The coastal province of Trang, mid-way between Phuket and the Malaysian border, can be reached by a short flight from Bangkok, a 3 hour drive from Krabi, or by an overnight train from the Thai capital.
Relatively undiscovered, the coastal region around Trang has been designated a marine national park and offers some great opportunities for island hopping, kayaking, diving and swimming. If you want to get away from it all a visit here is highly recommended. As development has yet to take off in Trang there are limited hotel options and the local philosophy is definitely 'no news, no shoes'!