Located just south of the newly popular Krabi province, Trang shares its northern neighbor's spectacular limestone cliffs and white sandy beaches. Development is starting to creep south from Krabi, and with the opening of its own airport, Trang appears to be the next big destination.
Map of Trang Province
Trang Sights
Trang Town
The city of Trang itself has apparently been settled for more than 2,000 years. It was known as an important trading center beginning as far back as the first century. Trade is still more important to the town than tourism. The modern town has a strong Chinese flavor to it, due to a large influx of Chinese immigrants to work in the rubber industry in the nineteenth century.
Islands
There are many small islands off Trang's coastline. Some have tourist facilities while others are still largely wild. The easiest islands to get to are Libong, Hai and Mook. All have modest places to stay, white sandy beaches, and great coral formations. On Mook island, a short distance from Hai Island, is a place called the Emerald Cave. It's a long tunnel through a limestone cliff that eventually opens out to a sort of 'beach' in the middle of the island.
Had Chao Mai National Park
This large national park covers the coast and several offshore islands in Trang province. The park encompasses wetlands, mangrove swamps and the karst islands in the sea. This is one os the few places where you stand a chance of seeing the highly endangered Dugong, a manatee-like sea mammal.
The best way to get to Trang is to fly there. The only other realistic option is by bus or train, which takes in excess of 12 hours from Bangkok.
Domestic Airlines Serving Trang If trying to get to Trang from Bangkok, or elsewhere in Thailand, there are only a small number of domestic airlines serving the province. Among the budget carriers, we'd recommend Nok Air.
Thai Airways The national flag carrier flies to almost all major tourist destinations.
There are as yet very few hotels and resorts to choose from around Trang. The search box below will give you a sampling of what's available in the provincial capital. Check the links to the various islands to see what's available there.
More or less at the center of the clusters of islands off Trang's coast is the island known either as Koh Hai or Koh Ngai. Technically, the island is in Krabi Province, but it's more commonly reached through Trang, so it's included here.
Map of Trang Islands Koh Ngai is just 5 kilometers square, and mostly covered by jungle surrounded by a fringe of white sand beaches. A coral reef runs down the eastern side of the island, which is where most of the resorts are located.
Koh Mook lies between Koh Ngai and the mainland. Although slightly larger than Koh Ngai, Koh Mook is less developed. This is probably due to the craggy nature of the island. Many of the island's white sand beaches are backed by high cliffs. As a result, there are only a few resorts on the island.
The island's main claim to fame is the so-called "Emerald Cave". The cave is an opening at sea level in one of the cliffs on the west side of the island.
The Thais divide the year into three seasons: the cool season, hot season, and rainy season. For most westerners, this translates to "hot," "really hot," and "really hot and wet." High temperatures rarely drop below 25° C (70° F).
Historical Weather Patterns for Trang In the lead-up to the wet season, day-time temperatures can get quite hot, although it still cools off considerably at night. November and December are the coolest months, although November can still be quite wet.
Koh Hai/Ngai is where most of the island resorts are located in Trang. The search box below will help you find the best deals for the times you plan to travel by comparing rates from dozens of booking sites.
Although the island is larger than Koh Ngai, Koh Mook has little in the way of accommodations. The search box below will show you the best rates for what's available by comparing prices from dozens of sites.
