Khao Lak (dpa/tmn)
The dimensions of the pool in a hotel complex in southern Thailand were gigantic anyway. Now another few hundred meters have been added. Anyone who swims a length here is on the move for a while.
The bright blue pool meanders through the hotel grounds. It meanders, opens up to larger lagoons and then meanders on – seemingly endlessly.
According to the hotel, the huge water facility at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa in southern Thailand is the longest swimming pool in Southeast Asia. The pool area has been 1.9 kilometers long for years, but now a few hundred meters have been added: the superlative bathing world now stretches over a total length of 2.4 kilometers.
“This makes it the longest pool in Southeast Asia that we know for sure. We are proud of that and we can claim that for ourselves,” says hotel manager Samer Alhaj. Although the JW Marriott is not a water park, there are still plenty of fun water activities that are arguably unique for a hotel in Thailand, Alhaj said.
Coconut sale from small boats
And indeed: while the guests swim the long lanes in the direction of the beach and the sea, new attractions keep opening up. A large trampoline under a water fountain, for example, slides for children, jacuzzis, a wave pool and two pool bars. In addition, small boats in the style of the Thai “floating markets” (floating markets) drive over the water and offer ice-cold fresh coconuts to the bathers.
“What an experience,” enthuses a tourist from France. “Most pools are rather boring, but this one never fails to surprise.” But he didn’t manage to swim the whole 2.4 kilometers, he says and laughs. “I’ll do that on my next visit!”
The Khao Lak region belongs to the southern province of Phang Nga and lies directly on the Andaman Sea. It has been popular with German tourists in particular for decades and is the starting point for day trips to the Similan Islands, which are particularly popular with divers. Khao Lak is a good hour’s drive from Phuket Airport.
