Khao Sam Roi Yot means Mountain with 300 peaks, which describes the landscape of the park pretty well. A series of grey limestone mountains lies at the shore of the Gulf of Thailand and is about an hour's drive south of Hua Hin. Between the park are freshwater marshes but some have been converted into shrimp farms.
We stumbled upon the park while searching for places to explore. We were mesmerized by the pictures posted by travelers who have been there and wanted to see the place for ourselves. It would be an adventure which we had never experienced after having visited Thailand a couple of times before.
Our day started as early as 4.30 a.m. to catch the sunrise at Khao Daeng viewpoint. It was a short ride from the park headquarters to the base of the trail. As it was very dark when we arrived and there wasn't a properly marked trail, we were advised to wait till there was enough light before going up. But what about the sunrise? Unfortunately, we've got to skip that for safety reasons. There wasn't a guide assigned to bring us up either, so our driver had been so kind to escort us all the way to the top.
It was a steep hike of 320 meters. It took us about 45 minutes to reach. I was already out of breath less than half of the way and experiencing waves of dizziness. I have never been an outdoor person and going for such a hike without prior practice proved to be a lesson to be learned. I was stopping every few steps to catch my breath while the rest were way far ahead.
I eventually reached the top to the most spectacular view. The sea and shrimp farms were on one side and the mountains with its hundred peaks on the other - dubbed the 'Guilin of Thailand" by the locals. The exhausting hike was all but forgotten.
From there on, we proceeded to Laem Sala beach to catch a boat for the next hike - the Phraya Nakhon Cave. There is another way to the cave through the Tian Mountains, but after considering two hikes in a day, it would be best not to have a third one. The hike is another steep one of 430 meters, which roughly took us an hour. This trail is a properly marked one and there was actually no need for a guide, although we were persuaded into having one.
The main feature of the cave is this royal pavilion built to honor a king. At any other time, it would have been any ordinary pavilion. But at the specific timing of 10.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m, the pavilion transforms into a magical sight when the sunlight illuminated the entire pavilion from a sinkhole in the cave directly above the pavilion. We were very fortunate to have made it in time for the transformation, although I was panting even harder climbing up here than the first one.
After doing two hikes in the span of a few hours, logically we should have headed back to the hotel for some rest. But the friend had one more location to visit and have been very insistent on getting there. Our poor reluctant driver had no choice but to drive us another 30 minutes to the Thung Sam Roi Yot Freshwater Marsh. Boy, was I glad that she persisted!
The view was absolutely stunning! With the mountain peaks to the back and the marsh in front, the walk on the wooden platforms gave a whole new different perspective. What have I been missing out all this while? I couldn't keep my eyes off the landscape. It was so much better than the pictures.
We were so reluctant to leave the marsh. If not for being extremely tired from our morning adventures, we would definitely have lingered for a little bit longer. Just how often do you come across such splendid views?
Next up - Thailand - Part III : Khao Yai
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