Hiking to Small Sandy Beach at Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park
Last Updated on December 17, 2025 by Charlotte
After the cool mountain air of Chiang Mai, we were ready for some proper beach time in Khao Lak. Online photos of Small Sandy Beach at Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park looked perfect! Pristine turquoise water, hardly any tourists, just a short jungle hike away. What could go wrong? Well, let’s just say the trek delivered some little surprises that we weren’t expecting. Here’s our honest experience hiking to Small Sandy Beach, plus everything you need to know to plan your own visit.
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Our Hike to the Small Sandy Beach
On a balmy January day, we made the super smart decision to hike at Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park. This National Park has rainforest trails that lead down to a secluded and clean “Small Sandy Beach”. Online, the photos looked amazing, and from what we could tell, the short trek dissuaded the crowds of tourists that are famous for taking over more popular Thai beaches.
We paid our entrance fee and started our trek, the jungle quickly swallowing up the sounds of the highway. For the first half hour, the trek was everything we’d hoped for. The rainforest was lush and green and we climbed over roots slick with mud, paused to spot birds in the canopy, and even caught flashes of the bright blue sea between the trees.
As we walked, the heat and humidity clung to our skin, like being swaddled in a wet towel. Our shirts were soaked through, sweat dripping into our eyes. This National Park is famous for the possibility of spotting wildlife like flying lemurs, snakes, and squirrels, but we mostly saw mushrooms, lizards, and a spider here and there.
The trail kept rising and falling and twisting deeper into the jungle, around tree roots, and over rocks. Each time we thought the beach must be around the next corner, another ridge appeared instead.
Finally, the jungle opened onto a pale crescent of beach, the sea glowing in impossible shades of aquamarine, the waves lapping the sand like the sea had been waiting for us.
After the trek through the jungle, we were excited for a swim. I ripped off my shirt, wriggled out of my shorts, and sprinted toward the water, launching myself in the air in what could only be called the epitome of a belly flop.
It was here, in mid-air, that I noticed something looked off about the water. Just under the surface, delicate pink and orange bells trailed by ribbons of tentacles drifted and danced in tandem. Jellyfish.
It was too late to bow out, already, my arms were smacking the surface of the sea, and I writhed about, dodging trailing tentacles as if I were a thick slab of pork belly that had just touched a hot skillet. Coming up with a gasp, I looked around me at the other happy tourists and noticed a concerning pattern. These people had large, angry pink welts on their chests, their backs, and wrapped around their ankles. I high-tailed it out of the water and back up to the dry sand where Travel Buddy was lounging like a monitor lizard sunning himself on a rock.
“There’s jellies!” I gasped, and collapsed onto the sand next to him. All that hiking for this??
Not yet ready to complete the trek, we bought a mango smoothie from a nearby snack shack and sat in the shade, sharing the mango smoothie and our mutual disappointment. The water looked so tempting and blue and crystal clear. But just in front of us, a jellyfish danced mockingly in the surf.
Later, when we got back in range of cell reception, I did a bit more sleuthing about these jellies. As it turns out, these jellyfish are not life threatening, but, their stings are painful and cause rashes or welts upon contact. That being said, the intensity of the reaction to the sting can vary from person to person.
So, if travel teaches you anything, it’s that you’ve got to enjoy the journey, because you never truly know what’s waiting at the end. You can plan the route, check the tides, and pack the sunscreen and the bug spray in the pink bottle from the 7-11, but you can’t control what’s at the end of the trail. Sometimes it’s a perfect turquoise bay, and sometimes it’s a jellyfish soup.
Plan Your Visit to Khao Lak–Lam Ru National Park
Despite the jellyfish surprise, this national park is genuinely beautiful and worth visiting. Here’s how to make the most of it.
How to Get to Khao Lak–Lam Ru National Park
From Khao Lak town:
- Motorbike: 10-minute ride south on Highway 4 to the park entrance
- Taxi or Songthaew: Ask for “Lam Ru National Park”, local drivers are familiar with this park 🙂
- Parking: Plenty of space near the gate
National Park Entrance Fees and Facilities
- Entrance fees: ~200 THB per Adult, half price for kids aged 3-14, free for children under 3 years. (This fee also includes Ton Chong-Fa Waterfall)
- Park hours: 8 am to 4:30 pm every day
- Facilities: Clean bathrooms are available at the entrance (the park fee keeps facilities well-maintained)
Hiking Trails
The park has two main trails:
Lamru Viewpoint – Little White Sandy Beach Trail
- Distance: ~1 mile (1.6 km), roughly 1-1.5 hours of walking each way, depending on your pace and heat tolerance.
