Khao Ok Thalu

Khao Ok Thalu means pierced-chest mountain, and the name is literal: a limestone peak of around 250 metres rising directly behind Phatthalung town with a natural hole clean through the upper rock, visible from the town and from the train line, which has made it the emblem of the province. Local legend pairs it with the neighbouring Khao Hua Taek, broken-head mountain, in a story about a jealous fight between two wives. A stairway climbs the peak - over a thousand steps, steep, with sections of railed rock - to a viewpoint below the hole looking out over the town, the rice plains and Thale Noi wetland beyond. Macaques on the lower stairway are habituated and take food and bags. The climb is hard in heat and humidity and the steps are uneven; the southern dry season here is January to April, since the rains fall October to December.

What you actually see

• The hole - a natural opening straight through the upper rock.
• The stairway - over a thousand steps to the viewpoint below the hole.
• The view - Phatthalung town, the rice plains and Thale Noi beyond.
• The paired peak - Khao Hua Taek, and the legend linking the two.

When to go

January to April, which is the dry season here; the rains fall October to December in the south. Start early - the climb in midday heat is severe.

Honest expectations

Over a thousand steep uneven steps in humidity. Macaques on the lower section steal food and bags. No shade for much of the climb. Free, with no facilities on the stairway.

Nearby

Thale Noi waterbird lake is north; Phatthalung town is at the foot of the peak.