|
 
Thalang
National Museum
Ancient artifacts from Phuket 's long
history are on display; the oldest were found on the west coast.
In addition there are exhibits detailing the famous Battle of Thalang involving the Two Heroines, daily life in Phuket, and
the Sea
Gypsy culture.
Located just east of the
Two Heroines Monument on the Pa Khlok Rd.
Tel. (076) 311426; open daily
except holidays 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Admission fee 30 Baht.
read more
Nakha
Island
 This small, quiet island with fine sandy
beaches lies just off Phuket's northeast shore. Waters are
suitable for swimming. One item of interest at Ko Nakha Noi not
found in many other places is its pearl farm. Boats can be hired
from Ao Po Pier, off Pa Khlok Rd., for travel to Ko Nakha Noi, and package trips are available at tour agencies, generally
including lunch and a visit to the pearl farm.
Phra
Nang Sang Temple
 The grounds of this historic temple are
where the Battle of Thalang took place in 1785. Inside are three
very old statues, wrought in tin, of the Buddha; they are the
largest in the world and date from a time when tin was regarded
as a semi-precious metal. The bellies of the three big statues
each contains a smaller statue, from which derives their name,
"Monks in the Belly" in local vernacular. or
"The Three Kings" in formal
language. Located on Thep Krasatri Rd., in Thalang Town at the
traffic light.
Phra Tong Temple
This temple enshrines a golden Buddha image that sprang up from beneath
the earth long ago. The story is of a young boy who tied his buffalo to
what he thought was a post; it was in an area at that time given over to
the raising of animals. After doing so, he fell down in agony and died.
The father of the boy dreamed that the reason his son had died was for
the sin of tying a filthy buffalo to a sacred object, that what the boy
thought was a post was in reality the golden peak of the Buddha's
conical cap. He told his neighbors the dream and they all went out to
dig up the statue but had no success.
 Later,
at the time of Thao Thep Kasatri's heroic defense against the Burmese in
1785, the invaders tried to succeed where the villagers had failed;
their intention was to take the Buddha image back to Burma. Sacred
objects and slaves were then the most sought after spoils for armies.
The Burmese, however, were unable to retrieve the golden Buddha despite
several attempts; they were finally driven off by a swarm of angry
hornets.
After this the villagers decided to
protect their miraculous statue by covering the part that stuck up from
the ground with a plaster cast of Buddha's head and shoulders which is
the way it is today. Located north of the traffic light on the outskirts
of Thalang Town. A large sign shows the entrance.
Khao
Phra Thaeo Wildlife
Conservation Development and Extension Center
22.28 square kilometers of virgin forest are
covered by this park, which also actively conserves a number of wild
animals; they would otherwise be extinct in fast-growing Phuket. It is a
center for study of the environment. Forest vegetation is spectacular :
Giant trees supported by huge buttresses are thick with creepers and
climbers of every description.
One species of palm found, the Governor's Palm or White Back Palm (palm
lang khao in Thai) is especially rare. Langurs, barking deer, mouse
deer, deer, bear, wild boar, monkeys, gibbons, and many species of birds
inhabit the forest. Khao Phra Thaeo serves also as one of Phuket's most
important water sources.
read more
Surin
Beach
Evergreen trees rim this small, curving bay
beneath the foothills north of
Kamala. Surin is home to Phuket's first
golf coures, a nine-hole course laid out more than sixty years ago
during the reign of King Rama VII. It is now largely in disuse except as
a park. The steep incline of the beach, turbulent water, and big waves
make Surin a dangerous place to swim during the rainy season.
Located at
the end of Sri Sunthon Rd., the road running west from the Two Heroines
Monument, 24 kms. from
Phuket Town.
Accommodations and restaurants are
nearby.
Ton
Sai
A small falls over which pours a great volume of
water during the rainy season. The trees, watercourses, and pools nearby
provide one of Phuket's loveliest scenes.
The park headquarter and a
small restaurant with an excellent view are also at Ton Sai. Located
near Thalang Town, 22 kms. from
Phuket Town.
