The Sands Khao Lak by Katathani Resort

Rooms at The Sands Khao Lak by Katathani Resort have lagoon, pool, garden or partial ocean views, and every room has a hair dryer and a shower. Several have a bathtub, bathrobes and a private bathroom, and the suites include a 60 m² junior suite with a partial ocean view and an 80 m² suite with a pool view.

Some rooms sleep up to seven guests, and several have pool views and air conditioning. The 80 m² suite has an additional bathroom and a DVD/CD player, and some rooms also have electric kettles and coffee or tea makers. Lagoon views and pool views are both found across the rooms.

The resort has two pools, an outdoor one and an indoor one, plus a children's swimming pool and a water park. For wellness there is a spa with a sauna, a steamroom and massage, as well as a yoga room and a fitness centre. Outdoors, guests can use the private beach, go snorkelling, play tennis or try billiards in the game room.

Dining covers a restaurant with a la carte and buffet service, a coffee shop, a poolside bar, a vegetarian restaurant and 24-hour room service. There is also a shared kitchen and food delivery.

Practical services include a 24-hour front desk, currency exchange, luggage storage, a doctor on call, a kids club with a babysitting service and a playground, and facilities for wheelchair users.

Khao Lak is a coastal town on the Andaman coast of Phangnga province, and The Sands Khao Lak by Katathani Resort stands on the sand of Nang Thong Beach. Bang Niang Beach is close by, and the town is known for its beaches and for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, whose memory is kept in memorials along the coast.

The Tsunami Memorial is close to the hotel, and the Tsunami Museum, 2 km away, recalls the 2004 disaster in detail. Bang Niang Market is nearby, and Ton Chong Fa, a waterfall, is 4.1 km away, while Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, inland from the coast, is 2.7 km away.

A day could combine the museum and memorial with a visit to Ton Chong Fa and the national park, where the forest and waterfalls make a change from the beach. Similan National Park, 8.5 km away, is reached by boat and is the main trip for guests who want to snorkel among the islands. Phuket International Airport is 60.2 km away, and the hotel offers an airport transfer. Nang Thong Beach and Bang Niang Beach are both on the resort's stretch of coast, and the Tsunami Memorial is close to the hotel.