Once used as a plantation to grow local fruits, Nong Nooch is now the largest botanical garden in Southeast Asia. Here are some facts and helpful tips that may come in handy when you’re visiting these heavenly grounds.
The location and how to get there
Located at 34/1 Tambon Na Chom Thian in the Sattahip district, the garden is only about 30mins away from any Pattaya beach resort such as the likes of Avani Pattaya Resort. You can easily catch a Songthaew baht bus to get here. These “busses” are originally pickup trucks with seats in the back, open-air and without air conditioning. If you prefer a more comfortable ride, you can catch a taxi too.
Getting around in the park
Nong Nooch is roughly 600 acres in area. There are shaded walkways leading through the various themed gardens within and are elevated at a certain point to give you a nice view of everything below. There are also sightseeing buses that take you on 30min long tours around the gardens. If you like cycling, there are bikes to hire on the premises too.
Themed Gardens
Nong Nooch isn’t just one big garden with flowers everywhere; some areas have been curated according to certain styles and depict various notable monuments around the world. For example, The French Gardens are designed to replicate the 17th-century gardens of Versailles. The Stonehenge Garden is remodelled after the English prehistoric monument of the same name. There are many other gardens such as the bonsai garden, Italian garden and Desert rose garden.
Orchids and palms
Thailand is famous for having many varieties of beautifully coloured orchids. At Nong Nooch, you can admire and get to know over 650 species of Orchids in an array of colours. These massive gardens are also home to the world’s largest palm collection. A stroll among these beautiful blooms and towering palm trees will surely inspire you to turn your backyard into Versailles as well.
