Nong Nooch Tropical Garden

Nong Nooch was bought in 1954 as a fruit plantation and turned into a garden by the owners, and it now covers around six hundred acres with two quite different things on it. The first is serious botany: the cycad collection is among the most important in the world, with wild-collected material and successful ex-situ conservation of threatened species, and the palm, bromeliad and orchid holdings are substantial - botanists come here for the collections rather than the display. The second is the visitor operation: French and Italian formal gardens, elephant and dinosaur topiary, a Stonehenge replica, butterfly hill, a car museum and cultural shows. Elephant shows and rides operate and attract sustained criticism on welfare grounds; the elephant show in particular involves trained behaviours and has been condemned by animal organisations. The garden is far too large to walk and a tram runs the circuit.

What you actually see

• The cycad collection - among the most significant in the world, with conservation work.
• The themed gardens - French, Italian, topiary and the Stonehenge replica.
• The scale - six hundred acres, covered by tram rather than on foot.
• The palm and orchid holdings - substantial collections alongside the display planting.

When to go

November to February. Half a day using the tram. Shows run to a fixed schedule. Weekends and holidays are crowded with coach parties from Pattaya.

Honest expectations

Elephant shows and rides operate here and cause documented harm - declining them is straightforward and the botanical collections are the reason to come. Too large to walk; the tram is effectively necessary and is charged. Multiple separate charges add up.

Nearby

Pattaya is north; Khao Chi Chan and the Sanctuary of Truth are close.