Walking, hiking, nature trails, or parks not too far from Pattaya.

[infinity11]

sorry if this has been covered
hope its ok to update and refresh

where please?
exact locations and impeccable directions most desired

thanks

[OMGImInPattaya]

55555555

I read where there's a national park when the main attraction seems to be poached dead guars. Sad this "tropical paradise" has basically diddly squat in terms of real scenic natural beauty. And as for any natural wildlife...its all already been barbequed.

[Spalpeen]

There are some good walks over Pratumnak Hill, starting from the Bali Hai lighthouse and stretching to the other end of Big Buddha hill. Take the less-used trails and you can forget that you're in the middle of a city. There's also Koh Larn island, if you survive the ferry trip.

Other than that, I don't know of any good walks in the surrounding area. It''s pretty much all agricultural, industrial and housing.

[craigt3365]

There's some nice walking around Lake Maprachan. A bit of some walking around Wat Yan temple near Silverlake. Plus, just past Wat Yan is a park with some trails.

[jaapfries]

If you drive-up to Silverlake Vineyard and continue past this maginficent venue about 1 kilometer, slow down and look to your RIGHT. You will see an entrance to a Nature Reserve. Drive-in and park your vehicle. Then you can go for as long a walk as you wish, in stunning nature with small & large lakes and you may even spot some monkeys there. Very relaxing and only a short drive from Pattaya.

Highly recommended.

Enjoy !

[OMGImInPattaya]

If you drive-up to Silverlake Vineyard and continue past this maginficent venue about 1 kilometer, slow down and look to your RIGHT. You will see an entrance to a Nature Reserve. Drive-in and park your vehicle. Then you can go for as long a walk as you wish, in stunning nature with small & large lakes and you may even spot some monkeys there. Very relaxing and only a short drive from Pattaya.

Highly recommended.

Enjoy !

Besides those pesky monkeys, which one can see just about anywhere in Thailand, what other native wildlife have you seen at this "stunning" nature reserve?

[Jack Mountain]

If you drive-up to Silverlake Vineyard and continue past this maginficent venue about 1 kilometer, slow down and look to your RIGHT. You will see an entrance to a Nature Reserve. Drive-in and park your vehicle. Then you can go for as long a walk as you wish, in stunning nature with small & large lakes and you may even spot some monkeys there. Very relaxing and only a short drive from Pattaya.

Highly recommended.

Enjoy !

Hi, can you be more specific abt the location, looks very interesting ...

Jack

[Rimmer]

Drive to Watt Yaan, before you enter through the ornamental gate and before all the people that sell fish food is a small traffic island.

Turn Right at the island and go across the lake. The road bears left at the end, there are three Helipads between the lake and the road, go past those and keep straight on past at the Chinese Museum, (do not turn right at the museum) maybe three Km further up the road turns sharp left, the reserve is right at the turn.

When you come out of there go straight keeping the reserve entrance behind you, the main road bends to the right, do not follow it but go straight across what appears to be a built up levi, keep going straight ignoring the small left turn at the end, the road bends to the left in the trees, at that bend is a dirt track on the right that opens out into the most beautiful lake, go across the levi and park up, take the track that runs along the lake, if you follow along it will take you up and across the tops of the hills you see on the left.

[infinity11]

got some good leads here

hope none are not foundationless wild goose chases

thanks all and keep them coming please

the more the better

those with exact directions: EXCELLENT

those with vague or weak directions need improvement if possible

i am starting to think this is where google earth or maps MIGHT come in handy

Edited January 5, 2014 by infinity11

[OMGImInPattaya]

got some good leads here

hope none are not foundationless wild goose chases

thanks all and keep them coming please

the more the better

those with exact directions: EXCELLENT

those with vague or weak directions need improvement if possible

i am starting to think this is where google earth or maps MIGHT come in handy

Believe me, you won't find any wild geese in Thailand...they've all been consumed.

[infinity11]

title should read 'closest too' instead of 'not too far from'

though both together will do just fine

[Rockhound]

Yes - not much in the way of wildlife survives. It's a pity Thais don't eat dogs...

[mcdiver]

kao mai kaeo. best place near pattaya. some of the best trails in thailand. best starting point by the lake

road 3240 take left 650m before hwy 331

and the different chapters of hash house harriers in pattaya. about 2 times a week, new location every time

www.pattayajungle.com/

www.pattayahash.com/pattayabush.html

http://pattayah3.com/

Edited January 5, 2014 by mcdiver

[HerbalEd]

55555555

I read where there's a national park when the main attraction seems to be poached dead guars. Sad this "tropical paradise" has basically diddly squat in terms of real scenic natural beauty. And as for any natural wildlife...its all already been barbequed.

