Located some 13 kilometers
along Highway 401, the school trains monkeys to pick coconuts. Most
‘students’ are gigtailed monkeys captured in local forests. Training
usually takes some 3 months. Would-be visitors are advised to check with
local travel agents for full details.
Si Surat Stupa, known
locally as Phra That Khao Tha Phet, is located on the summit of Khao Tha
Phet. The stupa houses Buddha relics donated by the Indian government
some 30 years ago.
This monastery was founded
by Luang Pho Choi, one of southern Thailand’s most revered Buddhist
ecclesiastics. The hilltop 45-metre pagoda contains Buddha relics and
commands striking coastal views.
Better known as Suan Mok,
this 150—acre forest temple is located beside Highway 41 some 50
kilometers north of the provincial capital. Suan Mok’s founder, the late
Bhikkhu Buddhadhasa, was highly respected both locally and
internationally. His ‘back to basics’ form of Buddhism, mirroring that
led by the Buddha’s earliest disciples more than 2,500 years ago,
attracted many Buddhist monks and lay mediators from Europe, North and
South America, Australia and Japan. The enclave is devoid of extravagant
ceremonial and elaborated chapels. The forest tranquility is ideal for a
life of contemplation.
Located some 4 kilometers
northeast of Suan Mok, and 1 kilometer from Chaiya railway station, this
elaborately restored and revered pagoda is believed to be more than
1,200 years old. The pagoda contains Buddha relics and provides a direct
link with the Srivijaya Empire. A small adjacent museum houses artifacts
from the vicinity.
Located some 6 kilometers
east of Chaiya, this settlement is an arts and crafts centre well known
for its silver brocaded silk cloth and jute headwear.
Comprising largely jungle
with complex mountain ranges, the park contains a great deal of flora
and fauna. The park office is 1.3 kilometers off Highway 401 (Surat
Thani-Takua Pa) at Km. 109. Places within the park worth visiting,
largely by foot, include the Sip Et Chan (Eleven Stages) Waterfall, some
4 kilometers from the park office. Bungalows and raft houses are
available. Advance booking is necessary for food and lodging. Would-be
visitors should contact the National Parks Division in Bangkok (Tel:
579-7223, 579 5734).
These are
concentrated in the estuarine areas of the Kradae Canal and
Tha Thong River. Oysters found there are substantially
larger than any found elsewhere. Would be visitors wishing
to see oysters being harvested may hire long-tailed boats
which carry some 8 to 10 passengers. It takes some 30
minutes to reach the farms from Tha Thong quayside.
This is located
some 30 kilometers east of the provincial capital along
Highway 411 at Pak Phraek village. The picturesque and
petite waterfall enjoys bucolic surroundings.
