I love visiting Nong Nooch Garden when I am there. My first time My GF had a friend with a car that drove us and dropped us off so we had all the time we needed. Last time I went alone, I took the "tour" and starting in Pattaya they picked me up in a minivan, then drove to Jomtien then put me on a big tour bus then we went to Nong nooch. Barely had a few hours to walk around and relax, especially after the show there. So I did not like the "tour". It starts kind of late and wastes a lot of time and One really doesn't have much time to spend at the garden.

I typcially don't rent a scooter or car so looking at the map, it seems like Nong Nooch is not that far from the end of Jomtien. I am thinking I can just baht bus it over to Jomtien early and catch a taxi out to the garden. Then I have the whole day to roam and relax there. The return trip I am less sure of. I can't say I noticed if there were many Motor bike or Baht busses hanging around the entrance to Nong Nooch that might get me back to Pattaya again.

You could sure do that. A few other options would be to head up to Suk and catch the baht buses that run up and down between Naklua and Sattahip. I think they are 20 baht or so. When you are done with the gardens, just cross the road and catch one headed back to Pattaya. They run till quite late at night.

Or, you could catch a scooter taxi from wherever you are down to the gardens. My wife just took a scooter taxi from the N. Pattaya bus station down to the Ambassador for 150 bath. The gardens are a bit further, so would guess it'd be a bit more. Maybe 200 baht or so???

You could probably also catch a regular bus that heads down towards Sattahip and get off at the gardens. The do the same on the return. The baht buses run more often, and not all large buses will pickup passengers alongside the road. But it's another option.

You could sure do that. A few other options would be to head up to Suk and catch the baht buses that run up and down between Naklua and Sattahip. I think they are 20 baht or so. When you are done with the gardens, just cross the road and catch one headed back to Pattaya. They run till quite late at night.

Or, you could catch a scooter taxi from wherever you are down to the gardens. My wife just took a scooter taxi from the N. Pattaya bus station down to the Ambassador for 150 bath. The gardens are a bit further, so would guess it'd be a bit more. Maybe 200 baht or so???

You could probably also catch a regular bus that heads down towards Sattahip and get off at the gardens. The do the same on the return. The baht buses run more often, and not all large buses will pickup passengers alongside the road. But it's another option.

But how far a walk is it from the Sukhumvit main road where you get off the bus, to the garden entrance? It could be a killer in this heat while returning in the afternoon?

Graigt advises are good.

If you take a mc taxi up to sukhumvit and then jump on a white bath bus out to the entrance to Nong Nooch garden.

Only problem is the distance from Suk. road to the garden itself as just pointed out in saakure's post, maybe you can catch another mc taxi from there(if you can find one)?

At the Suk /Nung Nooch turn off there's always a couple of Tuk tuks who'll take you to the gardens entrance(I don't know the fare).

And if you have a Thai driving license flash that at the pay booth and you get in at the Thai price it's a good saving.

enjoy your day out

Taking a motorbike taxi to Nong Nooch is like taking a knife to a gun fight. Like others point out the white baht buses cruise up and down Sukhumvit road and are cheap. If necessary catch a motorbike taxi the last bit of the route from Sukhumvit to the entrance.