30 Dec Suan Nong Nooch, Thailand

The Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden is the largest botanical garden in Southeast Asia. Located near Pattaya, this 500-acre garden sits on a slightly larger plot of land that began as a plantation, then later became a conservation area before it was finally opened to the public as a botanical garden. Among its gardens, visitors can explore a variety of plants and flowers that are both native and non-native species to Thailand’s tropical climate.

Garden Areas

Within Nong Nooch’s larger gardens are several different “garden divisions,” each of which follows a particular theme. These garden divisions include the French Garden, the European Garden, Butterfly Hill, the Orchid & Bromeliad Display Garden, Flower Hill, Ant Tower, and the Cactus & Succulent Garden. Each garden aims to highlight either a particular gardening technique or a specific world climate or region, transporting visitors across both space and time as they traverse the property’s paths. The Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden has also gained fame for its collection of cycads and maintains an onsite cycad gene bank.

Thai Culture

In addition to its amazing collection of botanical specimens, the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden also hosts several cultural displays, presentations, and celebrations each day. Visitors can learn more about rituals and practices such as Thai weddings, dance, boxing, and sword fighting. The garden also contains two restaurants that serve both Western and Thai food, giving visitors the option to enjoy a literal taste of Thai culture during a day spent among the flowers, trees, and footpaths. If you’re interested in taking your experience in the garden to the next level, you can even stay on property at either the onsite hotel or rent one of several Thai-style homes located on the grounds.

This article is part of our blog series, The Most Spectacular Gardens in the World.