Nasatta Forest is just North (I think) of Ratchaburi City. We have a regular hotel in Ratchaburi, so I booked 3 rooms i.e. my wife and I, my daughter and a family friend.
The Forest is open all day, but lights switch on at 6pm (I can’t imagine why anybody would want to pay 50฿ extra to go into the forest before 6pm to look at a load of dead light bulbs and loads of wiring). We left our hotel at 5pm to make the 26 minute drive to the forest (I was allowing time for my satnav to get it wrong, and it did – quite spectacularly). We arrived at the massive car park/entrance at about 5:45. Parking was very well organized, with plenty of little helpers directing me into my parking bay.
We got out of the car, but it wasn’t dark yet. I went to buy 4 tickets – 300฿ each (no Farang dual pricing scam). I then suggested we went for food whilst waiting for it to get properly dark. The restaurant was clean, spacious and airconditioned. Food wasn’t expensive but good. There was no alcohol option.
Fully fed and watered, we made our way into the forest – wow!!! We’d never seen anything like it. A true wonderland. I won’t try to describe it – the photos can do that. However, I think all of the photos in the world couldn’t fully describe this fairy tale land.
A lot of people were hiring traditional Thai dress for posing before they went in – no idea of hire prices, but I could definitely understand why. They looked quite stunning posing for photos in amongst the lights.
For any serious photographers, it worth knowing that certain ‘essential items’ such as tripods (I wish I’d taken mine) are only allowed in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This confirms to me not many people visit on those days. Check before you go.
The forest was 100% wheelchair friendly, although it wasn’t possible to take the wheelchair right inside of the lit areas. There were toilets, which were very clean. Various statues/Buddha images, water features, a show inside a cave (in Thai – didn’t hang around) even a food court and craft stalls.
My choice of midweek in the middle of December was sound. I guess there were about 200 of us wandering around the forest, and even that became frustrating at times e.g. one guy (I don’t know if he was famous, but he certainly thought he was) started posing in a tunnel with about 10 people clambering to take his photo. He struck a pose, then a second by moving one hand about 2”, then his tongue came out of his mouth, then it came out a bit further. This was going on and on, and his entourage of photographers were blocking everything. I’d had enough, and pushed my way through (maybe now I’ve photo bombed his poses, I’ll be famous as well). This type of thing happened several times, with just a few people in the forest. I hate to imagine what it would be like when it got busy.
We spent 2 hours wandering around, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Would I go again? Never say never, but I doubt it. It’s one of those places that when you’ve seen it once, I can’t really see what would change for subsequent visits. Even if those visits were several years apart.
As we left the forest, we had to go through the souvenir shop, which had nothing to interest us.
A brilliant couple of hours that I’d recommend to anybody, young or old. There is nothing not to enjoy.
- IMG_0476.jpg (143.58 KiB) Viewed 2673 times
- IMG_0478.jpg (142.63 KiB) Viewed 2673 times
- IMG_0539.jpg (341.43 KiB) Viewed 2673 times
