THONG SALA - 2

In the vicinity of Thong Sala, an easy excursion can be made to the grandiosely termed Than Sadet-Pha Ngan Island National Park, which contains Pang waterfall, Pha Ngan’s biggest drop, and a stunning viewpoint overlooking the south and west of the island. The park lies 4km northeast of Thong Sala off the road to Chaloaklam – if you don’t have a bike, take a Chaloaklam bound songthaew as far as Ban Madeuawaan, and then it’s a one-kilometer signposted walk east. A roughly circular trail has been laid out through the park, as mapped out by the signboard in the car park. The main fall – bouncing down in stages over the hard, grey stone – is a steep 250m walk up a forest path. The trail then continues for over 1km upriver beyond the falls, before skirting through thick rainforest to the viewpoint and back to the car park in a couple of hours.

The long, straight south coastis well served by songthaews and motorbike taxis from Thong Sala, and is lined with bungalows, especially around Ban Khai, to take the overspill from nearby Hat Rin. It’s hard to recommend staying here, however the beaches are mediocre by Thai standards, and the coral reef which hugs the length of the shoreline gets in the way of swimming.