"A 90-minute drive north, resort town Khao Lak has emerged as Thailand's de-facto surf hub. A handful of low-key stays (the Peranakan-inspired Hotel Gahn and The Place among them) welcome salt-haired beach bums for après surf fun, though families will find the new Avani+ Khao Lak more suitable: this oceanfront resort comes with a rock-climbing wall, a fitness center with all the bells and whistles, and the largest kids club in the region."