Phu Khao Ya

Phu Khao Ya means grass mountain - it is also called Khao Hua Lan, bald mountain - and the oddity is exactly that: in Ranong, the wettest province in Thailand where everything is rainforest, a row of three or four rounded hills about twelve kilometres south of Ranong town carries only grass, with no trees on them at all. Explanations offered locally include shallow soil over rock, drainage, and past clearance and burning; there is no settled account. The effect is a set of smooth green domes that look transplanted from somewhere else entirely, walkable in a short climb from the road with a view over the surrounding forest and toward the Andaman coast. The grass is greenest during and just after the rains, from around May into October, which is also when Ranong is at its wettest - so the trade-off is a green hillside in the rain against a browner one in fine weather. There is no shade at all on the hills and they are hot from mid-morning.

What you'll find

• The bare grass hills - smooth green domes with no trees, in a rainforest province.
• The unexplained cause - no settled account of why the trees are absent.
• The view - over surrounding forest toward the Andaman coast.
• The short climb - a few minutes up from the roadside.

When to go

May to October for the greenest grass, which is also Ranong's wettest period; November to April for the driest weather and browner hills. Early or late in the day - there is no shade.

Good to know

A small site - an hour covers it. No shade whatsoever and hot after mid-morning. The green season is the wet season, so the trade-off is real. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Ranong town and Raksawarin springs are north; Ko Phayam is offshore.

Key facts