Best Beach Resort in Khanom
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Is it possible to find an empty, quiet beach away from tourists in Thailand? YES. Khanom is the answer to visitors looking for a quiet beach, a lovely hotel and adventures to caves and ethical trips to see pink dolphins in Thailand. Most people in Thailand have never heard of this area, let alone been there and so Khanom is the ideal place to stay for some peace and quiet in Thailand. After over 8 years of living in Thailand, I’ve visited Khanom multiple times to see the dolphins and explore the area and this is the best beach resort in Khanom that I stayed at during my most recent trip. I wouldn’t really recommend the other Khanom hotels that I stayed at so this is my absolute number one and I have since recommended it to several friends asking me about where to stay in Khanom, Thailand.
In this post, I’ll show you where I stayed (and why it’s the best beach resort in Khanom), how to spot the wild pink dolphins ethically, and why this is an amazing place to stay in Khanom that is off the tourist trail in Thailand.
Why Stay Here?
The best resort in Khanom beach for:
Is Khanom worth visiting?
Absolutely. Khanom is an incredible place to spend the weekend or even longer. It is full of nature, beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, island hopping opportunties, wild pink dolphins and huge caves to explore. On top of that is has some amazing beach resorts like the one I stayed at.
Best Beach Resort in Khanom & Why
I was immediately impressed when I arrived by the open-air lobby and water features when I arrived. The staff were warm and helpful from the start, and I was also impressed by the rooms, the pool area and the beach. I think this is such good value for money as sometimes in Thailand you can pay a similar price but get a lot less. That’s why I only share the hotels that I would recommend to my friends and family and no others.
This is hands down my favourite place to stay in Khanom. I’ve stayed in a few different spots around here, but none of them came close to this one. On my most recent visit, some friends chose a cheaper resort just up the road — and they regretted it as soon as they saw where I was staying. The difference in comfort and atmosphere was obvious.
If you’re wondering where to stay in Nakhon Si Thammarat that offers both beach access and an authentic, quiet vibe — this is it. It’s perfect for a weekend break from Bangkok or for longer if you are travelling around. It’s also not far from Donsak, the pier where you can take ferries from Surat thani to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan (and Koh Tao although that is a further journey).
Khanom Beach Resort Review
This beach resort is perfect for those that would like a little luxury but not break the bank. It’s great for people who want a gorgeous bathroom and bedroom to come back to after they have experienced wild dolphins in Thailand or explored caves. It’s great for solo travellers who wants some alone time or for couples after a romantic break. I would also recommend Khanom Beach Resort and Spa for friends travelling together or visiting from Bangkok for the weekend.
I don’t think this Khanom hotel is suitable for partygoers or those wanting nightlife or to meet loads of other people as the area is extremely quiet and lots of restaurants and bars close early. If travelling solo it is not a great place to meet other people as the whole beach area is uncrowded and non-touristy so it will be harder to meet new people. I also don’t recommend Khanom for those on a tight budget because public transport options are limited so you will likely have to book private taxis for your journey there and back.
Getting to Khanom Beach Resort
The best way to get to Khanom beach and spa resort is to fly to Surat thani and take a Grab taxi. Please note there are limited Grabs available once you are in Khanom so I recommend organising your onward journey from your hotel or swap numbers with your initial Grab driver from the airport. You can also fly to Nakon Si Thammarat airport. Both airports are approximately 1.15-30 hour drive from Khanom Beach resort. You can also arrive into Donsak pier in Surat thani and take a taxi from there. Public transport options are limited. You can hire scooters easily once you arrive if you are confident driving one and have an international driving license.
Pink Dolphins in Khanom: How to See Them Ethically
Seeing pink dolphins in the wild in Thailand is once of the best ethical experiences that you can have in Thailand. I should know, I’ve done it multiple times. The trip is extremely low key, often just a handful of people in a long tail boat. The last two times I did this experience my friends and I were the only ones, making it a private boat trip. Long tail boats are a traditional boat in Thailand and they are driven and owned by the fishermen with the money going straight to them (though I also recommend tipping generously). The trip also includes a hotel pick up by a minivan to take you to the pier and return you afterwards.
The pink dolphin tour can also include a trip to one of the Buddhist shrine islands. The boat will stop and you can get out, swim, explore and climb up the steps to a little viewpoint and a Buddhist shrine. You will also be shown the ‘pancake rocks’ an interesting formation created over millions of years. The tour lasts around 2 hours or so. While the fishermen cannot guarantee the pink dolphin sightings they are very common there and the fishermen know where to find them so I have never been disappointed during one of these trips.
What to do in Khanom (except for the pink dolphins)
There are so many activities you can do in Khanom, from waterfalls to caves to exploring beach areas and the nearby national park as well as Buddhist temples. One of the highlights for me was the cave inside the national park. We rented a scooter and you pay a small entrance fee to the family outside the cave and one of them will accompany you inside the cave and point out all the incredible rock formations, many of them shaped like animals. Inside were thousands of tiny bats, sparkling mineral walls, underground pools and impressive cave stalagmites and stalactites. You can find the cave here on Google maps.
Book your Khanom Beach Resort
There are so many benefits of staying at Khanom Beach Resort and Spa and I’ve shared all of them in my review here. I hope you enjoy your stay at Khanom Beach like I did and experience the wonder of the pink dolphins, the empty beaches and being surrounded by nature!
If you love pink dolphins then you will also love a whale watching trip in Thailand (another ethical wildlife experience that hardly anyone knows about!)
Want more Thailand travel resources?
- Help planning your trip to Thailand
- What to pack for Thailand
- Thailand Travel FAQs
- Thailand Itineraries – 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 1 month
- Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries – The BEST one I go back to again and again
- Thailand Island Reviews: How to Pick a Thai Island
- Thailand for First Timers
- Thailand Hotel Reviews – My favourite ones shared with you
- Thailand dos and donts – how to be ethical and culturally aware in Thailand
- Best apps to download for Thailand
- All Thailand blog posts here
