Krungching Waterfall is the largest and most famous waterfall in Khao Luang National Park and one that you should definitely not miss while you are in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The waterfall has 7 tiers and you can hike on a 3.7 km long nature trail to all of them. The prettiest tier of them all is the second tier where you will be able to witness the stunning amount of water flowing off a high cliff with a 100-meter drop creating a wall of splashes and rain. It really is quite a sight to behold.

The trail itself is not particularly difficult with a steady and easy climb most of the way until you reach the fourth tier where you will have to go down a series of steep stairs to get to the second-tier viewpoint. Getting down is one thing but getting back up that steep staircase on your way back can be a challenge so be sure to spend as long as you need at the second-tier viewpoint and rest up before heading back. The whole trail should take about 2 hours both ways and anyone should be able to hike the trail with no problem.

Straddled by the mighty mountain of Khao Luang and the rich forest surrounding it, Karom Waterfall, as well as Phrom Lok and Ai Khiao waterfalls, are part of the same area located less than 30 km from Nakhon Si Thammarat city making it a great day trip to visit while you are in the city. Karom Waterfall is a 7-tier waterfall with a nice short nature trail you can hike to the top and while the lower tier is nice and all, if you want to see the best of Karom Waterfall, you are going to have to go all the way and hike to the 7th tier.

The trail is not very long or difficult taking around 10 to 20 minutes to reach the 7th tier with a few viewpoints and swimming areas along the way and the entire trail is paved all the way through. Although the trail is smoothly paved with concrete all the way through, they are all mostly messed up due to how damp the forest is, causing it to be more slippery than if it was not there. Since the waterfall is part of the Khao Luang National Park, you can use the same ticket you bought for Krungching Waterfall. Just make sure that it is on the same day. The waterfall opens from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM every day.

Phrom Lok Waterfall is another waterfall you can visit with your Khao Luang National Park entrance ticket and it has around 5 tiers with plenty of opportunities to relax. Although Phrom Lok Waterfall has 5 tiers, unfortunately, you only have access to the first tier while the others are only accessible with a guided walk happening twice per day from 10 - 12 AM and 1 - 3 PM every day.

The first level is pretty nice but you are only allowed to swim further down the stream where the water is calmer and there aren't any whirlpools that can be quite dangerous to swim in. The pool area is nestled around several boulders which create a little privacy area for you to relax in, away from the crowds so be sure to look around for a quiet place before settling on where you swim in. Phrom Lok waterfall opens from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM every day and as part of Khao Luang National Park, you can use the same ticket as Krungching, Karom, and Ai Khiao waterfalls.

Kiriwong Village is a small village that is well-known across the country as having the best ozone in Thailand. This village is located in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand. It is a place that reflects how the local communities coexist together with nature. It is the perfect place to spend your vacation with nature and local traditions, and breathe good air. It is simply one of the best choices to put on your traveling list.

The village is a small local community with a nice little temple, a morning market you can visit, and nice restaurants and cafes by Tha Di River. If you are there around 8 AM, the whole street around Kiriwong Temple will be filled with shops and stalls as the morning market is in full swing. You get to see the locals coming out to congregate, socialize, and barter as they live out their lives in this peaceful village. The place definitely feels more alive in the morning than in the afternoon and so if you want to have a nice quiet time here, be sure to visit Kiriwong Village in the early morning.

Yong Waterfall is a waterfall located inside Namtok Yong National Park in the southern part of the province and it makes for a great stop if you are looking for an epic waterfall to swim in that isn't too far from the city. Unlike the smaller waterfalls mentioned before, Yong Waterfall has a more dramatic drop with stunning rock formations and an open space that allows you to really appreciate how pretty it is.

In terms of epicness, Yong Waterfall is definitely among one of the best waterfalls out there, only second to the mighty Krungching Waterfall. The sheer scale, the spacious swimming area, and the quietness of the whole area make it one of the favorite waterfalls in the province. Unfortunately, the waterfall is inside its own national park, so you are going to have to pay extra to get in. Fortunately, it is only 100 THB per person which is significantly cheaper than national parks in touristy places like Krabi and Phuket. Namtok Yong National Park opens from 9 AM to 4:30 PM every day.

Nakhon Si Thammarat probably has one of the most interesting and rich histories out of all the provinces in Southern Thailand and there is no better place to learn it than at the National Museum of Nakhon Si Thammarat. This museum is dedicated to telling the story of Nakhon Si Thammarat and all its precursor kingdoms and cities that dated way back even before the time of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya in the 12th - 13th Century.

