Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [468]
KHAO SAM ROI YOT NATIONAL PARK
Towering limestone cliffs, caves and beaches produce a dramatic landscape at this 98-sq-km park (0 3282 1568; adult/child 200/100B), which means Three Hundred Mountain Peaks in English. The park’s lagoons and coastal marshlands are excellent for birdwatching, and with a little exercise you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views of the gulf coastline.
Bring your mosquito repellent, especially during the rainy season (June to November). Rama IV and a large entourage of Thai and European guests came here on 18 August 1868 to see a total solar eclipse (apparently predicted by the monarch himself) and to enjoy a feast prepared by a French chef. Two months later the king died from malaria, contracted from mosquito bites inflicted here. Today the risk of malaria in the park is low, but the mosquitoes can be pesky.
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Orientation & Information
There are three park headquarter locations: Hat Laem Sala, Ban Rong Jai and Ban Khao Daeng. There are also visitors centres at Hat Laem Sala, Hat Sam Phraya and Ban Khao Daeng. A nature-studies centre lies at the end of a 1km road leading north from Ban Rong Jai. There are a couple of checkpoints – on the road south from Pranburi and on the road east of Hwy 4. You’ll need to pay admission or show proof that you already have.
Sights & Activities
BEACHES
Both of the park’s beaches have plenty of facilities – from food stalls to picnic areas and toilets.
Hat Laem Sala is a sandy beach flanked on three sides by dry limestone hills and casuarinas. It has a small visitors centre, restaurant, bungalows and camp sites. Boats, taking up to 10 people, can be hired from Bang Pu to the beach (250B return, 15 minutes). The beach is about a 20-minute hike from Bang Pu, via a steep trail.
Hat Sam Phraya, 5km south of Hat Laem Sala, is a 1km-long beach with a restaurant and toilets.
CAVES
Khao Sam Roi Yot has three caves, all worth visiting. Tham Phraya Nakhon is the most popular and for good reason; here, a royal sh·lah built for Rama V in 1890 sits bathing in streams of light. The 430m trail, which starts from Hat Laem Sala, is steep, rocky and at times slick – don’t wear your ballet flats. Once there you’ll find two large caverns with sinkholes – the meeting hall is the second of the two.
Tham Kaew, 2km from the Bang Pu turn-off, features a series of chambers connected by narrow passageways; you enter the first cavern by means of a ladder. Stalactites and limestone formations glittering with calcite crystals (hence the cave’s name, ‘Jewel Cave’) are plentiful. You can hire lamps, but it’s better if you let a park ranger guide you as the footing is dangerous.
Tham Sai is in a hill near Ban Khung Tanot, 2.5km from the main road between Laem Sala and Sam Phraya beaches. Villagers rent out lamps (40B) at a shelter near the cave mouth. A 280m trail leads up the hillside to the cave, which features a large single cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Be careful of steep drop-offs inside.
HIKING
For spectacular views of limestone cliffs against a jagged coastline, take the 30-minute step trail near the park headquarters at Ban Khao Daeng to the top of Khao Daeng. At sunset you might see a serow (Asian mountain goat). If you have more time and energy, climb the 605m to the top of Khao Krachom for even better views.
KAYAKING
In the fishing village of Ban Khao Daeng, Horizon Adventure (08 1820 9091) rents out kayaks for 400B per day, allowing you to explore the wildlife-filled mangroves of the area at your leisure.
WILDLIFE-WATCHING
Wildlife includes barking deer, crab-eating macaques, slow lorises, Malayan pangolins, fishing cats, palm civets, otters, serows, Javan mongooses, monitor lizards and dusky langurs. Possibly due to the rise in tourism, it can be difficult