What to see and do in Khanom, tropical beaches and dolphins in Thailand

With a sightseeing trip in southern thailand We recommend making a stop at Nakhon Si Thammarat, a city not well known by international travelers, which is considered the cultural capital from this part of the country.

Su Phra Mahathat temple It is the most important south of Bangkok and is a prominent pilgrimage center.

In the city, in addition, you can enjoy the heterogeneous atmosphere created by the Buddhist population who lives with a muslim minority, reflecting the proximity to Malaysia.

At southern thailand First-class beach destinations abound, and among the best known are the Phi Phi Islands, the enclave of Railay and especially Koh Samui.

But there are other interesting places that are more near Nakhon Si Thammarat and that allow us to get to know the coast and the nature of the region.

What to see and do in Khanom in Thailand

For some days of rest on the beach y excursions in the surrounding area we can recommend the district Khanom, which is the northernmost of those that form the Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

Since the vast majority of visitors who visit this area choose the Koh Samui island As a beach destination, the rest of the region has been somewhat forgotten until recent years.

In fact, Khanom It is the part of the continent that is closest to the Koh Samui island.

Tropical beaches in Khanom

Although it is little known, much of the Khanom coastline is marked by beautiful tropical beaches, many of them will be in the future Hat Khanom–Mu Ko Thale Tai National Park.

In the interior, a few kilometers from the coast, there are also other protected areas.

The Namkot Si Khit national parks y Khao Luang They offer a mountainous landscape covered with forest; In this calcareous terrain there are precipices from which waterfalls fall and caves full of curious formations.

The great natural attraction of the area is in the sea because some of the Thailand's longest and loneliest beachesto, like Nadan Beach, are located near the town of Khanom, which is about 100 kilometers north of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

On these beaches the fishermen continue to spread their nets as they did decades ago on other beaches now covered by hotels, a image of thailand which is totally lost in the main beach tourist centers.

Pink Dolphin Tour in Nakhon

La Essential excursion in Nakhon is to go in search of the pink dolphins.

These dolphins are distributed in different areas of the Pacific and Indian oceans, always in small and isolated towns, but in this area they form rapidly growing groups for the protection of local fishermen.

To fully live this experience you need go with an expert guide who knows how to find them and explain their behavior.

We travel with Khun (Lord) Dang, who is recognized by everyone as the best guide in the area.

El Mr. Dang is not only a expert biologist who knows the area like no one else, but is responsible for many protection policies in the area.

He has achieved this after convincing the local population, especially the fishermen, that it was necessary to delimit areas where fishing was not carried out to protect the dolphins.

Your company, Khanom Tour Thailand, plus boat trips in search of dolphins, offers different routes through all the interesting places in the area such as the waterfalls, forests and caves of the national parks.

El boat tour It is already pleasant enough due to the beauty of the coast and the nearby islets, where the tropical vegetation reaches the very edge of the sea, except in the areas where there are beaches of very white sand.

It is very exciting to discover, always following the instructions of Khun Dang, some pink dolphin.

With just a glance, he knows if it is a mother with her young, being taught how to get food, or a group that is resting.

When going to watch pink dolphins navigate between islets covered in rainforest surrounded by vertical calcareous rock cliffs or intact beaches.

Koh Nui Nork Island

Each island is a world, like Koh Nui Nork, just a rock that floats in these intense turquoise waters and he is a curious pilgrims destination.

The arrival is spectacular since the islet is surrounded by numerous yellow flags that flutter in the wind on stakes that emerge from the sea and are stuck in the seabed.

The place is famous for a sacred spring of fresh water on the shore that is covered by the sea during high tide and to which a miraculous origin has always been attributed.

The story goes that the Monk Luang Phor Thuad when he was thrown from a ship because the sailors thought he was the cause of the storm that harassed them.

However, this holy man was able to walk on the waters and reach the islet, where he made the spring of fresh water gush out.

You can disembark on that islet and walk a path with steps through the vegetation to the highest point, where there is always a monk in charge of the santuario, and probably local faithful who come to obtain merits through propitiatory rites.

But above all, the feeling of discovering a forgotten corner of Thailand, where an important traditional culture remains alive and nature dazzles with its intact beauty.

On the excursion there is also time to stop at the lonely beach on some islet and enjoy some time swimming or doing snorkel in a place where you think you are the first visitor.

At that moment a refrigerator well stocked with ice and drinks is something as important or more important than goggles and fins.

Once on dry land there are many places to visit.

One of the most interesting is the Khao Wang Thong cave. The road reaches a point from which you have to continue on foot for a few minutes, and the path is so steep that there are many steps in different sections.

From the entrance, which is quite high, there is a good view of the surrounding area with the sea dominating the horizon. In the surrounding forest, monkeys are often seen early and late in the day.

Right at the entrance of the cave there is an altar highly revered for centuries by the inhabitants of the area. Then, towards the interior, you pass between numerous stalactites and stalagmites with curious shapes.

In the mountains there are also many waterfalls lost among the vegetation.

In the area it is also possible visit temples, plantations and villages.

Where to eat and sleep in Khanom

time to visit Khanom, the main town, if possible it is advisable to go on Saturday since it is market day.

En Khanom We recommend eating at least once in Khun Lee's Restaurant, a family establishment with a lot of history that is frequented by locals and tourists, and an ideal place to try local specialties based on fish and seafood.

During our stay in the Khanom district we stayed in the Aava Resort & Spa, which is located right on the Nadan beach, one of the longest and most intact in Thailand.

It is made up of a series of villas and bungalows They surround the pool, which is right next to the sandy beach.

Although it has a Nordic touch in the decoration, the tropical atmosphere pervades everything. Offers treatments spa, yoga and muay thai practice besides a healthy food.

The general feeling that prevails when touring this area is that of discovering a forgotten corner of Thailand, where an important traditional culture and nature dazzles with its intact beauty.