Kayaking at Rayong Botanic Garden Activity Center’s Peaceful Lotus Marshes
Kayaking through marshlands has never been so relaxing
Not too far away from the center of Rayong city is the Rayong Botanic Garden, a huge swamp/forest activity center offering things to do like cycling and kayaking.
On my list of things to do in Rayong, never would I have thought that Kayaking was one of them. For active and adventurous travelers like my girlfriend and I, this Rayong attraction is perfect to get your sweat running.
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Rayong Botanic Garden Activity Center
The only bit of shade in a wide open field…
The Rayong Botanic Garden activity center is less like a “center” and more like an open space with a ticket booth.
There are a few activities and things to do at the Rayong Botanic Garden attraction:
Hiking
Kayaking
Cycling
Sightseeing Boat
Camping
Photoshoots (Weddings)
There are only a couple of stalls, but all the necessary ones are there
On the other side of the Rayong Botanic Center are a bunch of stalls selling souvenirs, drinks, and quick and easy “Aharn Tam Sang” (To your order) street food to refuel your energy after doing the activities.
While the atmosphere seems quiet to begin with, later on a couple of busses full of students arrived, it seems like the Rayong Botanic Garden is a popular attraction amongst locals and schools.
I only saw a handful of foreigners, so if you like a peaceful and less tourist-y attraction in Rayong, this seems like the place to be.
Tickets and Pricing for Rayong Botanic Garden Activities
If you are looking for tours or an All in One Package and you are located in the nearby larger Pattaya city, this Rayong Aquarium and Suan Son Beach Day Trip not only includes activities at the Rayong Botanic Garden (cycling, kayaking, plus sightseeing boat) but a trip to the popular Rayong Aquarium as well as to local markets. All of this for an incredible great value.
If you just want to do the activities at the Rayong Botanic Center, the ticket prices for the kayaking are per hour with a leeway of about 15 minutes.
Hiking - Free Entry
Kayaking (2 people per kayak) - 100 THB per hour per kayak
Cycling - 50 THB
Sightseeing Boat (6 people per boat) - 600 THB per boat
Camping (bring your own tent) - 50 THB per person per night
Photoshoots (Weddings) - 500 THB
The prices are really cheap and worth it in my opinion, aside from the photoshoot, that’s kind of crazy.
Rayong Botanic Garden Routes and Trails
There is much to explore at Rayong Botanic Garden
The activities all take place around a cluster of islands. The Kayaking and Sightseeing Boat follows a similar linear path (the dotted lines on the map).
Throughout of the Kayaking portion of the Rayong Botanic Garden activity center you’ll come across various points of interests where you can disembark your little kayak to take pictures.
Word of warning, the Kayaking route is fully exposed to the sun. If you come here during the morning or mid day be sure to put on plenty of sunscreen and bring plenty of water to hydrate yourself.
Cycling Through Rayong Botanic Garden
If you choose to go cycling you’ll have more freedom to take many different routes and explore all the 5 islands at your leisure.
The best part about cycling is that the whole route is covered by trees, meaning that there is a nice shade to keep you cool throughout your ride, unlike the kayak…
Kayaking Through Rayong Botanic Garden
What a bright and beautiful day to be kayaking, maybe too bright because I got sunburnt
My girlfriend and I started off our Rayong Botanic Garden adventure with kayaking.
Before you enter a kayak you must wear a life vest, which is provided free of charge.
We went during the late morning around 11:00AM and let me tell you, that was a huge mistake. The sun was unbearably hot.
And I made the stupid mistake of not wearing any sunscreen, so uh… let’s just say that if I took off my shirt, my head is a different color to my body…
A lot of the water’s surface is covered by lilypads
Aside from the scorching heat, the overall vista of the lotus swamp was very beautiful and peaceful.
You’ll be kayaking through a vast open swamp, although there is a path you have to follow, there are various little points of interest you can stop at to take pictures.
Imagine this area during the night, spooky
The overall kayaking wasn’t challenging, although there are sections where it’s very dense in trees and shrubbery, navigating through those sections require some patience.
The only really challenging part was battling against the time, because if you remember, the pricing for the Kayaking activity at Rayong Botanic Garden is calculated per hour.
Don’t mind me just awkwardly standing there for a photo
There was a point where our we paddled a little too deep into land causing our boat to get stuck in the shallow waters.
It was a struggle to get our boat out but we managed.
I wonder where this path leads to?
There are some points during the kayaking route where you’ll have to kayak under the bridge, the bride is low and there is barely enough vertical space for the kayak to pass through.
So be careful not to hit your head as you paddle through while laying flat on your back.
My girlfriend has a very pretty smile :)
If you decide to do some biking, you can come back later to these bridges and snap yourself a nice photo.
Details About Rayong Botanic Garden
Location: Chakphong, Klaeng District, Rayong 21190
Opening Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM | Mon - Sun
Rayong Botanic Garden Ticket Prices: 100 THB Kayaking, 50 THB Cycling
How to get to Rayong Botanic Garden
Getting to the Rayong Botanic Gardens is no easy feat… It’s actually really hard to get there as there is no public transport that will take you directly to the attraction.
The absolute best way that I would recommend is by renting a car for the day and driving there yourself using a GPS.
Trust me, even if you take a Grab, the Uber of Thailand, they may be able to take you to the Rayong Botanic Garden, but they won’t be able to take you back, as the activity center is located in a pretty remote area of Rayong where Grab drivers don’t operate.
Rayong Tours and Activities
Rayong is a town that is famous for their sweet fruits, this Rayong Fruit Carnival Private Day Tour brings you around the city trying out various delicious local fruits, as well as touring Rayong’s cafe filled Yomjinda Old Town.
Looking for Things to Do in Pattaya?
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The Sanctuary of Truth - Explore Thailand’s famous ornate wooden temple
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