The secret islands of Southeast Asia

(Budget Travel) -- Odysseus had his quest, Naomi Lindt had hers: to scout and explore the next great islands of Southeast Asia, from an untouched Cambodian hideaway to a foodie's paradise off the coast of Vietnam.
Ko Kut, Thailand
The eco adventure
It only took a few hours of exploring Ko Kut's west coast on a motorbike -- driving along unmarked, sandy tracks to crescent-shaped beaches -- to pinpoint what made this island so special. Wherever I went, I was utterly alone. Where were all the sunburned tourists, souvenir shops, and bars selling cheap beer?
It's no accident that Ko Kut -- Thailand's fourth-largest island, with a population of 2,000 -- has dodged the country's notorious trend toward overdevelopment. "People are afraid of the environmental destruction they've seen in the region, and they're actively working to prevent it here," said my guide, Jeremy Morin, when I met him for lunch my first day (011-66/87-083-1404, full-day tours from $25 per person). He told me about the island's solar-power plant and noted a few other, smaller, ecological triumphs. When one of the resorts brought in Jet Skis, residents were up in arms and successfully blocked their use. The Koh Kood Beach Resort, where I spent the night, has launched its own initiatives: The owners are installing recycling bins in their eight thatched-roof Balinese-style bungalows and eight Thai-style wooden houses, and their dive shop's instructors teach guests how to collect plastic waste underwater (kohkoodbeachbungalows.com, doubles from $65).
Budget Travel: Check out these photos of a castaway's fantasy
The next morning, Jeremy took me around on his scooter so I could see firsthand what's at stake. We drove along a thrilling, narrow path that hugged the southern coastline and then turned up a rocky road to Ao Yai village, a former pirates' haven. Ten miles away, Jeremy showed me a path into the jungle, and we hiked half a mile to the three-tiered Klong Chao waterfall, which is framed by hanging vines and cascades into a large freshwater pool that's perfect for swimming. The unchecked nature was breathtaking, as worthy a site for preservation as I'd ever seen.
Ko Mak, Thailand
Ko Samui 20 years ago
As he stood on an untouched plot of golden sand looking out over the Gulf of Thailand two years ago, Paul Inman knew he'd found his new home. For two decades, the 45-year-old had fantasized about leaving his job as an investment banker in London and opening a beach resort in Thailand -- somewhere secluded, spectacular, and affordable. After a friend suggested he check out Ko Mak, the wait was over. "You just don't find places like this nowadays," Inman recalls thinking. In October 2008, Inman and his Thai girlfriend, Noodeng, opened the Big Easy restaurant and hotel on that very spot, Ko Mak's Ao Katueng Beach (bigeasykohmak.com, doubles from $36). The hotel's six sea-facing bungalows have redwood decks, 13-foot-high bamboo ceilings, and bathrooms tiled with local black slate; the place fits in nicely with Ko Mak's 21 other hotels, most of which are still owned by the island's original families, not big Bangkok investors.
Budget Travel: Tricks for navigating Southeast Asia's islands
Services on the 10-square-mile island (population 450) are minimal but hit all the key needs: food, entertainment, massage. At Monkey Island Resort's Orang Utan Bar on the main drag, Ko Mak's star musician, the dreadlocked and often bare-chested Mr. T, performs his original ballads about island life nearly every night an essential Ko Mak experience (monkeyislandkohmak.com). Another local favorite is the family-run Peaw Restaurant, whose decorative centerpiece is a large portrait of the Thai king (on the road to Ao Nid Pier, entrées from $1). When I stopped for lunch, the owner sent her eager 12-year-old son over to offer recommendations. On his advice, I ordered a pork curry with piles of fresh, crushed pineapple in a spicy and sweet coconut sauce. It ranked as one of the best curries I've ever had; I even took photos of it, much to the amusement of the people sitting around me.
Ko Yao Noi, Thailand
The final frontier
