Visiting Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park
Just about 6 kilometers/4 miles north of Prachuap Khiri Khan, Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park offers a peaceful, natural respite from the minor bustle of small-town life. While the park definitely has its shortcomings (read on to learn about them!), it’s a beautiful place for a stroll and even a picnic. We definitely recommend visiting once, but there’s a good chance you’ll find that once is enough.
Getting to Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park
We prefer to visit Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park on bicycle. It’s close enough to town that it’s an easy ride, and going by bike gives us the flexibility to stay as long as we want. (We hate making tuk-tuk drivers wait around indefinitely!)
To get there from Prachuap Khiri Khan, follow the main road along the sea as it heads northward. After you get out of the downtown area, you’ll find that the side of the road closer to the sea turns into a blue-painted designated bike path.
Follow this bike path northward, always staying adjacent to the sea. At one point the main road will split off to the left, but just stick to the bike path next to the water! Soon, you’ll reach a bridge. Cross the bridge, follow the road as it curves right, and you’ve reached Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park!
Along the way, don’t forget to pause now and then to appreciate the beautiful views and colorful fishing boats. We actually enjoy the process of getting to the park almost as much as being in the park itself! You’ll find some beautiful spots for photography along the way.
Exploring Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park
When you arrive at Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park, you’ll find a small visitor’s center. Feel free to stop in if you want, but be aware that the pamphlet that they provide doesn’t give a whole lot of information.
The pamphlet lists three activities to do within the park. One of them is camping, so it’s not relevant if you’re just there for a day visit. The other two are visiting the viewpoint 300 meters away, and walking the 300 meters to the viewpoint. (I actually find it very endearing that these two things are listed separately, because it shows just how hard the park is trying to sound exciting.)
Here’s the truth: the 300-meter forest walk is very pretty, and quite easy for a nature walk. The viewpoint at the end does offer some beautiful views, as promised, especially from the boulder you can clamber up. This is why we say the park is worth a visit!
But as someone from the United States, where natural parks mean miles after miles of wilderness to explore and discover, I was sadly surprised that this park only offers one single 300-meter trail. We’ve heard various explanations (too many visitors hiking around would bother the native elephants, tourists are likely to get lost and take lots of effort and money to rescue…) but the fact is that if you’re here excited for a day hiking through real nature, you’ll be disappointed. Exploring past the end of the official trail is strictly prohibited.
Options for Staying Overnight at Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park
As I briefly mentioned before, there are camp sites available at Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park. At first, I was excited that these might offer an opportunity for venturing deeper into the park, but in fact they’re right next to the main path.
Another option is to stay in one of the houses available within the park. As of December 2019, you have two options:
A 3-bedroom house with wifi and air conditioning for 2,500 baht (about $83 USD) per night
A 1-bedroom house with wifi for 1,000 baht (about $33 USD) per night
These houses are very close to the visitor’s center and main entrance, so they also don’t get you any significant access to more of the park.