The most interesting places of Nong Nooch Botanical Garden

Table of contents

1. Cactus Garden 1
2. Garden in the sky, Garden in the sky Hall 1, Garden in the sky Hall 2
3. Butterfly Hill
4. Agave Collection
5. Bonsai Garden
6. Naga Flower Garden
7. Car Museum 2
8. Variety Garden
9. Dinosaur Avenue, Dinosaur Valley, Dinosaur Terrace
10. French Garden 1
11. French Garden 2
12. Pavilion
13. Royal Pavilion
14. Stonehenge
15. Bell Tower
16. Italian Garden
17. Heart-Shaped Garden
18. Ants Tower
19. Pottery Garden and Orchid Garden
20. Caribbean Walk, Heliconia Walk
21. Cactus Garden 2, Cactus Terrace
22. Stone Forest Garden
23. Water Plants Garden
24. Nongnooch Herbaceous Garden
25. Tropical Garden
26. Nurseries
27. Elephant Theater, Scala Theater
28. Car Museum 1
29. Thai Dinosaurs
30. Sansevieria Collection
31. European Garden
32. Phra-Phrom
33. Double coconut
34. Variegated Plant Collection
35. Hibiscus Garden
36. Waterfall Garden
37. Blue Garden
38. Cycad Garden
39. Thai Topiary Garden
40. Giant Arapaima
41. Nanta Lawn, Cycad Valley, Blue Cycad Late

See the beginning here: Nong Nooch Botanical Garden: themed gardens covering an area of more than 2 square km, as well as shows and elephant riding and other exhibitions

Below is a list of gardens and the most notable attractions. The list may not be complete – I certainly could have missed something.

I don’t yet have photographs for all places – for the same reason, I didn’t have time to visit some places.

Cactus Garden 1

Immediately at the entrance to the park we are greeted by cacti.

The scope is impressive, but there is not much variety here. Don't worry, Cactus Garden 2 and Cactus Terrace are waiting for you. There are even more cacti there, including a chance to see flowering cacti. But these places are located on the opposite side of the park.

Garden in the sky, Garden in the sky Hall 1, Garden in the sky Hall 2

We are naturally lured into an overground journey.

When I first came here, to be honest, I was a little confused. I can’t even understand whether these bridges are for staff to serve the plants or for visitors?

Basically, enjoy the stunning views at the bottom first and then head up – there are multiple entrances to the Sky Walk.

The Sky Walk path is very wide – on my first visit I was with a one-year-old child in a stroller and the Sky Walk can be driven freely without interfering with other visitors. But in some places there are steps.

Already here the understanding begins to come that Nong Nooch is not just a garden. And not just a very large and beautiful garden. Here plants are combined with other elements, such as decorative ornaments and dinosaur statues.

And all this is selected to be as beautiful as possible and make a strong impression.

Video of a walk through the Garden in the sky at Nong Nooch Botanical Garden:

And another small fragment of a video of a walk through Garden in the sky Hall 1 and Garden in the sky Hall 2:

Butterfly Hill

A flowerbed and a huge number of animal statues. Some of them are modern, and some are already extinct.

There are many places for interesting photographs – for example, you can pretend to be a small dinosaur hatching from an egg; or butt heads with a ram; or try to join the company of monkeys – in general, just let your imagination run wild.

A short video – a view of Butterfly Hill from the Sky Walk:

Agave Collection

Bonsai Garden

Naga Flower Garden

Car Museum 2

A collection of interesting cars: iconic models, racing cars, retro cars, etc.

As you can guess, there is also a “Car Museum 1”, but in my two visits to Nong Nooch, I saw Car Museum 2 twice, but never found Car Museum 1. I’m even starting to doubt whether it exists? But it is marked on the map – if you wish, you can check it yourself.

Car Museum 2 is, according to the map, a cafeteria with an exhibition. But I was so engrossed in looking at the cars every time that I don’t even remember seeing the cafeteria there.

Variety Garden

A small body of water with a stepped shore, partly rocky and partly covered with plants of different colors. And there are statues of animals – there are dozens of them, you get the feeling of either a zoo or a camp for wild animals.

There is also a cafe with a view of it all. Delicious coffee, stunning view – in general, a great place for a short break.

