Sa Nang Manora Forest Park, Phang Nga
A moss-covered rainforest gorge with a chain of small waterfalls and pools, just outside Phang Nga town.
Sa Nang Manora Forest Park, Phang Nga
Sa Nang Manora is a small forest park in a narrow valley a few kilometres north of Phang Nga town, and it is one of the most atmospheric pieces of rainforest that can be reached this easily in the south. Everything - rock, roots, fallen trunks - is covered in moss, because the gorge holds humidity and gets very little direct sun.
A path follows the stream up through the valley past a series of small falls and clear pools, crossing on stepping stones and wooden bridges, with the larger tiers reached by scrambling. The trees are buttressed and tall, and giant ferns and lianas fill the understorey.
The park takes its name from a princess in the local legend said to have bathed in the pools. It is quiet on weekdays and busy with Thai families at weekends.
- Wat Tham Ta Pan, Phang Nga — A cave temple built into a karst cliff, with a walk-through depiction of the Buddhist hells.
- Ao Phang Nga National Park — The drowned karst bay of limestone towers, sea caves and mangrove channels between Phuket and Krabi.
- Wat Bang Riang, Phang Nga — A hilltop temple above the Phang Nga hinterland, with a huge seated Buddha and a bronze Guanyin.
