Thailand
Ko Lao Liang
Twin limestone towers sheer out of the Andaman, guarded for their swiftlet nests.
Two limestone towers punch vertically from the Andaman Sea off Trang, a narrow strip of sand pinched between cliff and water. These are bird's-nest islands — their caves hold swiftlet colonies valuable enough to be guarded — and visitors reach them only through the community's own seasonal programme.
Ko Lao Liang is a pair of essentially uninhabited limestone islands in the Trang archipelago, held under a bird's-nest concession and opened to visitors through a managed community programme in the calm season, with the sea closed from mid-May through October for nature recovery. The stay is deliberately simple: tents on the beach beneath the rock walls, kayaks, and some of the healthiest reefs in the Trang chain snorkelled straight off the sand. The cliffs that once drew unroped climbers now simply do what they always did — turn amber at sunset and drop sheer into deep, clear water. Capacity is tiny by design; the emptiness is the product.
Friends
A tent camp under the cliffs, reef snorkelling off the beach and campfire dinners make a tightly bounded island adventure that never feels crowded.
Couple
The tented camp, the cliff backdrop and the enforced simplicity create a romantic castaway stay — the setting alone justifies the trip.
- Twin limestone monoliths rise sheer from the Andaman — the only beds are tents pitched at their base.
- The islands are a guarded bird's-nest concession, opened only through the community's seasonal programme.
- The surrounding reefs are among the healthiest in the Trang chain, snorkelled straight off the beach.
- The camp's capacity is tiny by design — the emptiness is the point.
Gaeng som served with the island camp’s included meals.
Chicken massaman at Laoliang Resort’s remote camp.
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