Mangrove Walk at Pran Buri National Forest Park

Pranburi National Forest Park

Moo 1, Tambon Paknam
Amphoe Pran Buri
Chang Wat Prachuap Khiri Khan
77220, Thailand

This national park is about 25km South of Hua Hin. The mangrove walk is marked on Google Map so you should have no trouble finding the place. It's best to have your own transport instead of taking the public transportation as the forest park is quite a distance from the main road.

  Sebenarnya, sebelum pergi I dah tanya semua ahli rombongan GangMakanGoJalan samada kita nak pergi mangrove walk di sini atau Phraya Nakhon Cave di Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park yang memerlukan lebih satu jam perjalanan menaiki van dari Hua Hin. Masing-masing memilih mangrove walk yang jauh lebih santai sebab kami tak mahu habiskan masa sehari suntuk untuk aktiviti outdoor. Walaupun Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park nampak lebih menarik, trip kami lebih kepada leisure trip. Makan dan cuci mata.

  So, we went to the forest park on a Friday morning. There was no one else other than my group.  The van driver parked and waited for us in the empty parking lot. The area looked deserted. Well, there were a couple of other tourists and a family but we had the place pretty much to ourselves. The day was sunny but we were spared from the sun as the walkway is shaded by the trees. The mangrove walk was quiet other than sounds of insects.

  Sebelum berjalan, kami ambil gambar sikit-sikit. Tak ada orang, jadi memang tak ada siapa kacau. Kemudian, setelah pastikan ada bawa air dan pakai insect repellant, kami pilih jalan di sebelah kiri. Masing-masing jalan ikut kelajuan suka hati. 

  Following the board walkway, we stayed under the shades and saw some mangrove creatures. I don't remember what I saw but the authority provided some information board so you can identify the animals and water creatures you encounter along the way. Eventually, we arrived at a jetty. It was deserted as the tide was low. There were creatures on the wet sand, like a busy beach.

  Kalau ikut research, kita boleh ambil boat rides. Tapi bergantung kepada pasang surut air. Di sebelah kawasan letak kereta tadi ada visitor centre. Boleh tanya mereka kalau perlukan maklumat atau bantuan. 

  Then we continued walking until we found the observation tower. I climbed up and took some pictures. Mesmerising how we were surrounded by trees and above us, white clouds in the sky.

  Menara tinjau ni adalah spot untuk ambil gambar yang menarik macam kat bawah ni. Mujurlah masa kami pergi tu, cuma ada dua orang pelancong lain. Jadi puaslah kami turun naik ambil gambar dan berposing.

Heaven knows how many pictures I have at this one spot

  There were seven of us. One prefers taking photos instead of posing for photos so we didn't have to take turn. Lucky eh?

  Dah puas ambil gambar di celah-celah pokok paya yang merimbun, kami berjalan lagi.

  It wasn't a very long walk. Perhaps because we were in a group so time felt short. After we emerged on the other side, we went across the road to the pine park by the beach.

  Pokok pine jenis casuarina atau rhu yang biasa ditemui di tepi pantai menanti kami. Ada kemudahan tandas awam dan restoran di kawasan ni tapi kami tak pergi tengok pun. Lengang semuanya mungkin sebab bukan hujung minggu.

  Some of us bought ice creams from a vendor there. Then we sat facing the beach, eating ice cream before heading back to town. We made a detour to Khao Takiab but it was noon and we were tired. After a quick photoshoot at the beach, we went searching for air-conditioned mall :)

  The place is free, no entrance or parking fee. Expect to spend a couple hours here if you enjoy nature walk. Try to avoid weekend as according to some reviews, it can get busy. Be sure to keep this place clean when you visit!