Chumphon
From Wikitravel
Chumphon Province is on the east coast of Southern Thailand, and shares borders with Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Ranong Province and Surat Thani Province, as well as Myanmar and the Andaman Sea.
Chumphon (ชุมพร) is the provincial capital of Chumphon Province.
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Understand
Chumphon (sometimes rendered as "Chumpon" or "Chumporn" or "Chomphon") Province is a relatively quiet, low-key tourist destination, roughly halfway between Bangkok and the border with Malaysia. For many backpackers, it's little more than a point of passage to the fabled Gulf of Thailand islands, especially Koh Tao. However, Chumphon Province boasts beautiful beaches, excellent scuba diving, and exceptional natural amenities; there are several national parks nearby where jungle treks or motorcycle tours to waterfalls and caves can easily be arranged, with guides or independently. As an outpost of Thai kingdoms dating back to the Ayutthaya period, there are also a few historical sites. Naturally, the seafood is exceptional. In general, once you're away from backpacker central, Chumphon Province offers modest but very pleasant and cost-effective alternatives to the oversold resorts.
Climate
Talk
Cities
- Chumphon - the provincial capital.
Beaches
Islands
Other destinations
Get in
The east coast makes for a relatively easy drive - it's roughly 6 hours from Bangkok by car.
By plane
Chumphon has a small airport (CJM) with regular daily service from Bangkok; the flight takes about an hour.
By train
There are direct train services to Chumphon from as far away as Bangkok to the north and Butterworth in Malaysia to the south.
By bus
There are frequent direct bus services from Bangkok (about 7 hours) and numerous other destinations.
By boat
Get around
Bus
Train
Boat
See
Do
Scuba diving
Although the beaches are very nice, uncrowded and interesting, there isn't much shore diving around Chumphon. The prime diving destinations lie around local islands and rock outcrops that range from 30 minutes to 3 hours away by speedboat: Koh Ngam Noi (famous as a source of prized birds' nests), Koh Ngam Yai, Hin Lak Ngam and Hin Pae. A number of other islands also offer diving attactions: Koh Samet, Koh Thalu, Koh Rat, and Koh Thonglang.
Fish and nudibranches are plentiful in this area, although large pelagics are less common; sea turtles can be found regularly at a few dive spots.
The striking rock outcrops visible above water are even more spectacular under the surface, where they're covered with colourful hard and soft coral formations, and there are many narrow 'swim-throughs' and small caves to explore.
Visibility varies substantially due to tide and wind conditions; it ranges from better than 18m on a good day to 8-10m under less favourable conditions.
WARNING: lionfish and devil scorpionfish are plentiful in some locales, and trigger fish are not uncommon. Be careful with your buoyancy, stay off the bottom (also to avoid stirring up the loose sediment), and don't touch anything you don't absolutely have to!
Get out