Day 4 – Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park & The Monkey Cave

08:30 a.m. I go one last time on the pool side to enjoy an energising breakfast at the Sofitel. I have packed my bag already, and once my breakfast is finished, it doesn’t take long to check-out. The minivan is already there, early as usual. We are now ready to take off, en-route Khao Lak!

inside the cave

herd of monkeysAfter driving some time, the minivan driver suggests to take a short break, as we are near Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Public Park. It has a large garden, and is adorned with many different flowers. A statue of the Princess’ Mother is erected in the garden. The park is surrounded by limestone mountains, as it is quite common in the region.

cute monkey

As the minivan parks, I can’t help but notice that the premises are quite crowded. Indeed, three are a lot of hairy residents scattered all over the place, scratching different parts of their anatomy; monkeys! They are quite laid back and friendly. However it is advised not to give them any food, as some member of the family could get quite jealous and become aggressive.

In the park are two caves, respectively called Tham Ruesi Sawan and Tham Luk Suea, and as usual, they are made of limestones, so there are plenty of stalactites and stalagmites to be seen there as well. There is a statue of the hermit called Phra Rusi, meaning ‘wandering holy man’, outside the cave. Flowing streams are to be found inside the cave.

phra ruesi statue

All in all, the visit was nice, especially thanks to the monkeys. The park is a nice stop if it is on your way. However I wouldn’t recommend to make it the sole visit of your day as you will have seen everything of interest within 1 to 2 hours maximum. Fortunately, there is a lot more to see and try around here, so bear with me, and in a moment I will make you discover a nice traditional restaurant not far from here…

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