Highly diverse coastal landscape
Along the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan stretches Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand's first maritime park and a paradise for nature lovers. Khao Sam Roi Yot means "Mountain with three hundred peaks" and refers to the limestone hills along the Gulf of Thailand. The park has a varied landscape, from vast white sand beaches and islands in the sea to cliffs with caves, forest trails, mangrove forests and freshwater marshes that are home to more than 300 species of birds. Birdwatchers can get their fix around January/February when many waterfowl perch on their flight path between Asia and Australia. From the beaches, you can take a boat trip to spot Irrawaddy dolphins.
Jungle full of caves and caverns
Back on land, you can climb to magnificent caves and stunning viewpoints like Khao Daeng. Hidden deep in the mountains, Kaeo Cave and the slightly more accessible Sai Cave can be reached via trails through rugged jungle full of macaques. For the mystical Phraya Nakhon caverns full of stalactites and stalagmites, sinuous lianas and gnarled trees, you first take a trip by longtail boat, after which a steep wooded path leads you to the entrance. A tough task, but the surreal sight of the royal pavilion shrouded in sunlight around eleven o'clock makes it well worth the effort: it's like walking into a fairy tale book. Where the world can't find you...
Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park is not far from Kui Buri National Park; these destinations combine well in an itinerary.