- Difficulty: Moderate – short but sweaty, with uneven roots, rocks, and humid air that feels like wearing a wet blanket
- Route: Point-to-point from the main park entrance to the Small Sandy Beach
- Accessibility: This is not suitable for strollers due to uneven roots, rocks, and steep sections. Families with toddlers or children may find the heat and length challenging. If you have a baby, you’ll need a hiking backpack carrier as strollers will not be able to make it over all the roots and rocks.
Beach Gate Shortcut
If you’re primarily interested in the beach itself, there’s a much shorter trail (~500 m / .25 miles ) from the beach gate, which is just a 10-minute downhill stroll. In hindsight, knowing about the jellyfish situation, this would have been the smarter choice for us, so that it didn’t feel like we spent an hour trekking for no reward at the end.
Ton Chong-Fa Waterfall Trail
The park also has a 2.4-mile (~3.8 km) out-and-back trail to a waterfall if you want a different hiking experience. Check out our full guide to how to hike Ton Chong Fa Waterfall.
What to Expect on the Trail
The rainforest itself is lush and beautiful, with glimpses of the bright blue sea through the trees. Wildlife sightings can be hit-or-miss. Online reviews mentioned exotic birds and monitor lizards, but we mainly encountered spiders and heard birds in the canopy rather than seeing them up close. The jungle scenery is still gorgeous, though, so don’t let that deter you.
Best Time to Hike
- Early morning (before 9 AM) or late afternoon to avoid the worst heat
- Avoid mid-day unless you’re testing your limits
- Dry season (November–April) offers clearest skies and best conditions
- Rainy months make the trail muddier but can bring out frogs and more dramatic waterfalls
What to Pack
- 1L of water per person minimum (no refill stations on the trail)
- Reef-safe sunscreen & insect repellent (the pink bottle from 7-Eleven works)
- Hat and lightweight long sleeves for sun protection
- Swimsuit + towel
- Rash guard (helpful for jellyfish protection if you do swim)
- Small bills for the beach snack shack
- Good hiking shoes or sturdy sandals with grip
About Small Sandy Beach
This is where the experience gets unpredictable. The beach itself is stunning with clear turquoise water, clean sand, and virtually no trash (a huge contrast to more touristy beaches near Ao Nang). It genuinely feels like a hidden gem.
The Jellyfish Situation
Here’s what we wish we’d known: jellyfish can appear unexpectedly, and their presence seems to be unpredictable. It may relate to wind patterns, lunar cycles, or spawning seasons rather than specific times of year. We visited in January (peak tourist season) and found the water full of pink and orange jellyfish with trailing tentacles.
These jellyfish are not life-threatening, but their stings are painful and can cause welts or rashes. The intensity of reaction varies from person to person. Plenty of tourists were still swimming despite the jellyfish, but we saw multiple swimmers sporting angry pink welts on their chests, backs, and ankles – which didn’t look fun at all.
Before you swim: Check with the snack shack vendor about current jellyfish conditions. They’ll know what’s been happening that week. Sometimes the park posts jellyfish warning signs during periods of high jellyfish presence.
Beach Amenities
- Small snack shack selling drinks (mango smoothies!), noodles, and other basic food
- Possible showers (we think we saw these, but can’t confirm 100%)
- Limited natural shade
- They had a defibrillator during our visit
- Great for photos, even if swimming isn’t an option
Is It Worth It?
Honestly? Yes! Despite the jellyfish, we still had a fun time. This isn’t a guaranteed swimming destination; think of it more as a beautiful jungle hike that ends at a pristine beach. Compared to crowded, trash-littered beaches elsewhere in Thailand, this place is still a gem. The water is crystal clear, the scenery is beautiful, and it feels unspoiled. Just don’t be like us, and hike an hour in tropical heat, all the while counting on a swim! If the jellies are out, you may be disappointed. But if you go for the experience of the hike, and treat a swim as a bonus, you’ll probably leave happy. And if you’re short on time or mainly want the beach, take the shorter trail from the beach gate instead.
Ready for Your Next Adventure in Khao Lak?
- Where to stay in Khao Lak: Check out our full hotel review of La Vela Khao Lak, our home base for exploring the area
- Looking for the best snorkeling in Thailand? Check out our post on snorkeling the Surin Islands for some of the most incredible marine wildlife and pristine coral reefs in the Andaman Sea.