Jaded island-hoppers often lament the disappearance of the anything-goes, barefoot-friendly islands that made Thailand so famous, but that's just because they haven't been to Ko Yao Noi. At the edge of 155-square-mile Ao Phang-nga National Park, known for its looming limestone karst formations, Ko Yao Noi is the kind of place where pineapple farmers welcome casual strolls through their fields and water buffalo graze peacefully in impossibly green rice paddies. The island owes its tranquility to its rocky shores, caused by the same geological shifts that 10,000 years ago created Ao Phang-nga's dramatic, tree-topped stone towers. As one local told me, "If we had perfect beaches, this place wouldn't be the way it is."
Budget Travel: DIY island hopping
Not surprisingly, most of Ko Yao Noi's restaurants and hotels are set along the eastern edge of the island to capitalize on the views of the karsts. At Lom'Lae Beach Resort, for one, the 10 bungalows have bamboo furniture and king-size beds, and all are set right on the water (lomlae.com, doubles from $60). I signed up for a full-day long-tail boat tour around the island and park with a guide named Dani, who took me to secret caves and sand spits that emerge only at certain hours (011-66/87-292-1102, boat trips from $60). On one of our first stops, we squeezed through a narrow passageway between the rocks to a hidden, emerald-hued lagoon. Ours was the only boat there, and from the center of the lagoon, I couldn't even see how we'd entered -- not that I had any interest in leaving.
Koh Rong Saloem, Cambodia
The castaway fantasy
Storms in this part of the world come out of nowhere, as I discovered on more than one occasion. In minutes, the sky would turn from a perfect blue to a foreboding gray. Unfortunately, I happened to be the sole passenger on a 12-seat converted fishing boat en route to Koh Rong Saloem when I first experienced this phenomenon. One second, I was texting my husband farewell (the island didn't have cell service), and the next, I was gripping the side of the boat, life vest pulled tight, water whipping my face. Judging from the crew's smiles, I overreacted, but still, I was relieved when I spotted the 12 sun-beaten bungalows of Lazy Beach (lazybeachcambodia.com, doubles $25, entrées from $4).
Budget Travel: Going solo in Southeast Asia
Staying at Lazy Beach is like going to a tropical summer camp: The rooms are simple, with mosquito nets, double beds, and cold-water bathrooms, and the activity options consist of swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, and hiking 20 minutes through thick jungle to the heart-shaped bay on the island's east side. For all practical purposes, Lazy Beach is the only establishment on the entire five-mile-long island. (Richard King, the proprietor, told me that a few families live at a small naval post not too far away, but I never saw any hint of them.) At night, guests congregate in Lazy Beach's open-air restaurant, lounging in papasan chairs, playing Scrabble, and digging into Cambodian dishes like amok, a curried fish wrapped in banana leaves, prepared by Lazy Beach's brother-and-sister chef team, Ken and Lina. The atmosphere is convivial -- I didn't eat a single meal alone -- and the talk revolves around gecko sightings and how to avoid leaving. From a mother-and-son duo to an English couple celebrating their anniversary, everyone I met extended their stay, and many discussed quitting their jobs to join the Lazy Beach staff, something that's happened more than once.
Koh Tonsay, Cambodia
The dreamy day trip
Like most visitors to Koh Tonsay (a.k.a. Rabbit Island), I came over for the day from the century-old colonial resort town of Kep, on the mainland, to take advantage of the immaculate beaches and broad expanses of shallow water. For about $1, I rented a bamboo platform shaded by towering palms and made it my home base for the day. I left it only to take cooling dips and to hike the rugged, two-hour loop around the perimeter of the one-square-mile island. A thatched-roof restaurant hut on the main beach served a delicious plate of grilled fresh prawns with black-pepper dipping sauce and sautéed bok choy, which altogether cost a couple of bucks. As evening approached and the day-trippers piled onto boats for the 30-minute ride back to Kep, I strongly considered canceling my return trip in order to spend the night in one of the six bare-bones cabins rented out by Rabbit Hut Bungalows (011-855/12-692-906, doubles $5, entrées from $3). They don't offer much in the way of comfort -- a pillow, a thin mattress, a mosquito net, a bare