In search of the lost world in Thailand’s South

For film fans and thrill-seekers alike, there’s something irresistibly evocative about standing where fiction meets reality.

And if you’ve ever dreamed of stepping onto a dinosaur-infested island—or at least one that conjures up that ancient illusion—Thailand’s southern provinces offer a landscape as cinematic as any in the Jurassic movie.

In Jurassic World: Rebirth, director Gareth Edwards transports movie fans to Île Saint-Hubert, an island research outpost lost to time and tropical forest.

Though Île Saint-Hubert is fictional, existing only in the movie, its backdrop is real and stunning—captured across the lush wilderness of Krabi, Trang, and Phang Nga, three of southern Thailand’s most beautiful provinces, along the Andaman coastline.

A lizard A A lizard darting behind a tree in Trang’s rainforest might just trick the eye—and hint at a baby raptor encounter.

//Photo courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Having already been captivated by the country’s dramatic topography while filming The Creator, Edwards turned once again to Thailand for its raw, unfiltered beauty.

In interviews, he remarked that there was a prehistoric stillness in these places, as though the Earth had not yet finished speaking.

Krabi: The Jungle Awakens

Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, a 50-minute drive from Krabi Town, is the place to begin.

The park is popular with hikers and waterfall-chasers, and its ancient jungle trails double as the film’s raptor-stalking terrain.

Look closely, and you might recognize moss-covered pathways and thick vine tangles from Rebirth’s early jungle sequences—especially the moment the expedition stumbles across its first fossilised clue.

Sooner or later, you may catch a glimpse of movement—a small lizard darting behind a tree, triggering the fleeting sensation that a baby raptor could be lurking just out of sight.

Negotiating a slippery and mossy waterfall trail, you reach Huai To Waterfall, whose upper cascades appear fleetingly in aerial shots.

In person, it’s tranquil yet charged with possibility—the splash of water, the chirp of cicadas, the rustle in the underbrush all blur the line between movie set and untouched wilderness.

Not far away is Tham Khao Phueng.

Though not featured in the film, Tham Khao Phueng cave—tucked deep within Khao Phanom Bencha’s wilderness—is worth exploring for fans drawn to the primal atmosphere of Jurassic World.

With jagged rock formations, sudden shafts of light, and a sense of ancient stillness, the cave feels like a portal into prehistory.

It’s a tight squeeze in places, but one that invites visitors to imagine they’ve stumbled into the ruins of an abandoned InGen facility—or perhaps something even older, still lurking in the dark.

Trang: Washed Ashore on Ko Kradan

Sunset Beach, Trang’s Kradan Island, sets the open scene for “Jurassic World: Rebirth”// Photo courtesy of Trang TAT

From Krabi, a speedboat or longtail boat ride takes you south to Ko Kradan, a tropical island in the Andaman Sea that’s as cinematic as it is secluded.

In Jurassic World: Rebirth, it’s where the Delgado family washes up in the opening scenes of the film, setting foot on the fictional Île Saint‑Hubert.

However, Ko Kradan couldn’t feel further from disaster.

Out there in the Andaman Sea, powdery beaches, fringed by tropical trees, remain blissfully free of cars and crowds. There’s just enough here—a few eco-resorts, some friendly cafés—to feel connected, but not distracted. This is the kind of island where time slows.

Snorkel just offshore, and you’ll find coral gardens swirling with parrotfish and sea fans. Peer into the blue long enough, and you might imagine a Mosasaurus lurking in the depths. The water is warm, the air salty, the illusion nearly perfect.

Phang Nga: The Lost Coast

The final leg of your cinematic quest leads north to Ao Phang Nga National Park, a maze of limestone karsts rising like broken teeth from aquamarine waters.

Limestone-fringed mangroves in Phang Nga double as the haunting horizon of Jurassic World’s lost island. ///Photo courtesy of TAT Phang Nga Office

While many visitors head for the infamous James Bond Island, Jurassic World: Rebirth fans should look to the quieter corners—the shadowy mangrove channels and fog-laced bays that double as aerial views of Île Saint-Hubert.

To follow in Edwards’ footsteps, charter a boat from Phang Nga town or Phuket’s lesser-trodden east coast. Ask your skipper to explore the hidden inlets—sea caves dripping with stalactites, forested outcrops that evoke a time when Earth was ruled by reptiles.

According to Edwards, it was here, on a mist-filled morning kayak trip, that he found the film’s visual soul. He couldn’t think of anything other than the lost world.

A journey without CGI

Khlong Rud in Krabi delivers pure, unfiltered cinematic charm to kayakers paddling through its jungle embrace.// Photo courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand.

No animatronic predators await you in Thailand’s southern wilderness. And neither does Scarlett Johansson. What you will find is something far more enduring: a sense of immersion in a landscape still whispering the stories of millennia.

From jungle-shrouded caves to islands marooned in blue, Krabi, Trang, and Phang Nga offer a journey as transporting as any blockbuster—just without the special effects.