Dinosaur Avenue, Dinosaur Valley, Dinosaur Terrace

As you can imagine, there are many, LOTS of dinosaurs here. And they are made to full height. It’s an indescribable feeling when you lift your head up and try to look at the head of a giant. Yes, I knew that some dinosaurs were very large, but it wasn't until I saw them in life size that I realized how huge they were. And varied.

According to the latest data from archaeologists, dinosaurs most likely were not a boring dark color. Many of them could have bright colors. There is also evidence that some dinosaurs had feathers (both flying and non-flying dinosaurs). Typically, small dinosaurs were feathered, but exceptions have been found. The feathers could be different, they could resemble the fur of mammals. Dinosaurs have been found with complex feather cover, the plumage of which included down, integumentary and contour feathers. In general, dinosaurs never cease to amaze.

We must admit that the colors of dinosaurs are almost always fantasy (even if based on science). We don't know what color dinosaurs were. For some dinosaurs, it is not even known for sure whether they had feathers or skin.

If we talk about archeology, the more you delve into it, the more doubts arise about the reliability of the information. For example, literally one bone was found for some animal species. Not a complete one skeleton, but literally one bone of one skeleton. Based on this bone, a complete skeleton is reconstructed, the species is classified and conclusions are drawn about its characteristics: from dietary preferences to mental abilities (we are talking, for example, about great apes). Of course, small and large mistakes are inevitable – but this is our only way to get at least some information about eras that are separated from us by millions of years.

We just need to remember that we don’t know more about past historical eras than we know. And from what we know about the past, there appears to be more wrong than true. And if you start to understand other sciences (from geology to physics), then it suddenly turns out that what has been said is true for them as well. But let's not get distracted.

Dinosaur Terrace features sounds that dinosaurs might have made. Which, surrounded by medium-sized and large-sized predatory dinosaurs, allows you to get a feel for what the Earth might have looked and sounded like in the age of dinosaurs.

In addition to dinosaurs, there are other animals, including ancient fish.

Sharks are cartilaginous fish. It was previously believed that cartilaginous fish were earlier fish (prehistoric animals) that had not yet formed a bony skeleton. But now it is believed that they lost their bony skeleton in the process of evolution.

French Garden 1

From my first visit to Nong Nooch Botanical Garden almost 10 years ago, when I remembered this place, I imagined French Garden 1. But at that time there were no dinosaur statues.

A very beautiful place, inspired by Versailles and other French parks.

A short video with a view of French Garden 1 and Dinosaur Terrace:

French Garden 2

This garden is a little smaller but no less stunning. Here, countless stupas and huge dinosaurs attract attention.

A short video with a view of French Garden 2:

Pavilion

Pavilion with statue and 360° viewing platform.

Royal Pavilion

The building resembles a Thai temple.

Take off your shoes inside both pavilions (as when entering a temple).

Stonehenge

You don't have to go to the UK to see Stonehenge. You can do this without leaving Thailand, moreover, without even leaving Nong Nooch Botanical Garden.

A short video with a view of Stonehenge and French Garden 1:

Bell Tower

A site with a large number of bells.

In this photo you can see the Bell Tower on the left side of the photo.

An unnamed building nearby.

Italian Garden

Not very big, but in my opinion the most elegant and beautiful garden in Nong Nooch Botanical Garden.

Heart-Shaped Garden

Very small garden, but very romantic.

Ants Tower

Near the Heart-Shaped Garden you can see huge ants. The Ant Tower, a small observation deck, is also located nearby.

Pottery Garden and Orchid Garden

My sister is a fan of growing orchids and I have seen quite a few of these flowers. But this garden still surprised me with its diversity.

Orchids here differ not only in flower color, but also in size. Some flowers are as big as my palm!

As the name suggests, there are also works of pottery art here.

But besides this, there is a pond and a wide variety of different plants and flowers.

To my shame, I don’t know most of these plants. Besides orchids, I can only recognize pineapples – apparently, this is some kind of decorative variety.

It feels like there are even fewer people here – this is the edge of the park and few visitors come here.

