Top Places to Stay in Trang Town, Thailand
In the South of Thailand lies Trang and its wonderful islands steeped in local legend.
Trang town itself doesn’t have that much to offer to travellers, except for the fantastic trips that can be taken out to the islands. There are a few waterfalls and caves in the area, but to visit most you would need your own transport, pay high prices for taxis or go as part of an organised trip. There is a pretty white temple near to the railway lines though, which makes for a nice photograph or two. And, at the weekends there is an extensive market that sets up in the train station car park, with a great selection of tourist trinkets, t-shirts, food, bags, and many other items.
There is a decent selection of accommodation though in the town, covering all budgets, within stone’s throw from the train station. It is a great, affordable base for day-tripping the surrounding areas.
SriTrang, directly opposite the train station, has nice, clean, big airy rooms. It’s mid-range price (we paid 550 baht for a double room), with a fridge, aircon, wifi, hot water shower, on-site restaurant, book exchange (which I was itching to find) and friendly staff. The restaurant serves nice food.
There’s a small cheap family run place tucked away at the bottom of the train station car park, PJ guesthouse. Tours can also be arranged from here. Walking in it seems like complete chaos, but once you go upstairs to the rooms it is different. The lady who runs it is so sweet and helpful, with lots of useful knowledge. She only has a few rooms, for the bargain price of 150 baht for a double room per night.
The rooms are basic fan rooms with a bed, dresser and fan, but they are really clean. The bathroom is shared, with cold water, but it is close to the rooms and really clean. A real bargain little gem in the town!! They don’t have wifi, which is a shame, but there are plenty of bars, cafes and coffee shops in the area with free wifi if you are suffering internet withdrawal.
A few doors away from PJ Guesthouse is My Friend. This has similar amenities to Sri Trang for a similar price.
Ban Ao Thong has a pretty purple facade and some intricate wooden carvings. At just under 800 baht per night it’s not break the bank expensive, but certainly isn’t a budget option. It has everything that you would expect for the price – A/C, a fridge, lots of little lotions and potions in the bathroom, fluffy towels, a big bed, excessive wooden furniture, cable TV, DVD player, pretty paintings and artwork, friendly staff, hot water shower, high speed internet …. And, free coffee and cake in the mornings. Lovely!
There are some other options in the town, including expensive hotels and smaller guest houses, but these four places are definitely easy to get to when arriving in town and make for a pleasant stay.