lightbulb, and a towel are the rooms' sole furnishings -- but I couldn't imagine a better way to have the beach to myself for the night. Remembering what awaited me back in Kep, I quickly sobered up and stuck to my original plan: a room at Veranda Natural Resort (veranda-resort.com, doubles from $30), where accommodations range from bungalows with ceiling fans and fluffy white linens to higher-end suites with air-conditioning and platform beds. Checking in at the Veranda, I felt as if I was entering a world of luxury, especially after Lazy Beach. I ended the day by walking to the dockside Knai Bang Chatt Sailing Club, a former fisherman's home turned restaurant, where the view of Koh Tonsay lit by a pink sunset was the ideal backdrop for unwinding with a rum-and-passion-fruit cocktail (knaibangchatt.com, drink $4).
Phu Quoc, Vietnam
The foodie's paradise
Vietnam is, in the best possible way, a country of food snobs. There's a non-negotiable way to prepare and consume every dish, from noodle soups to spring rolls; each has to have just the right balance of sweet, hot, sour, and salty elements. So I found myself being schooled on how best to eat the prawns at Bien Hai Quan restaurant on Phu Quoc, a 350-square-mile island about 31 miles off the west coast of Vietnam (Ganh Dau, 011-84/77-384-5423, entrées from $3). My guide, Thang, was eating the shrimp whole, crunching on the shells and legs. "They lose the salty taste if you peel them," he told me, between loud smacks. After eating the first one my way and leaving most of the tamarind coating behind, I followed Thang's lead. The taste was incredible -- an electric blend of flavors -- and the shell was much softer than I'd expected.
Food advice is not to be ignored here. After all, Phu Quoc produces some of the country's best peppercorns (the main ingredient for a dipping sauce I couldn't get enough of), along with Vietnam's finest fish sauce -- the equivalent of saying "Italy's top olive oil." On an all-day tour with Tony Travel, one of the longest-running operators on the island, I visited Buddhist temples and the 120-square-mile Phu Quoc National Park, and added stops at mom-and-pop pepper plantations and fish-sauce factories, where I surveyed gigantic vats of fermenting anchovies (100 Tran Hung Dao St., Duong Dong, 011-84/91-319-7334, tours from $15). The island's hotels cater to culinary tourists, too: At Cassia Cottage, where the 18 cheery rooms are decorated with lotus-printed bedspreads and white curtains, the owners get the ingredients for dishes like cinnamon-sprinkled okra from their own gardens and their vanilla and pepper plantations a few miles away (cassiacottage.com, doubles from $65).
Con Dao Islands, Vietnam
The second act
Talk about a reinvention. Known for decades only as the site of the country's most notorious prison, the 16 Con Dao Islands, clustered off the east coast of Vietnam, are angling to become the next Galápagos Islands. The 49,000-acre Con Dao National Park harbors a wealth of biodiversity. And of the more than 1,000 plant varieties, 1,300 marine species, and 160 different types of animals that flourish here, some, like the black squirrel, are unique to Con Dao.
I made my first stop at the park's headquarters in Con Son, one of the only places on the island where English is spoken. The park's staff set me up with a daylong guided trek through the jungle, which included a stop at a fruit plantation established by the French (where I fed bananas to monkeys), lunch with park rangers in the middle of the forest (after which we all curled up in hammocks for a quick nap), and a visit to a secluded beach. The following morning, I took a boat trip to the surrounding islands, including Bay Canh islet, which I'd heard has some of the best diving and snorkeling in Vietnam. Dolphins, sea turtles, and manatee-like dugongs make frequent appearances among the abundant coral reefs.
In the evenings, before turning in at the newly renovated Saigon Con Dao Resort on Con Son's main promenade (saigoncondao.com, doubles from $38, includes breakfast), I checked out the noodle stalls of Con Son Market and the Thu Ba Restaurant across the street. There, I did one last bit of animal-spotting, choosing my dinner-to-be from a prominently displayed tank: two live crabs, cooked to order (011-84/64-383-0255, entrées from $3).
Article Source : http://www.cnn.com/

