Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BUSES FROM PHANG-NGA
Phang-Nga's bus terminal is located just off the main street on Soi Bamrung Rat. Bangkok buses to/from Phang-Nga
include VIP (960B, 12 hours, one daily), 1st class (600B, 12 to 13 hours, two daily) and 2nd class (480B, 12 hours,
three to four daily).
Other bus connections include the following:
DESTINATION
FARE (B)
DURATION (HR)
FREQUENCY
Hat Yai
237-306
6
hourly
Krabi
80
1½
every 2-3hr
Phuket
90
1½
every 2-3hr
Ranong
170
5
4 daily
Surat Thani
150
3
every 2-3hr
Trang
200
3½
every 2-3hr
Suan Somdet Phra Sinakharin Park
This public
park
( dawn-dusk)
has two entrances. The most dramatic is through a
huge hole in a limestone cliff near the Phang-Nga Bay Resort Hotel in Tha Dan. The
main (and less scenic) entrance is at the southern end of Phang-Nga. Surrounded by lime-
stone cliffs and bluffs, the park is cut through with caves and tunnels. Wooden walkways
link the water-filled caverns so visitors can admire the ponds and amazing limestone
formations. One of the larger caves,
Tham Reusi Sawan
, is marked by a gilded statue of a
reu·sĕe
(Hindu sage). The other main cavern is known locally as
Tham Luk Seua
(Tiger Cub
Cave).
Wat Tham Suwankhuha
Wat Tham Suwankhuha
(Heaven Grotto Temple; admission 20B; dawn-dusk)
is a cave temple full of
Buddha images. The shrine consists of two main caverns, the larger one containing a
15m-high reclining Buddha and tiled with
lai·krahm
and
benjarong
(two coloured pat-
terns more common in pottery). The smaller cavern displays spirit flags and a
reu·sĕe
statue. It's swarming with monkeys.
The wát is 10km southwest of Phang-Nga. To get here without your own transport,
hop on any
sŏrng·tăa·ou
running between Phang-Nga and Takua Thung (90B). The wát
is down a side road.
