Khanom and the Sourrounding areas
Impressions of Khanom
*Click on the picture to see the whole gallery
Khanom, still one of the best kept secrets in Thailand, will surely become famous once its beaches are discovered by the tourists. It has over 8 miles (12.8km) of pristine tranquil beaches, lined with picturesque coconut trees and crystal clear blue waters which gently lap its shoreline.
Two of the quietest beaches are Hat Na Dan, which is long and narrow with soft white sand surrounded by coconut trees. And Hat Nai Pret which is an unbroken of stretch of golden sand, lined with shady trees.
History
Once known as "Muang Tranom", this sleepy little town was founded during the reign of King U-Thong some 800 years ago. Khanom was a large hub for navigation and sea-trade as well as a center for the Buddhist cultural arts.
The name of the town was later changed to "Panom", then changed again to "Khao Nom", until finally as it is known today as Khanom. In the reign of King Rama the Fifth Khanom became a village under the jurisdiction of Ta-sala District. In 1959 it was awarded District status under the jurisdiction of Nakhon Sri Thammarat province.
General
Khanom is a friendly and thriving community which relies on their large fishing fleet, rubber and agriculture as their souce of income. As a matter of fact the local fishermen can still be seen around the area with many small colorful fishing boats. Their catch of the day is served up in hotel and resort restaurants in the area, with dozens of tempting choices.
The population of the Khanom District is approximately 11,000 people.
The main occupation is farming. Principle products farmed include, coconuts, palm oil, rice and rubber.
The second most important occupation is fishing, followed by merchant.
As part of the Kingdom's policy to spread the wealth of the country around, Khanom was awarded the right to exclusively produce, market, and distribute the areas most popular products, shrimp paste, fish sauce and pomelos (fruits).
What to do
Khanom Caves
Its about 9 miles from the city and is one of the most awesome caves of the province. The cave has many large and small chambers, each with stalagmites and stalactites of odd sizes and shapes, like pagodas, dinosaurs, custard apples and fried eggs.
Some chambers can only be accessed by crawling or climbing, making it fun for visitors. To get there, start from Khanom district office, turn right at the intersection to Don Sak and take a left turn. The entrance has a bus stop called Sala Tansakun which is easily noticeable. Drive for 6 kilometers until you reach the cave. Visitors must first obtain the cave key from the keeper at the cave entrance.
Go into the caves of Khao Wang Tong alone, without other tourist groups.
Excursions
Healing & Detox within pristine nature and beaches in Khanom Thailand (opposite Kho Samui on the main land) is happy to arrange or advise all excuirsion you want to take. Talk to the locals there, they know the area and habits of species the best. Go to see the extremely rare Pink Dolphins - best time to see is early in the morning or in the late afternoon.
Visit a Dragon fruit farm with the beautiful flowers and the unusual fruits.
Monkey Training Center
Let us take you to the monkey training center, where monkeys are trained in 6 months to pick the ripe coconuts.
To get there you can take a combined guided tour with a Kayak excursion to see the Pink Dolphins in the morning and visit the caves in the afternoon with a guide (min 6 persons).
Giving you possibilities of excursions to the various waterfalls, a boat trip to see the Pink Dolphins. Go on a boat tour with us and watch the Dolphins chasing and catching fish around the boat. In the bizarre rock formations on the coast opposite Kho Samui.
Visit the spectacular Thao Wang Thong Caves or go adventurous by 4weel drive to the top of the Dadfa mountain which is untouched by tourism.
We can arrange all kind of excursions for you. Ask at the reception.