Bird Watching ( Thailand national parks)

Bird Watching
Bird watching is a popular activity of studying nature. visitors can not only enjoy watching beautiful birds, getting fresh air, and doing some exercises which maintain that person to be healthy, but also recognize and understand the relationship between bird and environment in which can lead visitors to be aware of its value, and to take heed in preserving both bird and environment.
Bird Watching Equipment
Bird watching is an easy activity. visitors have only some equipment can go to enjoy watching birds in the nature. The main bird watching equipments are.

Binocular is necessary equipment for watching bird in long distance clearly.

Bird Watching Manual is a book providing illustration and information of each bird in which bird watcher can sort out the type of bird found correctly.

Record Book is a book for collecting details of bird found for studying later.
Preparing
Well preparing will enable visitors to find birds easily. When going out to find birds, visitors should dress in outfit harmonious with nature, not easily observed by birds, and in which visitors can get closer to that bird, such as in brown, gray or brown color outfit. The outfit should be long-sleeves shirt, full-length trouser for protecting visitors from sunlight and prickle. Shoes should be comfort shoes with socks to prevent graze during walking. Moreover, if going bird watching on High Mountain, visitors should bring woolen coat in winter and raincoat in the rains.
Bird Watching Time
Bird watcher should start bird watching in early morning, which birds also start to find something to eat. This time, birds are very active, hardly ever hiding, so visitors can easily find them. When the temperature is hotter, the birds will go to rest in the trees in which visitors hardly find them. Until late afternoon, the birds will go out to find something to eat again. That is a suitable time for bird watching.
How to watch bird
Bird watchers should go in small groups, better about 2-3 persons, that will enable them to easier find birds than in a big group. When finding birds, bird watchers should take particular quiet, not make noise, avoid standing obviously, and watch the birds from hiding places such as behind a tree for example.
When and where to go watch bird
In varied nature of Thailand, each place has different types of bird. Therefore, visitors traveling to different part of Thailand will find different types of bird as well, and, sometimes, new type of bird especially in migrating season. visitors should select the place for bird watching to suit that season, such as, to go watch bird in high mountain when the birds are migrating in winter in Doi Inthanon National Park and Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, or to go watch bird when the birds are migrating in mangrove area in Sam Roi Yot National Park, for examples. And in the rains, visitors should go to local forest for bird watching, such as, in Khao Yai National Park, Kang Khachan National Park, Khao Luang National Park, and Thale Ban National Park for examples.

Namtok Khlong Kaeo National Park(Trat National Park)

Geography
Most of the area consists of not much complicated mountain range such as Khaokaw Mountain Range, Tabard Mountain, Tachoat Mountain and Kampang Mountain. At the ridge of the mountains, 100-836 meters above sea level, is the border of Thai and Cambodia. The highest peak is Khaotabath Mountain Peak 836 meters above sea levels. The area is the source of canals such as Klong louk, Klong kaew, Klong hinpleang, Klong lue, Klong kajai, Klong malagor etc. Water in all of these canals flows to Klong sator and to the sea.
Climate
The weather in this area is tropical monsoon and influenced by southwestern monsoon in the rains and northeastern monsoon in winter. The area has productive forest that causes heavy continuous rain all the year round. The seasons are as follows.
Summer - starts from February to April
Rains - starts from May to October
Winter - starts from November to January
Flora and Fauna
The area consists of rain forest which is the source of rivers and has many kinds of plants such as small shrubbery and 25-60-meter tree. The valuable trees in this area are Dipterocarpaceae, Marlabar ironwood, Sterculiaceae, Meliaceae, Lagerstromeae etc. And shrubberies found normally are ginger, galangal, rattan, palmae, bamboo, fishtail palm, and areca palm etc.
The surveyed area is naturally productive forest so that makes this area has a number of animals, for example, a great number of leeches in many wet places show that the area still has a great number of wildlife too.
Article Source : http://www.dnp.go.th/

Hat Khanom - Mu Ko Thale Tai Nation Park ( Nakhon Si Thammarat National Park)

