"Ko Tarutao" Thailand Off The Beaten Path Tip by AndreSTGT

This is the largest island of the marine national park of the same name. The islands belong to Thailand's southern Satun province and can be reached by boat from the village of Pakbara. When i visited in 1996 this region was still so off-the-beaten track that even over New Years Eve there were only a handful Westerners on the island. The only accommodation option were mattresses on the floor in state-run bungalows (600Baht), there was no running water and no fan. The island's beaches were sublimely beautiful, picture-perfect tropical beaches, completely deserted. Ao Sai, my favorite beach and maybe one of the most beautiful in the world, is a 45min walk south of the NP headquarters. The path leads through the jungle and there's a nice creek where you can cool off on the way.