Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

Sam Roi Yot is the country's first marine national park, located on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, fifty kilometers from the popular resort town of Hua Hin (Sam Roi Yot National Park on the map). Here the low mountains smoothly turn into mangrove swamps, and it is precisely because of this special and rare relief that the area has been declared protected. The area of the park is 98 square kilometers.

The name of the park translates as "a mountain with three hundred peaks." The park is one of the oldest nature reserves Thailand. It was founded in 1966, and expanded its territory in 1982. You can stay here for a few days, or you can book an excursion in Hua Hin, then tourists will see everything that can be reached by bus.

This place is visited by outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world. Here you can visit caves, take a boat ride along the river deep into the jungle or go to the forest along special trails, on foot or by bike, put up a tent on the sand by the sea and meet the sunrises, climb to the observation decks in the mountains. Almost all the attractions of the park are of a natural nature. Also in the reserve you can see rare animals – monitor lizards, langurs. Dolphins are observed at a special point near the sea. More and more people visiting Thailand are definitely coming to Sam Roi Yot for at least one day.

The most interesting places of the park are caves, there are several of them. The most visited is Phraya Nakorn near the center of the park. Two giant grottoes on the hill are striking in their scale. The vault collapsed in them a long time ago, and tall trees grew in the cave. Daylight allows you to examine it in all its details. A pavilion was built in the center on a hill during the time of King Rama the Fifth, in which the rulers of Siam celebrated holidays for a long time until the royal power fell into decline. Now the pavilion is visited only by tourists.

Another cave, Tham Kaeo, is located near the village, and the center of the park is 15 kilometers away. It should be visited only with a guide who has a lantern so as not to get lost without light. Here you can admire the beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, karst formations of bizarre shapes, and quartz crystals sparkle like small stars on the walls of the cave.

Tham Sai Cave also attracts tourists, it is easy to get to this cave by car, then you need to climb only three hundred meters to the entrance. Only lanterns are needed here, the cave is not that big, you can't get lost in it.

Thung Sam Roi Yot is the great swamp of Thailand, where a great many birds feed. It's just full of life, you can look at it all day. Or you can hire a boat and go along the canal deep into the jungle, see the mangrove trees growing along the banks. There are fewer and fewer of them on Earth, one of the reasons for creating the park is the desire to preserve them.

You can stay for a few days at Sam Roi Yot either by staying at a hotel near Hat Laem Sala beach, or by camping at another beach, Hat Sam Phraya, which is a little further away. Both there and there, for the convenience of tourists, there are restaurants and other minimally necessary tourist infrastructure. You can get there by boat for a nominal fee, or by a trail through the hills. A few kilometers from these parking lots is the headquarters of the park.

You can get to Sam Roi Yot as part of an excursion (from Hua Hin from 1500 baht) or by car or motorbike through one of two entrances. One from the localities Pranburi and Pak Nam Pran, here you can drive along the seashore past the checkpoint, free of charge. But if you have a desire to see the sights, it is better to turn off Highway No. 4 at 286 kilometer and drive straight to the headquarters. And you can also order a taxi in Hua Hin, drivers never refuse to go to this popular place.

There are several restaurants at the entrance to the park, toilets are located separately. In general, Sam Roi Yot is well equipped – the trails are equipped, there are campsites in many places. It is convenient to move both on foot and by car, bicycles are also popular. At the entrance to the park you can get a detailed map.

Entrance to the park is paid: 200 baht for adults, 100 baht for children (see Thailand currency exchange rate).

Author: Marina Dianova