General Information
At present, under the process of appointment as a national park, which shall cover part of the following local: Khlong Thong, Khlong Reng, Khao Ok, Khao Thong Not, Pa Khao Chai Son, Len Khlong Khanom, Khao Fee Hai, Khao Wang, Khao Krot, Chai Kram-Wat Pradu, Khao Hua Chang Forest and 8 islands namely, Ko Mut Tang, Ko Mut Kong, Ko Rap, Ko Hua Ta Khe, Ko Wang Nai, Ko Wang Nak, Ko Noi and Ko Ta Rai, all in Sichon and Khanom District, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, and Ko Samui District, Surat Thani.
Geography
Most of the area is covered with lush primary forest which is the originating point for many creeks, from which water is used by the locals for consumption and agricultural activities. Some of the areas are of limestone mountain and quite healthy mangrove forest.
Climate
Influence from the South-Westerly wind and North-Easterly wind results in rainfall almost all year round. However, there are 2 seasons altogether, which are summer (February – April) and rainy season (May – January).
Flora and Fauna
Forests in the area are:
Primary forests with valuable plants such as Intsia palembanica, Dipterocarpus sp., Ironwood, Sandoricum Koetjape and Indian Oak.
Mangrove forests with valuable plants such as Mangroves, Taboon and Thespesia populneoides.
Limestone Mountain also exists with plants such as Chanpah and Opuntia elatior.
Wildlife
Can be classified as follows:
Mammals – Sus scrofa (wild pig), Monkey, Semno, Squirrel, Menetes berdmorei (Indochinese ground squirred), Naemorhedus sumatraensis, Muntiacus muntjak, Ursus malayanus, Tiger, Barking deer, Gibbon and Malayan sun bear.
Birds – Spilornis cheela (Cnested), Treron curvirostra (Thick-Billed Pigeon), Copsychus saularis (Oreintal), shama, dove, cormorant, Nicobar pigeon, seagull, Egretta sacra (Pacific Reef-Egret) and Ducula aenea (Green Impevial)
Reptiles – consists of tortoise, snakes and chameleon.
Amphibians – different kinds of frogs, Bufo asper.
Other aquatic life – Channa striatus (Sepenthead), crab, shrimp, saltwater fish, brook carp and snakehead
Article Source : http://www.dnp.go.th/

Than Bok Khorani National Park (Krabi National Park)

General Information
Than Bok Khorani National Park is a rainforest situated in the valley in the midst of the mountains. Streams flow through the area disappearing into the limestone rocks underneath the mountains, on their journey to the sea. The source of the stream is Nam Phut Cave and Ao Mai Dam Mountain (Black Tree Bay Mountain). This was formerly the territory of wild elephants, until people moved in and settled the area. They cleared the forest and took possession of the land for agriculture, until only the stream remained. The park was established on 30th September 1998.
Geography
Geography of Tarn Bok Koranee National Park is the ridge of mountains alternatively laying along north-south direction like a complicated wave and has varieties of deep slope. There is a little bit of plain area, most of them would be found on mountain shoulder and valley. The limestone mountains in this area are covered with the mixed tropical forest and in addition it also consistis of mangrove forest, waterfall stream, sea and beach. Morevever, there are a limestone island and many small islands, about 23 islands.
 Climate
The climate of this national park is a monsoon weather, consists of 2 seasons; raining and hot season or so called "eight raining-four sunshine" which means raining for 8 months and hot for 4 months.
Raining Season starts from April till December every year. The heavy rain would be found in September while November would be cold with an average temperature at 26.4 degrees celsius.
Hot Season starts from mid of January till April every year. February is the lowest of raining and very hot but suitable for travel. In April, the average temperature is 29 degrees celsius.
Flora and Fauna
The national park covers an area of 104 sq.km, including a group of 23 islands off the coast of Krabi as Chong Lat Tai Island, Ka Rot Island, Pak Ka Island, Lao Bile Island (Hong Island), etc,. The landscape is dominated by a series of impressive mountains; precipitous, tall, limestone towers, protruding out of the landscape in a typical Karsts topography. Sink holes in the rock lead the way to underground streams, and numerous mountain cave. Than Bok Khorani National Park is the source and watershed for the water of Ao Luek District, flowing from five important streams; Marui, Klang, Nam Tok, Ao Luek and Ka Rot.
The main plant communities are rainforest, mangrove forest, and freshwater swamp forest.
Rain Forest is found on the steep mountain ranges, Hopea spp., Lagerstroemia spp., Dipterocarpus alatus, Intsia palembanica and Terminalia wallichiana being the dominant trees, and the undergrowth is characterised by Salacca sp., rattan and bamboo.
Mangrove Forest is mostly found around Tham Rot Tai Mountain, Nam Bay and Ka Rot Island. The main species are Rhizophora, Kylocarpus, Bruguiera, Sonneratia and Avicennia.
Swamp Forest covers the footslopes of Chong Lom Mountain. Because the forest no longer covers a wide, continuous area, the variety of wildlife is reduced.
Wildlife
Mammals, include Wild boar, Fishing Cats, Mouse Deer, Gibbon, Langurs, Large Indian Civet, Malayan Porqupine, Pangolin, Otters, Squirrels, Javan Mongoose and Flying Lemurs.
Birds, include Brahminy Kite, Common Koel, White breasted waterhen, Hill Myna, Woodpeckers and Grey Wagtail. The rivers are habitat for a wealth of freshwater species, including True Eel and Long Tom.
Reptiles, such as chameleon, bengal monitor, king cobra, cobra, reticulated python, malayan pit viper, bronzeback, etc.
Fish, whilst the sea supports coral reefs, with both hard and soft corals, Parrotfish, Starfish, and Anemones. Interesting Points
Article Source : http://www.dnp.go.th/