By the way, there are several resorts on the territory of Nong Nooch Botanical Garden. I didn't find out the details, but I think they must be amazing to stay in. At the very least, these places should surprise you with the number of flowers and their views.

A short video from the Pottery Garden and the Orchid Garden:

Caribbean Walk, Heliconia Walk

After a huge concentration of beautiful plants and other works of art, it is very nice to walk through the open space along a small pond.

Of course, everything is very beautiful here too.

There are not many people – this is almost the very edge of the park.

And these are lotuses.

To be more precise, it is a type of water lily, but in Thailand (and many other places where these plants are revered), “lotuses” are the name given to various types of water lilies.

Real lotuses have leaves that are not sharp, but rounded, and the core looks different.

In addition to dinosaurs, during the existence of our planet, evolution has created a huge number of diverse and sometimes strange animals. Most of them are already extinct.

Cactus Garden 2, Cactus Terrace

The second cactus garden has a wide variety of these plants. There are both huge cacti and small ones.

I saw several cacti in bloom.

The cacti are amazing – you can see it yourself from the photographs.

There are also many dinosaur statues here. In my opinion, they fit organically.

There is a building next to the cactus garden. Here you can buy souvenirs and have a snack or a cool drink.

Cacti are very different from ordinary plants in that they usually do not have leaves. There are several types of cacti with leaves – but they are not numerous.

What we see above the surface of the earth is the stem. It is very thick. This adaptation of the cactus body allows it to better retain moisture.

Photosynthesis occurs in the stem.

Speaking of photosynthesis, you should remember from school that during photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Other ingredients are water and sun rays. And the end result is carbohydrates, which then serve as a source of energy and building material.

In general, during the process of photosynthesis there is a process of gas exchange. So, gas exchange in cacti also occurs because it is necessary. But the process of gas exchange and photosynthesis in cacti is separated in time – photosynthesis occurs during the day, and gas exchange occurs at night. This is another adaptation to better retain water (due to the fact that the stomata do not need to be opened during the day).

Cacti are flowering plants. They have flowers and berries with seeds.

The root system is located shallow – this is an adaptation for more efficient use of scanty rainfall.

The spines are not modified leaves. The leaves simply don't develop. The spines protect the cactus from herbivores and also slightly shade the plant from the hot sun.

Cacti are most common in South America and North America, which is their natural habitat. But nowadays, cacti grow on various continents and islands, if there is a suitable climate for them.

The largest cacti reach a height of almost 20 meters, and the smallest have spherical shoots about 1 cm in diameter.

Most cacti are perennials.

A short video of Cactus Garden 2:

And another video of Cactus Garden 2, but from the heights of Sky Walk:

Stone Forest Garden

A very atmospheric place.

There are practically no plants, but stone blocks stick out everywhere.

It looks like an unusual desert or alien landscape.

Water Plants Garden

A garden with a predominance of aquatic plants and plants that love moist soil.

Nongnooch Herbaceous Garden

By this point, my phone had turned off due to a low battery – I felt about the same as the phone.

I think the one on the right is the Nongnooch Herbaceous Garden, but I'm not sure.

Tropical Garden

Thickets of tropical plants. It is especially interesting to watch from a height.

Nurseries

Nurseries occupy almost the same area as other gardens combined.

The following nurseries are available:

• Fern Nursery
• Indoor Plant Nursery
• Annual Flower Nursery
• Hortus Botanicus
• Climber Collection
• Indoor Collection Nursery
• Cactus Nursery Garden
• Bromeliad Nursery
• Palm Nursery

I would not recommend going to nurseries. If only because you may encounter a bus on a narrow road. It is best to buy a ticket for this very bus and ride comfortably between the endless rows of young plants.

Overall, this is an impressive spectacle and well worth the money.

Other places

Places that I missed or for which I don't have photos for other reasons:

• Elephant Theater, Scala Theater
• Car Museum 1
• Thai Dinosaurs
• Sansevieria Collection
• European Garden
• Phra-Phrom
• Double coconut
• Variegated Plant Collection
• Hibiscus Garden
• Waterfall Garden
• Blue Garden
• Cycad Garden
• Thai Topiary Garden
• Giant Arapaima
• Nanta Lawn, Cycad Valley, Blue Cycad Late