Phuket Waterfalls and National Parks

Visiting a national park in Thailand is not free. The rates is 200 Baht for tourists adults, 100 Baht for tourist kids. Thais adult 20 Baht and Thai kid 10 Baht.

Khao Phra Thaeo National Park

Phuket's last significant virgin rain forest is a designated national park located in the northern part of the island.

Spend a morning taking a leisurely walk up by the Tonsai waterfall, or, if you want to spend the day walking in the quiet majesty of a tropical forest, there's an eight-kilometre trek right through the park from Bang Pae waterfall to Ton Sai.

Guides are available at the park, and for 8 kilometres definitely advisable! Much of the forest's wildlife tends to stay out of sight, but stay still for a while and your guide will point out the telltale sounds of all sorts of animals. If you're lucky, you may even see some of the forest's unusual creatures. A small museum and information centre is located near the bottom of the waterfall.

To get there, take Route 4027 east from the Heroines' Monument for about 7 km. The entrance is clearly marked at the left. Note that all national parks in Thailand charge foreigners a 400-Baht entrance fee.

Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre

Gibbons are among humankind's nearest relatives, and when young make adorable pets. When mature however, they outgrow their cuteness and can become aggressive and even inflict injury. Thailand's wild gibbon population suffers from the poaching of baby gibbons for illegal sale as pets. This often involves killing the fiercely protective mother gibbons, and the abandonment or killing of matured aggressive pets.

The Gibbon Rehabilitation project, located in the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, near Bang Pae Waterfall, tries to rehabilitate abandoned pet gibbons to the wild. You'll find it fascinating, and your donation and T-shirt purchases will help keep the project, the only one of its kind in the world, going. (Read a review here...)

Inland Phuket

Get a glimpse of the other side of Phuket. The real people from farmers to local business people, who live and work in the forest and on the land. The guides at Siam Safari Nature Tours will introduce you to the island's environment, culture and lifestyle.

Tours are aimed at small groups or individuals, and offer forest walking, Land Rover touring, river canoeing or rafting and elephant trekking, with visits to rubber plantations, schools and temples.

Sirinath National Park

Sirinath National Park covers an area of 90 square kilometres, from an area west of Phuket International Airport all the way to the island's northern tip, and encompassing Nai Yang, Nai Thon and Mai Khao beaches. The park offers basic, government-run bungalows and tents for rent, or you can stay in a hotel nearby.

At the northern end of the park, situated near Tah Chatchai, is a mangrove forest with saltwater swamps supporting unique eco-systems. A nature trail and 800m wooden walkway have been built, along with signs indicating and explaining the various species of plants and animals. Entrance at the northern tip of the island, near the bridge to Phang Nga.

Kathu Waterfall

Reached by a short trek along a trail, Kathu Waterfall is another cool refuge from the heat of the day. Best seen from June-October, when the water level is high and the forest is at its greenest.

With an outdoor restaurant at the base of the trail, a trip to Kathu waterfall makes for a nice afternoon excursion. Those looking for a little more adventure can go to the Phuket Waterski Cableways park nearby (Open 9am-6.30pm daily. Tel: 076-202525-7). Located between Phuket City and Patong in Kathu district, near the Loch Palm golf course.

Phuket Viewpoints

The most popular outlook in Phuket is the windswept Phromthep Cape (Laem Phromthep), situated between Rawai and Nai Harn beaches, where a large car park, souvenir shops and restaurants have been constructed to accommodate the many visitors.

Sunsets are spectacular but crowded, so it's recommended to go in the morning or early afternoon to avoid the tour bus frenzy

The Kata viewpoint - also called "Khao Sam Haad" or "Three Beach Hill" - is another great spot to enjoy a fine vista. Just 5 minutes by car or motorbike south of Kata on the Kata-Nai Harn road, this panoramic view takes in the three beaches of Kata Noi, Kata and Karon, plus a wide stretch of the Andaman Sea.

In Phuket City, Rang Hill, off Mae Luan Rd, is a fine location to look down upon the town and across the bay, while sipping an iced coffee at one of the two excellent hilltop restaurants. Early in the morning, nuns and monks from the temple at the base of the hill can be seen walking on their alms rounds along the road winding up the hill.

A lesser known viewpoint is Nakkerd Hill, found at the end of Yodsane 1 Rd in Chalong (about 2 km north of Chalong Circle off Route 4021, the Wat Chalong road), offering an unbelievable vista across much of the south end of Phuket and over the sea. It is sure to be popular in a few years' time, however, since a giant 45m-tall golden Buddha is under construction at the top of the hill. The steep, winding, mostly-dirt road up the hill is a mess, so using a 4WD or otherwise sturdy vehicle is advisable.

Phuket City Parks

At the south end of Phuket Rd is Saphan Hin, is a large, multi-purpose park with fitness centres, a stadium, jogging trails, a software development centre, restaurants and food stalls, and a mangrove walkway. A popular site for festivals and fairs throughout the year. Muay Thai kickboxing matches in the stadium every Friday evening. Drive to the end and see picnicking families on the pebbled shore of Phuket Bay.

King Rama IX Park, better known as Suan Luang, on Chao Fa Rd, is a lovely green park with large trees, lotus ponds and walking paths. Popular in the early morning with joggers and Tai Chi practitioners, and also in the late afternoons with strolling couples and takraw players (a game of agility where the feet are used to keep a rattan ball aloft).

Rang Hill fitness park, at the top of Khao Rang off Mae Luan Rd, is a nice shady area to go for a brisk walk or jog, or to simply sit and relax under the large, old-growth trees. The hilltop features a bronze statue of Phraya Ratsada Nupradit - the first Governor of Phuket.

Patong Parks

Along the beach at the north end of Patong is Loma Park, a refreshingly quiet spot to relax in the shade. Many festival events are held here during the year, and it's a popular park for local families to enjoy a nice afternoon.

See also Sports & Recreation, Beaches, Islands and Tours

In a bid to revive tourism to the six provinces along the Andaman coastline affected by the recent tsunami, the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has extended opening hours and waived entrance fees to 15 of Thailand's marine national parks.

• Phang-nga province Ao Phang-nga National Park
  
• Khao Lam Pee – Had Thai Muang National Park
  
• Mu Koh Similan National Park
  
• Mu Koh Surin National Park
  
  
• Krabi province Tarn Boke Koranee National Park
  
• Mu Koh Lanta National Park
  
• Khao Lak-Lamru National Park
  
• Hat Nopparat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park
  
  
• Phuket province Sirinath National Park

Contact information:
National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department
Tel: +66 (0) 2562 0760 - Web site: www.dnp.go.th