Phang Nga

Phang Nga, located 788 km from Bangkok on the Andaman coast, is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Ranong, Surat Thani, Krabi and Phuket are its neighboring provinces. The island is also known as the James Bond Island, as it served as the setting for the James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”. The province is gifted with natural wonders at every step and a large part of it was declared national parks due to its rich marine life and to the variety the nature and land have to offer. Ao Phang Nga National Park, Khao Lak, and Mu Koh Similan are the most famous national parks in the province. Phang Nga also takes pride in its immaculate beaches and in its amazing sites. There are a lot of islands and islets in the province that offer a wide range of activities such as snorkeling and diving, watching birds, cruising in the Phang Nga Bay and trekking. Many publications have ranked its sites as being among the most spectacular ones.

There are a lot of tourist attractions in the province and a lot of things to be seen. Phang-Nga, which is a small and quiet town, is the provincial capital. It has nothing of Phuket’s hustle and bustle, but it has a lot of its own charm. One of the province’s landmarks is Khao Chang, also called the Elephant Mountain, due to the fact that it is a hill shaped as a kneeling elephant. If you’re fascinated by caves, stalagmites and stalactites, visit Phung Chang Cave (or the Elephant Belly Cave) within the grounds of Wat Pra Paht Pra Jim Temple, Reusi Sawan (Ascetic’s Heaven) and Luk Seua Cave, which can be found in Somdej Pra Sri Nakarin Park, or Kao Ngum Cave, across from the entrance to Phung Chang cave.

When it comes to parks, there is a large variety you can choose from, such as Sa Nang Manora Park, Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park (surrounded by incredibly beautiful limestone mountains), Mu Ko Similan National Park (declared a national park in 1983 and famous for the beautiful scenery of its nine islands), Mu Ko Surin National Park (declared a national park in 1981 and comprising 5 islands – Ko Surin Nuea, Ko Surin Tai, Ko Ri, Ko Khai, and Ko Klang – that are suitable for snorkeling and have beautiful coral reefs),  Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park (declared a national park in 1991, famous for its camping and relaxing opportunities and for its waterfalls), Khao Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang National Park (declared a national park in 1988, famous for its waterfalls and for the long beach where the Sea Turtle Festival takes place every year) and of course Ao Phang-Nga (Phang-Nga Bay) National Park.

Ao Phang-Nga was declared a national park in 1981 and covers a total area of 400,000,000 square meters. The park includes more than 120 islands, each with its own particularities, scenic views and bizarre landscape. The park also features mass limestone formations scattered around in the sea near the shore, a lot of caves and mangroves. Among the places of interest within the National Park we could mention: Panyee Island (a small island mainly inhibited by Muslim fisher folk), Panak Island (featuring a cave with stalagmites and stalactites), Khao Ping-Gan (which is a huge rock split in two), Tham Lod Grotto (a cave in Takua Thung featuring beautiful stalagmites and stalactites), the Tapan Cave Monastery (which features a bridge called the Dragon Bridge that Spans Hell, a cave, a waterfall, a stream, the Diamond Dharma Meditation Area and many other wonders), Hong Island, the Tone Patiwat Wildlife Sanctuary (which can be visited by canoe or on elephant back and features a lot of different tree species, a waterfall and a stream), and Khao Khien (meaning “the islet of writings” and featuring ancient depictions of animals ad boats).

Phang Nga will not cease to amaze you with its wonders and is definitely worth visiting if you’re not planning to sunbathe all day long and you want to experience the culture and beauty of a true wonder of nature.