Boat trips
Pattaya Bay (Ao Pattaya) is not very interesting in itself but for many it gives a sense of tropical conditions and thienosis, which is one of the busiest tourist destinations in Thailand. The bay can be explored with a variety of boat and boat trips as well as cruises and charter boats, and staying in the humid hot Pattaya by the sea and by the bay brings some relief. The surroundings of Pattaya are one of the hottest places in the country, with very little even breeze, but there is enough breeze at sea and staying in the water cools even further.
There are islands in the bay , the most famous and visited of which is Koh Lan (Koh Larn), and those who go there get a good feel for the bay and its views. If you want to explore the bay and its waters separately, Pattaya’s numerous travel agencies and stalls promoting trips and pastimes have brochures and information on a wide variety of boat and boat trips. An organized trip can be done to Koh Lan, which in itself is not necessary as it is easy to go there on its own, but also elsewhere.
There are cruises for swimming or snorkeling , there are tours to visit different islands , and there are also Pattaya Boat Cruises , which have a wide variety of options and from which you can book a cruise through the website. Economically and often in terms of time, the most unfavorable is to take part in a trip organized by a travel agency, and trips organized by accommodation can also be overpriced. The easiest way is to act directly and yourself, and either book an excursion online or on the spot at the stall or at a travel agent looking at brochures and booking the excursion.
Islands
There are well-known islands around Pattaya, but there are also small, uninhabited islands for which there are no route boats and where the visit takes you far from the tourist-populated Pattaya. These islands include Koh Khrok and Koh Sak , which are close to Koh Lan. Koh Phai and Koh Luam are 20 km from Pattaya, and there are also islands that are even further a field. They are not inhabited, they are not allowed to stay overnight but they can be visited during the day. They also have a variety of rules, and thus they represent nature at its purest in the Pattaya area.
These islands are most effectively reached by going to Pattaya’s main pier (Bali Hai) and renting a charter boat , which costs Koh Lan 2,500 to 3,500 baht and the nearby islands somewhat more.
Another possibility is to take part in the numerous cruises and boat trips around even the desert islands , which will become the most affordable. Of course, if you have a large group on a charter boat, a boat trip for a long time will not be impossible, but it is most economically viable for families, couples and other small groups to take part in cruises around many islands.
Pattaya Boat Cruises makes charter trips to some islands. One good cruise where you can snorkel or fish is a trip to the three islands, organized by Travstore , which organizes many other excursions , operates elsewhere in Thailand, and where you can read about people’s experiences on TripAdvisor .
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
If you want to see a tropical botanical garden, you can head to Nong Nooch Garden in the southern part of Pattaya, quite a distance from the core and also from Jomtien . It is an area of 2.4 square kilometers, which takes almost a whole day to move on and explore. More than a botanical garden, however, the area resembles a theme park, with a fair number of restaurants, lodging and a variety of performances.
However, the park is a botanical garden in the sense that there are a variety of gardens from around the world, and you can stay in a 17th-century French garden built by the “sun king”, Stonehenge-style landscapes, an English garden and many other types of gardens. There are also plants that are unique, especially to Europeans, and there are also plants and flowers that are not found anywhere else, such as unique cacti, orchid orchards and palm orchards.
The area is so vast that you can’t get to know it properly in one day, and that way you can speed things up by renting a bike. There’s also a good walk to the mile-long “skywalk” that runs across the various gardens. In addition to walking and cycling, you can rent a rowing boat in the area.
In addition to the gardens, one of the attractions of the area is the Thai Cultural Hall with its performances. There is Thai dancing, Thai boxing and musical performances, of which drum concerts popular elsewhere in Thailand are common.
The area is open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm and there is no entrance fee. However, it is such a diverse, entertaining and pleasant place that many spend the night there as well. One possibility is to stay in the area for at least a few nights to really catch up with the nature and offerings of this garden area.