Mid-Range Travel Guide: Trang

Accommodation

$25-70 per night

Private air-conditioned rooms in comfortable guesthouses, three-star hotels, or decent beachfront bungalows. You'll have your own bathroom, likely a small balcony, maybe a pool. Nothing fancy, but properly comfortable with reliable WiFi and hot water.

Food & Dining

$20-50 per day

Mix of local restaurants with English menus, casual tourist-friendly spots, and occasional nicer dinners. You might grab street food for lunch but sit down somewhere with tablecloths for dinner. Coffee at actual cafes rather than street carts.

Transportation

$10-30 per day

Private taxi rides when convenient, motorbike rentals, occasional car hires for day trips. You're not taking the cheapest option every time, but you're not chartering private boats either. Grab or regular taxis for longer distances.

Activities

$30-80 per day

Organized island-hopping tours, guided kayaking trips, cooking classes, national park visits with guides, snorkeling or diving day trips. You're booking proper tours rather than figuring everything out yourself.

Eat at markets and neighborhood spots away from the waterfront - you'll typically pay 40-60% less than tourist-area restaurants for the same dishes, and the food's often better since locals are the actual customers

Rent a motorbike for multiple days rather than taking taxis everywhere. You're looking at roughly $5-8 per day for a bike versus $3-8 per taxi ride, so it pays for itself quickly if you're moving around much

Book accommodation directly with guesthouses via phone or messaging apps rather than through booking platforms - many offer 10-20% discounts for direct bookings, especially if you're staying multiple nights

Join group tours for island hopping rather than chartering private boats. A shared longtail tour might run $15-30 per person versus $80-150 for a private charter, and you'll hit the same islands

Visit during shoulder season (March-April or September-October) when you'll find accommodation prices running 20-40% lower than peak season, but weather's still generally decent

Buy snacks, drinks, and breakfast items from 7-Eleven or local markets rather than hotel shops or beachfront vendors - you're easily paying 2-3x markup at tourist-oriented spots

Take shared songthaews on set routes rather than negotiating taxi fares. The songthaews run about 20-40 baht per trip versus 100-200+ baht for taxis covering similar distances

Changing money at hotels or airport exchange counters - you'll typically lose 5-10% compared to using ATMs or town exchange booths. That adds up quickly over a week-long trip

Booking last-minute accommodation during high season (November-February) when everything's both more expensive and potentially full. You're looking at paying 30-50% premiums and settling for whatever's left

Only eating at places with picture menus near tourist beaches - you're paying double or triple for the convenience of English menus and beach views. Walk two blocks inland and prices drop dramatically

Taking taxis everywhere instead of learning the songthaew system or renting a motorbike - transport costs can balloon from $5-10 per day to $30-50+ if you're taxi-dependent for every movement

Booking tours through hotel concierges rather than shopping around at tour agencies in town - hotels typically add 20-40% commission on top of the actual tour price, and you're getting the same trip either way