Sights in Lower Southern Gulf
-
Ang Thong National Marine Park
Popularised by its role as home to a utopian beach society in the movie version of Alex Garland's novel The Beach, Ang Thong National Marine Park is made up of an archipelago of about 40 small islands combining sheer limestone cliffs, hidden lagoons, white-sand beaches and dense vegetation providing a postcard-perfect vista almost anywhere you look.
The numerous caves and crevices are home to nesting swallows and there's a narrow coral reef in the southwest of the park.
From Ko Samui, a couple of tour operators run day trips to the Ang Thong archipelago from Na Thon or Mae Nam.
There are bungalows available at the park headquarters on Ko Wat Ta Lap, but you may not be abl…
reviewed
-
Khao Luang National Park
Known for its beautiful mountain and forest walks, cool streams, waterfalls and orchards, Khao Luang National Park surrounds the 1835m peak of Khao Luang. This soaring mountain range reaches up to 1800m, and is covered in virgin forest. An ideal source for streams and rivers, the mountains show off impressive waterfalls and provide a habitat for a plethora of bird species – this place is a good spot for any budding ornithologist. Fans of flora will also get their kicks here; there are over 300 species of orchid in the park, some of which are found nowhere else on earth.
Park bungalows can be rented for between 600B and 1000B per night, and sleep six to 12 people. Campin…
reviewed
-
Hin Lat Falls
Hin Lat Falls is worth visiting if you're waiting in town for a boat back to the mainland. Catch a sǎwngthǎew south 2km and get off after the 7-Eleven, then walk 2km or so south of town on the main road and turn left at the first major intersection. Go straight along for another 2km to the waterfall (you'll see the vendors). From here you'll need to hike for one hour, cross streams and climb over rocks to get to the uppermost of the numerous levels - but it's not too strenuous. Sturdy shoes are recommended. At the top you will be rewarded with a cool pool that's great for a dip. Look out for the temple with moral guidance inscribed on the tree trunks at the base of the fa…
reviewed
-
Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihaan
The most important wát in southern Thailand, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihaan (simply known as Mahathat) is a stunning campus boasting 77 chedi (stupa) and an imposing 77m chedi crowned by a gold spire. According to legend, Queen Hem Chala and Prince Thanakuman brought relics to Nakhon over 1000 years ago, and built a small pagoda to house the precious icons. The temple has since grown into a rambling site, and today, crowds gather daily to purchase the popular Jatukham amulets. Don't miss the modest ceramics museum inside.
reviewed
-
A
National Museum
The 1878 building that now houses the national museum was originally built in a Chinese architectural style as the residence of a luminary. This museum is easily the most picturesque national museum in Thailand and contains exhibits from all Thai art-style periods, particularly the Srivijaya. Also on display are Thai and Chinese ceramics and sumptuous Chinese furniture owned by the local Chinese aristocracy.
reviewed
-
B
Bronze Mermaid
The residents are taking better care of the windy strip of white sand along Hat Samila, and it is now quite a pleasant beach for strolling along or for an early morning read. A Bronze Mermaid, depicted squeezing water from her long hair in tribute to Mae Thorani (the Hindu-Buddhist earth goddess), sits atop some rocks at the northern end of the beach. Nearby are the cat and rat sculptures, named for the Cat and Rat Islands (Ko Yo and Ko Losin).
reviewed
-
Ban Hua Thanon
Welcome to a morsel of southern Thailand, with a sprinkling of Muslim Thais living beside Buddhist Thais. The old wooden houses, only 50 to 60 years old, have weathered beyond their years, looking more ancient than antique. Pick your way through the parked motorcycles to the pier where the fisherfolk moor their small but stately boats. Continue to Hua Thanon Market and further on to the local mosque and the village’s Muslim quarter.
reviewed
-
Hin Ta Hin Yai
Lamai beach is weighted by massive boulders but none are as spectacular as the grandparent rocks, an honorific name considering that Grandfather Rock looks like an erect penis and Grandmother looks like the female counterpart. Don’t be shy about posing with Grandpa, even the monks take the photo-op. On a serious note, assigning human characteristics to rock formations is a common feature in Southeast Asian Muslim culture.
reviewed
-
C
Wat Matchimawat
This large temple compound typifies the Sino-Thai temple architecture of 18th-century Songkhla. The walls of the adjacent bòht (ordination hall) are decorated with some of the most beautiful temple murals in southern Thailand, some of which depict life in 19th-century Songkhla. The doors of the bòht are often locked; contact one of the resident monks if you'd like to take a look inside.
reviewed
-
D
Chaweng Lake
By the light of the harsh daytime sun, Chaweng Lake is an example of everything that is wrong with Samui. The public park is poorly maintained, half constructed and devoid of shade. But come sunset, it springs to life – ordinary Thai life, that is – with aerobics classes in one area, football practice in another and strolling families enjoying the cool breezes. It’s a charming glimpse into provincial Thailand.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Wat Plai Laem
This little temple has several large attractions: three gigantic depictions of Buddha set in a man-made lake. The centrepiece is an 18-armed Hindu-style Buddha next to a lotus blossom and a fat, Chinese-style Buddha. Considered an act of merit, Thai Buddhists, especially the young ones, feed the hungry fish, who live a charmed life in the surrounding lake. Sometimes this temple is called Wat Laem Suan Naram.
