 Besides
Hua Hin and other nearby beaches,
Prachuab Khiri Khan Province holds within its embrace marshes,
wilderness, and unspoiled natural beauty that can be found at
Khao Sam Roi Yot Marine National Park.
In 1966, Khao Sam Roi Yot, or the Mountain with 300 Peaks, was designated
Thailand's first marine national park. The park supports various ecosystems
through an assortment of freshwater marsh, coastal plains, islands and
rugged limestone peaks.
Although some shrimp farms have sprung up lately on one side of the
mountain, it's the marshland on the other side that are the main draw,
attracting birds and tourists in equal numbers. I even spotted children
lingering around quietly, their eyes trained on the telescope scouring the
scene for birds.
"More and more children are taking to bird watching," said Supoj Sukapat,
who is advisor to a student group from the local Sam Roi Yot Vitthayakom
School.
A healthy population of langur thrive on and around a hill near the
national park's headquarters.
The school has a bird watching club set up with the objective to teach
students about nature and their feathered friends so that when they grow up
they will act responsible citizen and help conserve nature.
The students, aged 10-16, were adept at spotting birds living in the
marshland. One after the other they pointed to me egrets, herons, the
black-winged stilt, blue-tailed bee-eater and others until I could no longer
remember their names.
"There are some 300 species of birds here. Many of them migrate in
winter," one student, barely 10, filled me.
Apart from the birds, the park was the abode of langur monkeys. I saw
them hopping from tree to tree not far from the park's headquarters. They
certainly didn't look intimidated by human presence.
Visitors to Khao Sam Roi Yot can take a cruise on Khao Daeng Canal that
snakes past a mangrove forest, lush green vegetation and jagged cliffs
before opening into the Gulf of Siam.
If that is not enough, there is the beach of Laem Sala, a headland,
dotted with graceful pines where you relax and enjoy your melancholy.
The freshwater marsh on the western side of Sam Roi Yot mountains houses
a biologically diverse aquatic ecosystem.
Another attraction at the park is Tham Phraya Nakhon, a huge cave with a
royal pavilion built for
King Rama V.
The cave has a big hole in its roof through which sunlight filters in the
morning illuminating the royal seat and the entire pavilion. It's a
beautiful sight and most visitors go there just to see the spectacle.
So make sure you get there at the right time.
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