Than Bok Khorani National Park (Krabi National Park)

Than Bok Khorani National Park (Krabi National Park)

Tags : Thailand National Parks, Thailand Travel, Nature Travel , Thailand Picture, North Thailand

Mu Ko Lanta National Park (Krabi National Park)

General Information

Establised in 1990, according to the order of Mr. Chaun Leekpai, Prime Minister and Wild Animal and Plant Foundation of Thailand. It includes Ko Rok, Ko Mai Ngam Tai, Ko Ta La Beng, Ko Lanta Yai, Ko Ngai, Ko Tu Kon Lima, Ko Rok Nok, Ko Rok Nai, Ko Hin Dang and nearby islands of Ko Klang district, Ko Lanta Noi district and Ko Lanta Yai sub district, Amphoe Ko Lanta, Krabi province. It is the 62th national park of Thailand which covers area of 134 square kilometers or 83,750 rais.

Geography

Over all geographical feature is the complexity of mountains and rather deep slope. The plain area would be found only in a beach area in the southern part. Most of area here is more than 35 percent slope, except only the middle part of island where a slope is more than 50 percent. The height of this are is range from 100 meters above sea level to a heigth of 488 meters at the peak of mountain.

Climate

Most rainfall is in September which is about 391.4 milimeters and the lowest in January which is about 6.5 milimeters. Number of days of the highest raining is in September which is about 21.6 days and the lowest is in February, about 1.6 days.
In rainy season, the national park will be closed (Rok Nok Island, Rok Nai Island, and Hin Moung - Hin Deang Rock) during 16 May - 15 November every year for visitors safety.

Flora and Fauna

There are a lot of fertile forest resources and varieties of vetgetation which could be classified as follows :

1. Rainforest covers 19.42 square meters of Lanta Yai island, along the Lanta mountain which covers most of area of the national park. Upper level trees and middle level trees at average height about 15-25 meters are found in this forest. The important plants are L. siamica, Hopea ferrea Heim.,etc. And also the palm tree and cane wood species are the low level trees here, the important species are Fan palm, Calamus erectus Roxb., Calamus caesius Bl., Calamus peregrinus Furt.,etc.
2. Mangrove Forest could be found in Mai Ngam island, South Mai Ngam island and Ngu island. These islands are not big and most of area is covered with the mangrove forest. Mangrove trees are tall at the same height with averange about 5 meters. Plants could be found here are Avicennia alba, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata
3. Beach Forest covers the small area between connecting area of beach and rainforest of Ngai island. The important plants are Bengal Almond, Derris indica, beach moring glory, etc.

Wild Animals
Able to classified into 6 groups as shown below.

