South from Khao Sok National Park is Phang Nga Province. Phang Nga is a really quick stop for me, but it was jam packed with some really awesome sites. Lucky for me there were a ton of waterfalls to stop at along my route on highway 4, so I had a waterfallapalooza on my way to the next hotel. First up was Sai Rung.

The main tourist season is obviously kicking in and this southern part of Thailand is the most popular part of the country so there’s a lot more people now. Sai Rung was particularly crowded. I had to wait way too long for that fat French guy to get out of my picture. A bit farther down the road I stopped at Ton Chong Fa.

Ton Chong Fa is actually a series of waterfalls, four levels, but as usual there were lots of beautiful rapids and cascades along the way too. The whole hike was maybe two miles round trip.

Ton Pling was a small waterfall right off the highway and a quick stop, but definitely a worthwhile one.

Khanim Waterfall was probably the easiest to get to and just as pretty as the others, but ironically there was no one there. Every other waterfall had a lot of small tour groups everywhere, but this one I had all to myself.

Lampi Waterfall is a really big three tiered waterfall. It’s nice breaking up the drive with all these stops, even if the total drive is only about an hour and a half. With the waterfalls it’s taking pretty much the whole day though.

There’s a short little climb up to the top tier of Lampi Waterfall, but first I have to cross the dangerous bridge with the ominous sign.

It was getting a little late in the day, but I had time for one more gorgeous waterfall, even if it was a bit out of the way. I got to Ton Phrai Waterfall and hiked the half mile or so to the waterfall to round out my day. It was just a short drive to Khok Kloi where I’m staying after that.

My hotel in Khok Kloi is pretty unusual, in a good way. I have a little bungalow type room with a deck overlooking the river. And they include a full jar of fish food so I can feed the fish from my deck. That was fun!

Phang Nga is not just a province, I really came here to explore Phang Nga Bay. Unlike my experience in Khao Sok, though, I went with the private boat this time. Ha! I left from a little pier in the middle of a mangrove forest, cruised the river for a short distance and then emerged out into Thailands beautiful Phang Nga Bay.

There’s a reason why this southern part of Thailand is the most popular. The beautiful clear water, the limestone mountains, the numerous caves, as well as beaches and tons of snorkeling and diving opportunities make this a very crowded place.

The first part of my half day tour took me around Hong Island to get up close and personal with some of those limestone cliffs. Some of the rock formations are just crazy.

After circling around Hong Island I headed up to Sa Ang Yai Island and cruised a bit underneath the rock through some really amazing alcoves.

Also at Sa Ang Yai Island I stopped at Nok Krariang, the Crane Cave, for some exploring. There were only a few people here. It was nice to not be packed in with hundreds of people and actually be able to see the crazy formations in there.

The cave was pretty spectacular, but wow was it hot in there. I thought caves were supposed to be cool, but this one was like walking into a sauna.

Back out on the water I motored on my own private long tail boat toward the next stop. This whole region is just stunning!

My final stop was a lot more crowded, but it’s understandable since it’s one of the most famous rocks in the world, and definitely the most famous spot in southern Thailand. Welcome to Koh Tapu, also known as James Bond Island. It’s not just a jaw-dropping location, it’s uber famous because it starred in the film “The Man With The Golden Gun” way back in 1974. Not pictured are the hundreds of people or the dozens of souvenir stands along the beach.

Finally, I made it back to the pier and it was back to my trusty little Honda for some more exploring. There are several viewpoints around, but they all seem to have roughly the same view. Rather than pay for each one, I just stopped at the best and most famous one, Samet Nangshe. The view was absolutely tremendous!

After the viewpoint I continued with my waterfallapalooza at Benyaran Waterfall. There was a large tour group there, but they left almost a soon as I arrived and I had it to myself for quite a while. I wish I was always that good at clearing these places out.

These last two waterfalls were a little closer to the hotel. I just ran out of time seeing all the other falls on the drive in yesterday so I’m finishing them off today. Phu Pha Sawan Waterfall was a little crowded, but I managed to get some pics before the real photo shoot started. Some girl posing on the rocks with a water jug (?). Whatever, I got my pics and left them to it.

Finally, just out a couple of miles from the hotel is the Khao Khok Kloi Temple Waterfall. It’s on the grounds of a small temple and I’m pretty sure they get all their water from the falls judging by the hose. It’s a pretty spot though.

My internet GPS trolling paid off once again. On my way out of Khok Kloi I discovered there is a rock art site along my route, Tham Sam. Awesome! It’s not exactly a cave, but more of an alcove. Inside are some really intricate paintings.

The paintings have been dated to around the late 19th century and appear to be scenes of daily life, but they don’t seem to follow any particular theme. Other than the dating, pretty much nothing is known about them.

Despite the lack of information, this was a really cool site. Anyway, now I can move on south to my next stop. I’m not done yet. Stay tuned for more Thailand…