The history of Nakhon Si Thammarat dated all the way back to 38,000 years when they excavated archeological remains in a cave in the area signifying that life has flourished here since the historic time. In the first and the beginning of the second millennium, the place was mentioned in several chronicles from places like China and Chaiya (a city in Surat Thani that was part of the Srivijaya Kingdom) with the name varying between Danmaling (the Thai also called this period Ta-Por-Ling) and Tambralinga respectively. It is said that Tambralinga is an Indianised kingdom that thrived during the 11th - 13th Century and they have been both a vassal state of bigger kingdoms like Srivijaya and independent before it became under the control of the Siam kingdom of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya in the 13th Century.

Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan is the main Buddhist temple of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. It is located on the main sand bar of Nakhon Si Thammarat on which the ancient town and the present town of Nakhon Si Thammarat were built. It is one of the oldest and most revered temples in the city and it is said to hold Buddha relics ever since it was constructed in the early 13th Century.

The iconic white Sri Lankan-style pagoda of the temple has become the landmark of the city with its 56 meters high spire dominating the entire city for many decades. Inside the temple, you will find a collection of smaller pagodas as well as beautiful architecture from the Ayutthaya period. It is a great place to stroll around and see how different the culture and the architecture are from the central and northern counterparts. Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan opens from 8:30 AM to 4 PM every day and like most Buddhist temples in use elsewhere in Thailand, there is no entry fee for both Thais and foreigners.

Suchart Subsin's House of Shadow Puppetry is a privately-owned family-run museum dedicated to preserving the art of crafting shadow puppets out of cow's skin which is a traditional art performance that originated in this part of Thailand. The family that runs this museum is the daughter of Suchart Subsin, a national artist and shadow puppet master that was endorsed by King Rama on the 9th and he decided to preserve the shadow puppets he made in this little museum.

Some of the puppets are as old as time with the oldest ones you can see dated all the way back to 1795, probably the oldest puppets that are still kept intact. Since the art of Nang Talung (shadow puppeteer) actually originated in India, they also collect several shadow puppets from all over the world, with the most impressive collection from India itself. There is also a preserved collection from the period of World War 2, they had to keep them small in order to avoid detection by the Japanese soldiers who took over the country during that time.

Baan Than Khun Ratthawut Wichan narrates the story of Than Khun or Lord Ratthawut Wichan in the building, which is over 108 years lingered with a vintage atmosphere. On 15th December 1912, Mr. Khen Malayanon was granted the rank of the King to be Khun Ratthawut Wichan, the district chief of Klai city, and held over 1,280,000 square meters of land. Mr. Khen Malayanon was a son or Mr. Malai and Mrs. Somjeenmalayanon. He was married to Miss Pun Chakmanon, daughter of Mr. Kung and Mrs. Srikin Chakmanon. Mrs. Pun and Khun Ratthawut Wichan did not have any children so they gave this land and house to Mr. Kovit Trisattayapan who was the nephew and the eldest child of Mrs. Chan, the elder sister of Mrs. Pun. Later, Mr. Kovit Trisattayapan opened a school called "Ratthawut Witthaya" and later changed into "Nakorn Witthaya" school in 1939. It was closed in 1986.

It is a great example of the old-school architecture style that was common in Thailand during that time. Inside, you will find several rooms all decorated the way it was back then with wooden furniture and vintage decor, all kept extremely clean, and well preserved. The best part is that Baan Than Khun is free to enter and you can walk around the hose for as long as you want. There are also cafes and souvenir shots around the house so be sure to check that out if you want to buy something back home. The place opens from 8 AM to 8 PM every day.

The City Wall of Nakhon Si Thammarat is the emblem of the ancientness, fortitude, prosperity, and long history of the province. It is located along Khlong Na Muang Canal, Moom Pom Road, Amphoe Muang, Nakhon Si Thammarat. Since Nakhon Si Thammarat is an old city on the outer rim of the Siam kingdom, you can expect the city to be surrounded by an old brick wall to deter invasion attempts by outside forces like the one in Chiang Mai.

Although not to the same extent, parts of the Old Wall of Nakhon Si Thammarat are still intact and remain preserved in the city and you can spend some time strolling along the wall and the recreational park that was constructed around it. The park is spacious with a large open area with very little shade so be sure to visit the place in the evening when it isn't too hot outside. It is a nice area and if you have some time to kill in Nakhon Si Thammarat, be sure to drop by the old wall.