Festivals & events what's happening on the local scene

Local flavor from food to handicrafts Well-known foods from Satun "Roti assorted with banana", "Roti with curry", "Mataba", Tareh coffee", and hot tea with milk are served at "Mae Roti" on Tamma-ngong Uthit Road, Amphoe Muang Satun. "Pa Samod" or Muslim Salad and Ancient Noodles are served at "Sofia Restaurant" at Km. 10 Tambon Ban Khuan, amhoe Muang Satun Tel. 074-721055. open at 06.30 AM. till midnight. Local desserts such as "Bada", "Kouy Guda" and "Mamode" or "Labanoon" are on sale at Satun Market, 05.00 AM. - 07.00 AM."Jumpada" (a kind of jack fruit) is available at Satun Market during June.

Ko Khai (Khai Island)

A large stone arch or "stone gate" in Ko Khai becomes a logo of Tarutao National Park. During November and January large sea tortoises come ashore and lay eggs on the beaches. Beautiful beaches are ideal for swimming. Further down are large clusters of beautiful corals which can be seen through the crystal clear water during the tourist season.

Ko Hin Ngam ( Beautiful Stone Island )

Because of its natural wonder, Ko Hin Ngam, part of Adang archipelago, has attracted and inspired visitors from faraway lands to witness the unspoiled beauty of the island. Ko Hin Ngam or Ko Pulo possesses beautiful stones polished and shaped by the everlasting waves hitting the shores year after year. The smooth and shiny surfaced stones of various sizes , shapes , and colors are an amazement to the sight of the beholders. On this island one can find these stones in black, blue, brown, red, mixed colors or stripes in round, oval, and other shapes. The beaches on the island can be best admired when the sun shines and the waves splash on the stones.The shiny glittering surfaces of the stones reflect the glaring sunshine while the blue waves splash the beaches providing ecstasies for those who witness the event. Of particular joy is the sunset when the last orange rays of the sun touch the pure white foams of the waves giggling on the stones. This memorable scene defies description. To reach Ko Hin Ngam , visitors make a stop at Adang or Lipe islands first rather than proceeding directly to and staying overnight at Ko Hin Ngam as no accommodation is available on the island .

Ko Li-Pe The land of the sea gypsies

Nearby islands familiar with vacationers are Li-pe or Nipis Island (meaning "thin" island in Malay). Lipeh is an island in Adang archipelago, one kilometer south, and 25 kilometers west of Tarutao island. Formerly Lipe was not inhabited. According to the "Report on the Survey of Tarutao National Park" published by Mahidol University in 1977 , the first settler on the island was an Indonesian named Hili (pronounced "ngi-li" by the locals). On his business missions, he was a regular traveler to Penang and Siam and found a settlement first in Ko Mai Kadan Island and married a sea gypsy woman. Later he moved his trading post to Ko Bulon and finally to Ko Li-pe. During his early settlement, he had to travel to Satun to buy rice, using a row boat. He picked up coconuts which floated to the island and planted them there. Any fishermen who came to fish near the island were invited to settle on the island. (According to other sources, a man named Nai Mahmad had settled on the island one year earlier than had Hili. And the seedlings of coconut trees to be grown on the island were given to Hili by Phraya Phoominart Phakdi then governor of Satun.) In 1909 when the British had shown an interest in the westcoast of Siam , the governor of Satun brought the people from Ko Sireh in Phuket and Ko Lanta in Krabi to settle on Adang in order to prove to the British that the Siamese settled there and the island belonged to Siam. The scheme proved fruitful and the British agreed to drop the claim over Adang and the nearby area. Hili and the sea gypsies on Adang Island were the ancestors of the three major families presently residing on the island, namely Harn Thala, Thala Luek, and Chamnarn Waree. The terms Chao Le (sea people) or Thai Mai (recently naturalized Thais) are generally accepted by the sea gypsies at Lipe but the term Chao Nam (water people) is despised for the reason that not only themselves but all people are derived from water. Most of inhabitants on Lipe are Buddhists and engaged in fishing. The houses of the sea, not exceeding 200 meters off shore.Visitors to the island are likely to stay overnight during the moonlit nights to witness monthly god - offering ceremonial dances performed by the islanders. The dance, performed along with the rhythm of the one-sided drum called Ramana, is organized for three nights during the new moon. It is believed that the god - offering dance will dispel all illnesses and evils from the island. In addition, on the thirteenth to the fifteenth day of the sixth and the eleventh lunar month (usually in May and November) the Setting Adrift of Chao Le Boat ceremony can also be observed. The prominence of Lipe lies on the natural beauty of colorful corals around the island. Particularly fascinating are the ones in the front of the island where visitors can see mazes of colorful corals and exotic tropical fishes under the clear water, a site comparable to a giant aquarium. Visitors often brings with them diving gears or life preservers which enable them to get a close look at the idyllic underwater scenes. The most exciting moment is during the low tide where a large expanse of corals emerge, a rare picturesque scene which will be long remembered by visitors. To reach Ko Li-pe, visitors often use the same route as that of Adang, from where Lipe is easily accessible.

