T.I.C.D.: Chumphon coast & offshore islands (Part I: Mu Ko Wiang & Pathio)
The coast and islands of Chumphon's northernmost district, condensed.
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Resuming Chumphon province…
Chumphon provincial coast, offshore islands & inland reaches
Set between Prachuap Khiri Khan to the N and Surat Thani in the S, the 180 km coast of Chumphon is a ravishing on-ramp to the rest of Southern Thailand. A bunch of terrific low-level tourism spots — and the challenge of exploring them — makes this one of my favorite of Thailand’s 24 coastal provinces.
Most of the islands are part of Mu Ko Chumphon NP, but more than 20 additional isles sit closer to the mainland and can be rolled into coastal road trips. Lying between fishing villages and a plethora of viewpoints, Chumphon’s mainland beaches vary from fair with rough brown sand to bordering on brilliant with pinkish or nearly white grains accompanied by clear water and dramatic headlands.
The most popular beaches, Hat Thung Wua Laen and Hat Sairi, are indeed worth a look. But I think the very best of Chumphon comes along its lesser-known shores in districts like Sawi with its namesake cape; and Pathio with its glorious secret beaches. Barely any foreign travelers visit these districts, but a fair few of them do stop into the pleasant provincial capital to catch a train or buy a ferry ticket to Ko Tao. (Though part of Surat Thani province, Tao lies due E of the Chumphon coast and is accessible via piers at Pak Nam Chumphon and Ao Thung Kha Noi.)
Looking inland, most of W Chumphon abuts the steep mountains that continue into Namtok Ngao NP and Ranong province. The remote NW shares 60 km of mountainous border with Myanmar and, on the Thai side, rare birds and clouded leopards roam in 3 wildlife sanctuaries: Prince of Chumphon, Thung Raya Na Sak, and Khuan Mae Yai Mon. On the coast, Mu Ko Chumphon NP oversees the mangrove-shrouded bay of Ao Thung Kha. Up in Pathio, there is also the Namtok Kapo Forest Park and a smaller wildlife sanctuary overseeing Khao Phlu.
(Note: The tag ‘Primarily domestic travelers’ applies to all of the Chumphon coast.)
Islands and coastal areas below are arranged roughly from N to S.