Nakhon Si Thammarat is more than the great chedi and southern food. Not far out lie Khanom, where you take a boat to see the pink dolphins and laze on quiet beaches; Khao Luang National Park and the seven-tier Krung Ching waterfall in rainforest; the laid-back beach town of Sichon; and the lotus fields and waterbirds at Cha-uat. There are several ways to make a day of it.
Plenty of people come to Nakhon Si Thammarat to pay respects at the great chedi, walk the old town and eat gaeng tai pla and khanom jeen, then head home — and that's a full trip in itself. But if you have a day to spare, there's more around town than most realise, because Nakhon province has both a Gulf coast and high mountains within the one province. You can drive out to Khanom for the pink dolphins, into Khao Luang National Park to hike Krung Ching waterfall, or to a quiet beach at Sichon, all in a day.
The five trips below are the ones we think earn their place for anyone who wants Nakhon without staying only in town — sea and dolphins (Khanom), forest and a big waterfall (Khao Luang-Krung Ching), an easy beach town (Sichon), a waterfall close to town (Phrom Lok) and lotus fields with waterbirds (Cha-uat). We tell you honestly which can be done easily as a day return, which is further and more demanding, and which needs the right season. The key thing is that the sights around Nakhon are spread out and most need a car. To get to know the town first, read our Nakhon Si Thammarat travel guide.
Most need a car and are a fair way out — with an honest note on which is half a day, a full day, and which is demanding and needs the right season.
If you only make one trip out of Nakhon, make it Khanom — about 80 to 100 km north of town, around 1 to 1.5 hours by road. The highlight is taking a boat out to see the pink dolphins, the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins that live in the bay across from Koh Samui; adults turn a pinkish-white. Honestly, they're wild animals, so there's no guarantee you'll see them every time — your best chance is an early boat when the sea is calm.
Beyond the dolphins, Khanom has quiet beaches like Nai Phlao and Khanom for an unhurried laze, the Khao Wang Thong cave with its stalactites, and the small Hin Lat waterfall in the forest. Choose a responsible operator that doesn't chase or herd the pod — better for you and for the dolphins. It suits anyone after a quiet beach and nature in one trip.
Want to get into real forest and hike? Khao Luang National Park has Khao Luang itself, the highest mountain in southern Thailand, covered in rainforest and the source of several waterfalls. The highlight is Krung Ching waterfall, a multi-tier fall (around seven tiers) whose finest drop is the one called Nan Fon Saen Ha, a big curtain of water deep in the forest.
The trail up is a forest trek several kilometres long, with steps and steep stretches, and takes several hours there and back. Honestly, you need to be reasonably fit with grippy shoes; it isn't for anyone who can't manage a long walk or for small children. There are tall trees, birds and butterflies along the way. The flow is strongest and the falls look best late in the rains, but the rocks are very slippery then. It suits anyone who likes proper trekking and nature.
Want an easy beach without taking a boat? Sichon is a Gulf-coast town north of central Nakhon, about 1 to 1.5 hours by road. It's a small district that's still quiet, far less crowded than the famous islands, with long sandy beaches like Hin Ngam and Thong Ching to sit on, watch the sun and eat fresh seafood by the shore at fair prices.
Honestly, Sichon isn't flashy or full of activities — its charm is the quiet and the slow pace. It suits anyone who wants to escape the bustle, lie on the sand and eat seafood. It pairs with Khanom, as they're on the same route up the north of the province, and if you want to stay over there are resorts and seaside lodgings to choose from.
Want a waterfall without going as far or working as hard as Krung Ching? Phrom Lok waterfall is the closest answer — also within Khao Luang National Park, just about 40 minutes to 1 hour by road from central Nakhon. It's a multi-tier waterfall running down the slopes of Khao Luang; the lower tiers are an easy walk and you can swim, while the upper tiers mean more of a climb as you go.
Honestly, Phrom Lok suits anyone who wants an easy there-and-back waterfall; families with children can play in the lower tiers. The water is clear and cool with shady trees around, and it runs hard and looks best late in the rains like the other falls on Khao Luang; in the dry season the flow drops but the walking is easier. Bring grippy shoes, as the rocks are slippery. It's the closest nature trip on this list to town.
Like quiet nature and birdwatching? South of the province, Cha-uat district has wetlands and lotus fields stretching out beside the Thale Noi area and the upper reaches of Songkhla Lake, about 1 to 1.5 hours by road from central Nakhon. When the lotus blooms, the red lotus fields fill the water and many kinds of waterbird come to feed — a spot that nature photographers and birdwatchers like.
The way to see it is to take a boat out across the fields at first light, when the birds are feeding and the light is soft. Honestly, this trip is a calm one rather than a thrilling one; the charm is the lotus and the birds. It suits anyone who likes slow nature. Go when the lotus is in bloom and the water is good, and ask locally or at the boat landing beforehand whether the lotus and birds are out at the time.
Nakhon Si Thammarat has no in-town metro — though it has its own airport (NST) and sits on the southern rail line. Getting around town relies on songthaews, motorbike taxis, tuk-tuks, limited Grab or a rental car, but the out-of-town sights like Khanom, Khao Luang, Sichon and Cha-uat are a fair way out and spread apart. Public transport reaches some of them, but infrequently, and you usually need onward local transport after you get off. For the out-of-town trips, a rental car, a chartered car or a tour with pick-up is far more comfortable and often better value. Read more in our getting around Nakhon Si Thammarat guide.
On responsible dolphin watching — the pink dolphins at Khanom are wild animals living in the bay, not captive dolphins. On a dolphin boat, choose an operator that doesn't chase the dolphins, doesn't crowd or herd the pod, slows down or cuts the engine when dolphins come over of their own accord, and keeps a respectful distance. Revving the boat to chase them stresses the animals and can drive them out of the area. And remember they're wild — there's no guarantee you'll see them every time, and seeing none on a given day is a normal part of watching wildlife in nature.
Season and weather — this Gulf coast of Nakhon is wettest in the northeast monsoon (roughly October to December, heaviest in November and December, with flooding in some years). The easiest time to travel is January to April or May, when it's drier with calmer seas, good for both the beach trips at Khanom and Sichon and for hiking the waterfalls. Krung Ching and Phrom Lok run hard and look finest late in the rains, but the rocks are slippery and rangers sometimes close them when the run-off is fierce. On days of genuinely heavy rain it's better to postpone or switch to sights in town. To plan the timing in more detail, read our best time to visit Nakhon Si Thammarat guide.