1. Mammal Animals consists of 20 families 30 genuses and 38 species which 2 species had gone from Lanta island. They are wild deers and tigers, and the other species is the sea cow which is the conserved animal. The other two species that being gone are the common barking deer and fishing cat. The rarely finding animal on this island is the the marshall big ear crow bat .
2. Birds on these islands are totally 58 families, 130 genuses and 185 species. Most easy find in this national park are Brahminy Kite, Birdled Tern, Emerald Dove , etc while the most difficult find are Orange-Breasted Trogon, Siberian Thrush, and Little Spiderhunter, etc.
3. Reptiles, mostly are Water Monitor, Reticulated Python and Cobra , etc.
4. Amphibians could be found two species, the first one living in canal is Giant Mountain Frog, Ornate Froglet and the second one living in building and ponds. Others amphibians in forest are Polypedates leucomystax (Gravenhorst)-1829 and Small Toads and the difficult find species is the Dorria frog.
5. Sea and Fresh Water Fishes which could be found in fresh water ponds of the islands, fresh water fishes that you can find here such as Blue danio. While the sea fishes would be found along the coral reef, rock beach and fresh water canals such as Lizard fish and Porcupine fish, etc.
6. Animals in the Coral Reef are Staghorn coral, Fungia fungites, Anemone coral, Starflower coral, etc.

Article Source : http://www.dnp.go.th

Ko Lanta - The most beautiful island of Andaman Sea

Just off Thailand’s south western coastal town of Krabi, on the east side of Phang Nga Bay, exists a unique, unspoiled tropical island: Ko Lanta Yai. Ko Lanta Yai preserves its community spirit in both family and business life. With clear, cool waters and superb white sand beaches stretching along a 27 kilometer coastline, its paradisiacal appeal remains unmarred by mass tourism. The island, which reaches a height of almost 500 meters at its extreme end, also boasts a mountain range covered with rain forest.

The Ko Lanta archipelago is made up of over fifty small islands, though only three are inhabited: Lanta Yai , Lanta Noi and Ko Ngai. Lanta Yai is the most attractive to tourists, with its impressive beaches and activities for visitors. Approximately 10,000 of the regions’ 20,000 inhabitants reside on Lanta Yai. Most of Lanta Yai’s residents are practicing Thai Muslims, deriving their income from rubber farming, fishing, palm tree growing, coconut or cashew nut plantations, and the travel industry.

The island itself runs from north to south, with the west coast established as the main tourist area, offering accommodations for all budgets, a variety of activities, and a choice of bars and restaurants. Picture-perfect sunsets can be seen from any of the many beaches, while the colorful local fishing boats known as “long tails” bob lazily in the foreground.

The east coast is far less developed, affording the curious explorer a glimpse of life outside of tourism. Facing toward the mainland, the coastline largely consists of mangroves, with yellow sand beaches towards the southern end. It’s here you will find the ancient Sea Gypsy Village, home to the indigenous settlers on Ko Lanta who live in harmony with the sea.

Article Source : http://www.lantainfo.se/en_index.htm

Tags : Thailand National Parks, Thailand Travel, Nature Travel , Thailand Picture

Khao Phanom Bencha National Park (Krabi National Park)

Geography

The site is comprised of with Khao Phanom Bencha at 1,397 meter in height above mean sea level, providing watershed area for the surrounding areas of Krabi Province and then flows to Andaman sea. Phanom Bencha mountain range is layed from north to south.

Climate

The weather is warm and humid throughout the year. There are two seasons, Hot season between January to April and Rainy season between May to December, maximum rainfall is in June to October.

Flora and Fauna

As a Moist evergreen forest, fauna in the park consisting of Hopea odorata, Dipterocarpus alatus, lagerstronemia cupida, Malacca teak, Michelia champaca, Parkia speciosa, Baccarea sapida. Ground fauna found are palms, genus Calamus or Daemonothops, greenia wightiana and bamboos. There are a number of animals live in the park which generally can be found are serows, wild pigs, panthers, clouded leopards, black bears, mouse deers, langurs, gibbons, Stump-tailed monkeys, Asiatic wild dog, squirrel, iorises, white-rumped shama, hornbills, pheasants, red jungle fowls.