You're kidding, right ... or you've never left BKk.

[OMGImInPattaya]

55555555

I read where there's a national park when the main attraction seems to be poached dead guars. Sad this "tropical paradise" has basically diddly squat in terms of real scenic natural beauty. And as for any natural wildlife...its all already been barbequed.

You're kidding, right ... or you've never left BKk.

No, just the opposite, seen most of the country. That's why I can make the statement I did. Just about all the natural beauty has been decimated by rampant tourist development, animal and plant poaching, and rapid commercial deforestation. Edited January 5, 2014 by OMGImInPattaya

[onflipflops]

If you'd like to have the chance to see wildlife on your hikes I suppose Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary is probably the best/ nearest option. Though it's a wildlife sancuary so quite restricted unless you get prior permission. There are trails open for tourists without prior permission.

Seeing wildlife in Thailand is never easy, there are definitely still some good parks with decent populations of all kinds of wildlife, but the thick jungles don't make it easy! It's not like the 'open zoo' in Africa; though therefore much more exciting, but not for the impatient!

[infinity11]

Wildlife?

I never mentioned or am i looking for such, plenty of that in pattaya.

More like peaceful places AWAY FROM IT ALL!!! other people and traffic, noise, and congestion

again there are some good leads i will be sure to look into

thanks all and keep them coming

BTW and once again looking for places not too far from pattaya, ok peeps?

[infinity11]

If you drive-up to Silverlake Vineyard and continue past this maginficent venue about 1 kilometer, slow down and look to your RIGHT. You will see an entrance to a Nature Reserve. Drive-in and park your vehicle. Then you can go for as long a walk as you wish, in stunning nature with small & large lakes and you may even spot some monkeys there. Very relaxing and only a short drive from Pattaya.

Highly recommended.

Enjoy !

Do you mean coming from sukumvit road go past silver lake and it is on the right?

There are signs and entrances to some areas near there.

There is a limited number of trails, mostly stone walk ways

however going a bit towards silver lake there are plenty of places to explore.

Most are dirt roads, i have yet to find any really off road hiking trails.

Only saw and found two ponds, No lakes.

I am not familiar yet with google earth or maps but that might be the best way to identify hiking spots.

[infinity11]

I noticed a dirt road right before the golden Buddha coming from sukumvit

looks nice

anyone been down/on it?

[craigt3365]

Would that be on the left or the right if you are coming from Suk?

[infinity11]

same side as the Buddha (hill) right before it as you come from suk

worthy of investigation

there must be a zillion places but i still have yet to find a proper hiking trail

[AbeSurd]

Drive to Watt Yaan, before you enter through the ornamental gate and before all the people that sell fish food is a small traffic island.

Turn Right at the island and go across the lake. The road bears left at the end, there are three Helipads between the lake and the road, go past those and keep straight on past at the Chinese Museum, (do not turn right at the museum) maybe three Km further up the road turns sharp left, the reserve is right at the turn.

When you come out of there go straight keeping the reserve entrance behind you, the main road bends to the right, do not follow it but go straight across what appears to be a built up levi, keep going straight ignoring the small left turn at the end, the road bends to the left in the trees, at that bend is a dirt track on the right that opens out into the most beautiful lake, go across the levi and park up, take the track that runs along the lake, if you follow along it will take you up and across the tops of the hills you see on the left.

Sorry, unfortunately I don't quite understand your directions. But I think this is the place I've been looking for a number of years, having read elsewhere on ThaiVisa about it.

Is this the sign at the entrance you're talking about? Where "the road turns sharp left"?

[Rimmer]

Yes that is the place.

When you leave there, drive in a straight line past some buildings that are a part of the reserve the road bends to the right, but if you take the left fork at that bend it runs straight for maybe one Km, as it enters the trees it bends to the left on that bend is a dirt track which leads to a large lake, drive across the dam and park up. take the right hand trail along the lakeside, you will eventually see the hills on the left, a very pretty trail runs right along the top of them.

They have cleared the land from the road now right down to the lake so you can see it and the hills beyond from the bend in the road by the nature reserve buildings.

[AbeSurd]

Yes that is the place.

