Thailand has a lot to offer holidaymakers and travellers, sun and beach holidays, party islands, city life, iconic temples and nature breaks. It also has 22 marine national parks, Sirinat National Park is the smallest of them and located in Phuket. This is a popular Phuket attraction for walkers and hikers, campers, day-trippers, and bird watchers and the ideal place to get away from it all and find some peace and quiet.
Sirinat National Park is a popular retreat for Thais and foreigners who visit for its natural beauty, to picnic or swim, and to feast upon the delicious local food sold along the beachfront.
National Park Beaches
Located at the top of the island near the airport, the marine park covers an area of 90sqkm of which 13km are coastline. There are 4 beaches included in this area. Hat Nai Thon is a quiet beach shaded by tall pine trees along the beachfront. The atmosphere is chilled and it’s popular with swimmers. Hat Nai Yang is the original national park, and is a peaceful location where families meet up on the weekend for picnics.
Phuket’s longest beach is Hat Mai Khao, located right next to the airport you can sunbathe and watch the flights coming and going. There is a steep drop in the water and the waves can get high so it’s not suitable for swimming. It’s best known for the Giant Ridley sea turtles that come ashore between November and February to lay their eggs.
Further north is Hat Sai Kaeo, with a long white-sandy beach and pines along the seashore it’s the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon.
Bird-Watching
The park is covered in dense forests which makes it a great place for walking with easy to follow trails. There are all kinds of plant and bird life to discover, including the Oriole, Spotted Dove, Magpie Robin, Common Myna and Greater Racket-tailed Drongo which attracts the bird-watchers.
Reefs around 700m offshore are part of the marine park and home to soft coral, plate coral, sea anemone and sea fan. The mangrove forests grow in mud along the shore, and although not particularly beautiful to look at, they are a vital part of the islands tropical and coastal ecosystem.
Camping in the Park
You can camp in the national park, although it’s only allowed on Mai Khao and Nai Yang beaches. Sleeping bags and tents can be hired, there are basic facilities, and you will need to register at the headquarters at Nai Yang Beach.
La Moet organises cruises on MV Phuket Champagne around Phuket and further afield. You get the best views of Phuket and Phang Nga national park from the sundeck of this unique boat.
