Located on the coast of Southern Thailand, Pak Bara is everything you wouldn’t expect from Thailand. Nicknamed the “Sleepy Town”, Pak Bara is a transport hub and for most, a one night stay before leaving for Koh Lipe, Koh Tarutao etc. Although it’s a small town often overlooked, most people you ask will tell you it exudes a certain… charm to it. Here’s what we did during our one-night stopover in Pak Bara
Note: This is an excerpt from THIS post
Read to know more about our 16-day road trip and the other destinations we visited 🙂
Day 1 – A night in the Sleepy Town
Stop number 4 of our road trip, the shortest one so far (contrary to Koh Samui), Pak Bara! Contrary to the rest of the places we have blogged about, you most likely have never heard of Pak Bara. Pak Bara is a small, sleepy coastal town, to most, including us, a one night stay over before departing to Koh Lipe. Although its not as large, nor as exciting as the rest of Thailand, I think it has a certain charm to it. I’ll get to that
After taking the car ferry from Koh Samui back to the mainland, we set off straight to Pak Bara, around a 5hr journey no breaks on a good day. By the time we got to Pak Bara, it was about 6pm, which meant going out for dinner after checking in.
First, the hotel! Pakarang Resort. You need a one-night stay, come here. Everything was decently clean, albeit the rooms were small. The toilet was fine, everything was fine except for the cockroach in our room… Excluding that, it was nice and quaint, what you would expect. Very good for a one-night stay as they take care of your car and can book you a speedboat if you’re going to Koh Lipe + THEY HAVE CATS.
Now, in a town the length of one road, where you gonna find some food? Easy, a cafe on the side of the road, The Barista Cafe. The food was amazing, some of the best Thai Basil I’ve ever had, genuinely a 5 star place no notes. You HAVE to come to this cafe if you’re in Pak Bara
Walking around at nighttime in Pak Bara, it felt like something very different. We’ve been around and about Thailand and Malaysia for 9 days now, visiting night markets, beaches, restaurants, etc. However, Pak Bara felt different. Instead of the lively nightlife Thailand is known for, Pak Bara was dead silent, calming even. No cars, no bustle, no chitchat, just… Silence. It’s quite nice considering you’re in Thailand, it felt like everything was so calm, and well, and nice… Thats why I like Pak Bara, its sleepy
Conclusion – Off to Koh Lipe
Frankly, there’s nothing much to say about Pak Bara. If you’re going to Koh Lipe, you’re most likely gonna have to stay at Pak Bara. Its a necessary trip in a way.
If you’re gonna stay at Pak Bara before going to Koh Lipe, here’s some things to take note of
- The Barista Cafe should be your go to for dinner
- Pakarang Resort is a great pick for a stayover
- HERE’S something to look at if you’re planning to go to Koh Lipe, there’s definitely more research to be done
Sorry that this post is a bit short, all I’m trying to convey is how we dealt with the stay over at Pak Bara, how we did it. Theres nothing much to really talk about compared to our other stays
Make sure to refer to the post link HERE to have a look at the other places we visited during our 16-days road trip across Malaysia and Thailand. That’s all from me, make sure to drink your food and eat your water.