When you leave there, drive in a straight line past some buildings that are a part of the reserve the road bends to the right, but if you take the left fork at that bend it runs straight for maybe one Km, as it enters the trees it bends to the left on that bend is a dirt track which leads to a large lake, drive across the dam and park up. take the right hand trail along the lakeside, you will eventually see the hills on the left, a very pretty trail runs right along the top of them.

They have cleared the land from the road now right down to the lake so you can see it and the hills beyond from the bend in the road by the nature reserve buildings.

Great. Finally I may have found this place. Two questions....

Are cars allowed in? I ask because on the day I took that photo my friend and I were in his car and I think at that entrance we were stopped from entering the area by some officials in the roadside cabin there. But it might be that I didn't understand what was being said to us in Thai.

Secondly. You say "on that bend is a dirt track which leads to a large lake". Is the dirt track to the left or the right of the road?

Many thanks.

[Rimmer]

I have driven my car into the reserve, maybe you need to have a Thai person with you, I do not know.

[AbeSurd]

I have driven my car into the reserve, maybe you need to have a Thai person with you, I do not know.

That GoogleEarth view and your pointers are great, thank you very much indeed.

However, it's difficult to tell what the scale of the image is.

Am I right in thinking the location of the Chinese Museum (which I know quite well) cannot be seen on it?

[Rimmer]

The Chinese museum and the lake it sits next to is top left of the map. Here it is again with the temples marked.

At the Chinese Temple after passing the lake and the three helicopter pads instead of turning right to Buddha Mountain go straight on along side the big wall of the temple, that road takes you up to the reserve entrance.

[AbeSurd]

The Chinese museum and the lake it sits next to is top left of the map. Here it is again with the temples marked.

At the Chinese Temple after passing the lake and the three helicopter pads instead of turning right to Buddha Mountain go straight on along side the big wall of the temple, that road takes you up to the reserve entrance.

AH!

Rimmer, you're a star. Now I see it all.

So now I'm hoping to visit there with friends in the next week or two.

Will report back

[AbeSurd]

I said I'd report back...

Thanks to Rimmer, myself and some friends were finally able to find the lake in this nature reserve area last week.

Yes, it was very pleasant and quiet - after the group of Russian tourists on their motorized beach-buggy-type vehicles had roared past us twice, that is! (Sorry, not sure what name to call these vehicles.)

You might want to know that what we saw mostly was not natural woodland - it's basically tree plantations. However we didn't stray that far from the lake. Maybe where Rimmer has labelled 'trails to hills' it gets to be more natural woodland.

You might also want to know the 'dirt track to lake' on Rimmer's photo gets pretty rough. My friend's large SUV coped fine, but I wouldn't want to be driving an ordinary car along there. If you're in an ordinary car there's a parking area just before the dirt track where the afforementioned 'motorized beach-buggy-type vehicles' seem to gather before setting off for the lake area.

Anyway, that GoogleEarth photo Rimmer has included in post 27 does the job.

To add to his directions:

Rimmer's called it the 'Chinese Temple' - my friends and I call it the 'Chinese Museum'. Its proper name is Viharnra Sien (or Anek Kusala Sala). And so long as you can find your way from Sukhumvit to there - or from Sukhumvit to Wat Yan - you should be able to find this nature reserve by using Rimmer's photo. Basically the lake is a kilometre or two due east of Wat Yan and the Chinese Museum.

On his GoogleEarth photo Rimmer's labelled 'Reserve entrance'. Yes, true, following the road from the Chinese Museum to there will take you to the lake. But coming from Sukhumvit this is a long way round. For example, coming from Sukhumvit you can just drive through Wat Yan, and through the area at the back of Wat Yan where the tourist coaches park, and follow the road behind there, up the hill. On Rimmer's GoogleEarth photo I believe this is called 'Rural Road Chon Buri 5001'. This will take you to the lake area.

Finally: as far as I could tell, none of the roads in that entire area are closed off - they're all open access.

Enjoy!

[Rimmer]

Yes the temple is actually a museum not a temple and well worth a visit

Yep you can get to the lake by driving through the Wat Yaan parking area and up 'Rural Road Chon Buri 5001' past the monks little houses.

The track down to the lake used to be car friendly but is pretty bad now, we have two CRVs but even then have to be careful.

If you have an SUV drive across the lake and follow the track round the lake to the right, it stops in a small wooded area, walk through the trees up to the top of the ridge line and follow the ridge line track all the way along.

Should you go straight after crossing the lake dam it is all cultivated plantations and very ordinary