Bang
Pae
Best known now as the site of the
Gibbon Fund, a
project to return domesticated gibbons to the forest, Bang Pae is a
small waterfall with a shady forest and thick foliage surrounding. To
get there go to the Two Heroines Monument and take the road running
east, the Pakhlok Rd., 7 kms. to Bang Pae. Look for the posted signs.
read more
Sing
Cape
The name means Lion's Point in English. The beach
is in a small, curving bay with rocky headlands at the foot of
forest-fringed cliffs and is among Phuket's most beautiful spots.
Located about 1 km. south of the entrance to Surin Beach. Look for signs
indicating the path down to the beach.
Bangthao
Beach
Bangthao is a large open bay with one of Phuket's
longest beaches. It was once used for tin mining, but has since been
developed into a luxury resort. Most of it is occupied by the
Laguna
complex, a massive five-hotel development with
golf course. There are,
however,
accommodations available outside Laguna at the bay's south end.
Dry season swimming is excellent, and at the bay's north end is a
smaller bay, almost completely enclosed, at the mouth of which is some
fine coral. Plenty of places to eat, tour companies, and other tourist
facilities available either at Laguna or in the nearby town of Choeng
Thale.
The beach is located off Sri Sunthon Rd., in Choeng Thale. As for access
to Laguna; the south end of the bay may be approached by taking the road
north from Surin Beach. To get to the far north end from Sri Sunthon
Rd., take the road leading to Laguna, but do not enter, continue on to
the town of Bandon where there is an intersection of asphalted roads,
and take the one leading west toward the sea. This road leads also to
Nai Thon Bay and makes a very pleasant drive. Along the way are some
small bays with good swimming and no development.
Sirinat
National Park
Located near
Phuket International Airport, the
national park covers an area of 90 square kilometers. The park stretches
all the way to the island's northern tip.
There are a number of
interesting places to visit :
read more
Nai
Yang Beach
This is where the
National Park office is located.
The beach itself is on a long curving bay lined with evergreens that
provide shade to picnicker. The large coral reef is home to many
different species of fish, and Nai Yang is well known as a site where
sea turtles come to lay their eggs during the period from November to
February; the population of these has however, dropped off greatly.
First class
accommodations are available and small food vendors cater to
the many day trippers. To get there take the Nai Yang Rd., and look for
signs indicating the park entrance.
Nai
Thon Beach
This quiet bay nestled at the foot of high hills
has a fine strip of the sand. There are some
accommodations but
virtually no other business. Located between
Bang Thao Bay and Nai Yang
Beach, Nai Thon Beach can be reached by taking Thep Krasatri Rd. Turn at
the first traffic light north of Thalang Town to Nai Yang Rd. Look for
signs indicating the turn-off to Nai Ton.
Sai
Kaew Beach
This strip of sand is just the north portion of
Mai Khao Beach and has much the same character. Located west of the
bridges spanning the channel between Phuket and
Phang–nga provinces.
Mangrove
Forest
Situated in
Sirinat National Park near Ta Chatchai
on Phuket's northern tip, the mangroves--saltwater swamps with unique
eco-systems much prized by scientists searching for clues about
adaptation and evolution--cover about 800 rai. Anyone with an
interest in horticulture will be interested in the many unusual
perennial plants found here: mountain ebony (kong kang bai lek),
red cycas (prong daeng), black myrsina (samae dam), the
Lady's Nails quisqualis (leb mue nang), and various creepers and
climbers are among the more significant. There are also many
mangrove-dwelling animals with unique evolutionary characteristics. A
nature trail has been cleared for the convenience of visitors with signs
indicating and explaining the various species.
Mai
Khao Beach
Many kilometers of deserted beach characterize Mai
Khao where there is little tourist business. The water is fine for
swimming during the dry season; the rainy season brings big waves and
strong currents that are dangerous. This lonely beach is another area
where sea turtles come to lay eggs. It is also home to what the Thais
call a sea cicada, which is a form of marine life. To get there go to
the northern tip of Phuket; the beach lies along the road's length
Accommodation at
Thalang
|
