Hat Chao Mai National Park is located in Trang Province on the western shores of Thailand and covers a vast area of 89 square miles that includes many pretty island and beaches. It was declared a national park in 1981.
The park headquarters are located on Hat Chang Lang and the park includes the Emerald Cave in the west of the region. The basic layout of the park is white sandy beaches with turquoise seas backed by limestone mountains and dense jungle. The park is made up from Ko Muk, Ko Kraden, Ko Cheuak, Kao Jao Mai, Ko Waen, Ko Meng and Ko Pling, all of which are home to fishing villages, unspoiled coastlines and pleasant resorts and bungalows.
The Hat Chao Mai National Park region is still fairly untouched by tourists and pollution and development has been kept to a minimum, unlike other Thai tourist hotspots like Ko Phi Phi and Ko Samet. Hat Chao Mai is a popular name in Thailand and means ‘a beautiful place’, with many canals, caves, beaches, villages, hills and islands sharing this name.
Getting There & Away
Trang is home to the closest airport and major train station, both of which welcome travelers daily from all over the country. There are also buses from Bangkok which take around 12 hours. The park starts 30 miles from the town center and is easily reaches by guided tour bus, minivan, songthaew (shared taxi) and private taxi, with longtail boats and kayaks available for hire for visiting the marine area and islands.