reviewed
-
Wat Hat Yai Nai
This wát features a 35m reclining Buddha (Phra Phut Mahatamongkon). Inside the image's gigantic base is a curious little museum and mausoleum with a souvenir shop. To get here, get a motorcycle taxi (around ฿40) or hop on a sŏrng·tăa·ou near the intersection of Th Niphat Uthit l and Th Phetkasem and get off after crossing the river - it costs about 12.
reviewed
-
Mesa Chotiphan
Puppet craftsperson Mesa Chotiphan, has a workshop in the northern part of the city; visitors are welcome. Call if you would like to be picked up from anywhere in Nakhon Si Thammarat. To get there, go north from the city centre on Th Ratchadamnoen, and about 500m north of the sports field, take the soi opposite the Chinese cemetery (before reaching the golf course and military base).
reviewed
-
Meditation Cave
Make a spa date with Kamalaya so you can sneak a peek at this decades old cave temple built by local monks for meditation. Temple caves are a vital part of the forest temple tradition in Thailand and in the past, monks have lived inside the cave as meditation hermits. The visitors pass allows access to the cave as well as use of the health resort’s steam cavern and plunge pools.
reviewed
-
Buddha Footprint
More religious than touristy, the Buddha Footprint is housed in a hill-side chapel. The room-sized sculpture of the sole of Buddha’s foot is believed to be about 100 years old – nearly prehistoric for Samui – and is a common symbolic representation of the enlightened one. The temple’s abbot asks that people show respect by being quiet and not eating and drinking at the site.
reviewed
-
Ko Nang Yuan
Just off the island's northwest coast, the rugged Ko Nang Yuan is a lonely island featuring three dramatic cone-shaped peaks connected by a remarkable sandbar. This idyllic beige strip is a stunning natural phenomenon that finds its way onto virtually every local postcard. Ferries from Mae Hat and water taxis from northern Sai Ri stop regularly at Ko Nang Yuan.
reviewed
-
Nam Tok Na Muang 2
The taller of sister waterfalls, this one crashes 80m and sifts out the spectators from the enthusiasts with an admission fee and a 30-minute walk. The falls are more dramatic and there’s a natural swimming pool at the base but it is still a stop on the package-tour route. Next to the entrance is a zip-line, known locally as ‘skyfox’, and elephant treks.
reviewed
-
Ko Fan Yai
The largest cove following Ao Thong Sai has several names, but the beach is generally known as Hat Choeng Mon. It's clean, hushed and recommended for families or for those who don't need nightlife and a variety of restaurants (these can be found at nearby Hat Chaweng). Opposite the beach is Ko Fan Yai, an island that can be reached on foot at low tide.
reviewed
-
Chiaw Lan Lake
The stunning Chiaw Lan Lake sits about an hour's drive east of the visitor's centre. The lake was created in 1982 by an enormous shale-clay dam called Ratchaprapha (Kheuan Ratchaprapha or Kheuan Chiaw Lan). The limestone outcrops protruding from the lake reach a height of 960m, over three times higher than the formations in the Phang-Nga area.
reviewed
-
Magic Garden
A fruit farmer laboured in the jungle in the Samui interior to create this spiritual garden of concrete characters depicting Buddhist myths and legends. The road here is a military road north of Ban Saket, and a little tough for most vehicles, so visitors are advised to take one of the jungle tours available through the travel agents.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Samui Butterfly Garden
Walk slowly among the tropical flowers to spot the colourful butterflies fanning their wings as they sip nectar. At first only a few will cross your path, but search the garden for the sultriest flowers to find an undulating carpet of anxious diners. Butterflies are most active in the mornings. It’s opposite Central Samui Village.
reviewed
-
Nam Tok Na Muang 1
One of two waterfalls, this 18m-high cascade is an easy walk from the car park and is the best example of Thais’ peculiar appreciation of falling water: a quick snapshot, a bowl of noodles, a few souvenirs and back in the car. For lolly-gaggers, Na Muang also has elephant trekking and is a popular stop on the package-tour route.
reviewed
-
Noen Khum Thong Stadium
Fights occur on the first Saturday of the month, or the second Saturday if the first Saturday is a wan prá (Buddhist worship day; full or new moon). The venue changes from time to time, but lately they've been held at Noen Khum Thong Stadium on the way to the airport. Check dates and venues with the TAT office.
reviewed
-
Kao Seng
A few kilometres south of Hat Samila is Kao Seng, a quaint beachfront Muslim fishing village - this is where the tourist photos of gaily painted fishing vessels are taken. Sŏrng·tăa·ou run regularly between Songkhla (from near the stand to Ko Yo) and Kao Seng for around ฿10 per person.
reviewed
-
Wat Khunaram
Several temples have the mummified remains of pious monks, including Wak Khunaram, which is south of Rte 4169 between Th Ban Thurian and Th Ban Hua. Its monk, Luang Phaw Daeng, has been dead for over two decades but his corpse is preserved sitting in a meditative pose and sporting a pair of sunglasses.
reviewed
