Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park is a delightful playground for nature explorers. It covers an area featuring cave-ridden limestone hills and forested greenery. Inside the park, the 3km nature trail passes through a scenic landscape filled with natural rock formations, bird habitats and an array of flora and fauna.
Getting to the forest park is an adventure in itself as the road is rough and relatively unpaved. From Phetkasem Road, at the 197km post, take a small local road that leads to Wat Pa Sutthikun and continue for 1km. On the way, you will see a series of limestone quarries leading up to the mountains.
Highlights at Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park
The forest park has two important mountains called Khao Chaolai and Khao Chomprasart, rising at about 60-372 metres above sea level from along the park’s north-south axis. Together, the two mountains look like a giant lying on her side (Nang Phanthurat is the name of a female giant in a Thai folklore).
Surrounded by mixed deciduous forest and dry evergreen forest, the park enjoys a lush-green landscape all year round and is home to birds, plants and animals. There’s a lake that flows through the park, and a paved jogging trail running alongside it. Locals like to picnic or to enjoy the serenity of nature.
Tips and Good to Know
An important factor to be considered when visiting this national park is that road is in bad condition therefore appropriate transport is needed. Plan to arrive early in the morning or late afternoon, as it could be searing hot at midday, and do bring along bottled water to avoid dehydration.
Khao Nang Phanthurat National Park
- Location: Cha-Am, Phetkasem Road (197 km. post)
- How to get there: From Hua Hin, take Phetkasem Road towards Bangkok. Follow the flyover, and then turn right at the entrance of Jalaprathan Cement Co. Ltd.
