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If you’re a nature enthusiast and love hiking, then this will be the weekend adventure for you. Open only during long weekends Khao Lom Muak is located in the Royal Thai Air Force Base Wing 5 of Prachuap Khiri Khan province. This mountain stands at 280 meters tall.

From Bangkok it takes about 4-5 hours by car to reach Prachuap Khiri Khan. It is a small beach town south of Hua Hin where you won’t find many foreigners. Public transportation is scarce so it’s best to have your own vehicle. From the town, the Air Force Base is only about a 10 minute drive. If you decide to stay in the town, you can easily rent a bicycle to ride into the Base. Upon entry to the Air Force Base you will have to check in with the officers.

I stayed on the Base at Ao Manao Royal Thai Air Force Welfare Lodging. This hotel is located right on the white sand beach of Ao Manao. There is a pool, and small restaurant located on the hotel grounds. You can even rent bicycles to ride around the Air Force Base for 30 baht per hour.

If the allure of hiking Khao Lom Muak wasn’t enough, head over to the beach for ATVing, banana boat, horseback riding, or jet skis.

The “Small” Mountain

First up is the ‘small’ mountain located in Khao To Mong Lai Forest Park. You will have to check in at the office before you start the climb and sign a waiver. The guide costs 700 baht and he carries a first aid kit. The guide is not optional because the trail is not marked and there are plenty of cactus plants along the way.

The climb is steep and can be slippery because of the fallen leaves. As you hike closer to the top it becomes more rocky, but you will be greeted with an impressive view. We had some stray dogs make the climb with us to keep us company.

Once we made it back down, we walked along the rocky beach for sunset.

This hike can be done in about an hour or less. It is not difficult, but it can be steep and you will have to do some climbing on the rocks.

The ‘Big’ Mountain

You’re going to want an early start when hiking Khao Lom Muak. We got to the base of the mountain at about 5:45am. It actually turned out to be quite the small event with tents set up and a crowd of people ready for the morning hike. Before starting you’ll have to register with the officers and it’s recommended that you wear gloves. There are some available at the registration table for 20 baht. They look a little like garden gloves, but they did the trick.

The gates to Khao Lom Muak officially open at 6:30am. I recommend you bring these items with you:

• bottle of water
• hiking gloves
• proper clothing and footwear
• camera
• hat
• small towel

The beginning of the hike up to the top of Khao Lom Muak starts off with a lot of steps. There are seven checkpoints along the way where you can stop and take a rest. Air Force officers are situated throughout the climb to help you if you need it.

About halfway up the mountain, the steps will disappear and you’ll have a rope assist climb the rest of the way up. Since the opportunity of hiking Khao Lom Muak is only open a few times a year, the climb can get a little crowded. Who knew it was so popular!

There is only one way up and one way down, so it can cause a little bit of a traffic jam. It will take about 60-90 minutes to reach the top depending on how fast you climb.

Once you have completed hiking Khao Lom Muak, you will be rewarded with amazing views of Ao Manao beach. You can stay at the top for as long as you like and take lots of pictures! There is also a small temple at the top for the spirit of Chaopho Khao Lommuak, and a shrine at the bottom where people pay their respects to the spirit.

In my opinion the hike down was more difficult than the hike up. You don’t have to be athletic to make the climb, but be in good physical condition.

The Monkeys

Usually, I’m not really a big fan of monkeys, but these monkeys are very friendly and cute. They live on the mountain and are called Dusky Langur monkeys. You’ll be able to see them during the hike. There is a tree where they like to gather, at the base of the mountain. They like to eat corn which you can conveniently purchase from one of the locals and give to the monkeys.