snacks on offer. You could eat a dozen dishes or more and still have change from
500B. When it comes to othernfood, Trang is famed for its spong cakes and southern dishes, which tend to be fiery, Muslim-influenced affairs.

So having had your fill, there are plenty of activities to keep you entertained in Trang. Despite its name as a beach spot, trekking is hugely popular. Banthad mountain offers fantastic forest views and
more than a dozen waterfalls along the way. There are five routes up, all of which ensure you’ll get a good look at the local wildlife. Guides are available, and are actually essential.
Diving is another big draw in Trang, as it offers some of the country’s – if not Asia’s – best dive sites. Around 40 islands sit off Trang and of these Ko Kradan is one of the best, or you could check out Ko Ma, Ko Ngai and Ko Chueak. Ko Ngai is just south of Ko Lanta, and it’s possible to reach from the Pak Meng Pier in Trang. Ko Muk and Tham Morakot (Emerald Cave) are visited by just about every boat that goes through this area. Ko Muk has an interesting collection of fishermen who maintain their traditional way of life on the east of the island. The cave is  stunning but is tricky to reach, you’ll need to get in the water and pull yourself in via a rope. If the waters are choppy or the tide is high, boats will give it a miss.

Ko Waen and Ko Chueak are good, simple diving spots and if the visibility is good, all you can see in the water is fish and coral. Ko Kradan is the main draw here. It’s big – about 600 acres – and
comes with a lovely white beach and see-your-own-reflection-in waters.

For waterfalls, head to Nam Tok Ton Te, which is 50 km from Trang town. With a drop of 320 metres it’s the tallest and mostvisited fall in the area. The flowers on the way there aren’t bad,
either. Or there’s Tham Le Khao Kop, a cave with a stream running through it. It’s possible to hire rowing boats to see the cave.
Nightlife is a little harder to find, though there are some good beach barbecue spots. If you’re looking for bars, then Ao Nang in Krabi is the closest to anything resembling Pattaya, and
even that only has a couple of sois. The real charm of Trang though is that it manages to avoid all that kind of glitz and is happy to continue its easy-going pace of life. For a few days of beach life without all the hassle of a fullscale resort, Trang is ideal.