Ko Adang: The land of coral Beauty

Adang is a group of islands in the Tarutau National Park, 30 kilometers further south from Tarutao Island. Among the various islands in the Straits of Malacca, Adang is the most enchanting . Its unbeatable beauty and scenic charms has attracted vacationers from faraway lands to visit and revisit the place. Because of these magical charms, the islands were much desired by the colonials powers. Had it not been the wits of Phraya Phuminart Phakdi, then governor of Satun, these islands would have been ceded to the British long ago. The splendors of Adang are imminent in the crystal clear waters around the island, particularly when the sea is calm. The transparency of the water often leads tourists to take a quick dip, mistaking it to be shallow. Corals are bountiful in the waters around the island. Tourists diving to admire the breathtaking beauty of the corals may also witness the enchantment of exotic fish such as stonefish , lionfish, anemonefish, lobster, or even friendly stingrays buried under the powdery white sands, sea porcupines, and colorful sea shells scattering around the sea floor. These marine creatures move around the limbs of corals with shapes like antlers, hills, lettuces, and mushrooms. Apart from exquisite corals, Adang offers visitors many enchanting places to visit. Large mountainside natural reservoirs, unrelenting sonorous waterfalls, crystal clear streams, and long stretches of white sand beaches around the island, particularly at Ao Son where an area is set aside by the National Park to accommodate 150 campers. To reach Adang , visitors normally take a boat from Pak Bara Pier in Amphoe La-ngu. Travel can be arranged in advance through the assistance of officials at Tarutao National Park. Most visitors prefer to travel in groups, good for family outings and also saving travelling expenses.

Accommodation

For information on accommodation, please contact the Public Relations Work and Accommodation Services, National Park Division, Forestry Department, Bangkok, Tel: (02) 5797223, 5795734, during office hours; or the Satun branch, Tel: (074) 781285, 729002-3 during office hours.

Transportation to Tarutao National Park

There are boat services running between Pak Bara Pier and Tarutao Island twice a day during tourist season (end of November to early May). To get to Pak Bara pier, visitors can travel from Hatyai in Songkhla Province which is the main hub of southern provinces, by the following ways; By Car: Follow Highway No.406 to Satun and turn to Highway No.4078 at Chalong T-intersection to Amphoe La-ngu and proceed further to Pak Bara.By Bus: Take a Hatyai-Satun bus from Hatyai. Get off at Chalong T-intersection and take a Satun-La ngu bus or take a minibus from Chalong T-intersection straight to Pak Bara Pier: By Taxi: There is a taxi service from Hatyai to La-ngu to Pak Bara. Taxi stand in Hatyai is opposite the post office on Rattakarn Road.By Air-conditioned Van:A Hatyai-Pak Bara air-conditioned van service operates daily between 6.00-16.00 hrs. A van leaves every hour and the trip takes 1 hour and 50 minutes. The van stand is on Prachathipat Road.The other alternative to get to the island is to hire a fishing boat from Che Bilang Pier which is a deep sea pier in Tambon Che Bilang 13 kilometers from the town of Satun.Access to other islands in the archipelago depends on the season. Travelling during the southwest monsoon season is not recommend due to strong wind and stormy weather. The best time to visit is between late December and early May.