| Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden is a 500-acre (2.0 | | | | plant group. On-going and continuing research at the |
| km2) botanical garden and tourist attraction at | | | | garden concerning taxonomy and horticultural use has |
| kilometer 163 on Sukhumvit Road in Chonburi | | | | increased the knowledge about this plant group |
| Province, Thailand. | | | | worldwide. |
| Your visit to Pattaya is not complete without a day | | | | Apart from the beautifully manicured gardens and |
| trip to the sprawling Nong Nooch Tropical garden, | | | | lush green landscapes the park comes alive with |
| just 20 minutes away from the city. This stunning | | | | cultural and elephant shows. The traditional dancers in |
| garden landscapes at Nongnooch Village is one of the | | | | their dazzling silk attires dance to the most melodious |
| largest botanical gardens in Southeast Asia. Nong | | | | of songs and keep the guests enraptured. Few |
| Nooch stands for beauty, and that is what oozes out | | | | rounds of Thai boxing and elephant warfare add |
| of every part of the park. The plants and the | | | | variety to the show. Elephant show follows, in an |
| surroundings are very well maintained. | | | | open field and the well trained animals keep you |
| Pisit and Nongnooch Tansacha purchased the | | | | entertained with their skills in basket ball, bowling, |
| 600-acre plot of land in 1954 with the intentions of | | | | soccer, dart shooting. Even there is foot massage for |
| developing the land as a fruit plantation. However, the | | | | the brave few who volunteer to lie under the playful |
| owners instead decided to plant tropical flowers and | | | | jumbos. A variety of shows three times a day at the |
| plants as a wildlife conservation project. The garden | | | | Thai Cultural Center feature martial arts, indigenous |
| opened to the public in 1980, and management was | | | | sports, hill tribe music and dance, a Thai wedding |
| transferred to Pisit and Nongnooch's son Kampon | | | | ceremony, a Buddhist ordination ceremony, and |
| Tansacha in 2001. The garden currently fills 500 out | | | | performances by trained elephants. |
| of the 600 acres. | | | | Two man-made lakes and more than 500 acres of |
| The garden is divided into the following categories: | | | | exquisitely manicured gardens, including gardens |
| • French Garden | | | | dedicated to bonsai, cactus, palms and bromeliads, |
| • European Garden | | | | and a hothouse for orchids and ferns, make this one |
| • Stonehenge Garden | | | | of the most attractive tourist resorts in the province. |
| • Cactus & Succulent Garden | | | | At the small zoo you can have your picture taken |
| • Variegated Plants | | | | with a baby tiger, elephant, chimpanzee or parrot, |
| • Ant Tower | | | | and there is also a small exhibition of Thai antiques. |
| • Butterfly Hill | | | | Visitors have a choice of restaurants where |
| • Orchid & Bromeliad Display Garden | | | | traditional Thai food, including special recipes from |
| • Flower valley | | | | northeastern Thailand, as well as Chinese, Korean and |
| The garden focuses on Southeast Asian, Tropical | | | | western dishes can be enjoyed. A shopping mall sells |
| American and Central Africa species of Cycads, but a | | | | souvenirs and handicrafts from all over the kingdom. |
| collection of almost every species can also been seen | | | | Half day tours leave from Pattaya every day. |
| here. In connection with Conservation agencies the | | | | Accommodations can be arranged in traditional Thai |
| gardens cycad collections serves as an important ex | | | | style teak houses, in cottages or in small lakeside |
| situ conservation site for this endangered and ancient | | | | villas with access to a private swimming pool. |