…A Hidden Gem.

This is part three of the Khao Lak Loop story. If you’d like to start at the beginning, please click/tap here.

Tucked away up a tiny gravel road…

… is the Khao Lak Orchid Garden. Actually, there’s also a Butterfly Park, but I wasn’t much interested in the latter.

If you’re in the area and want to find the place, it’s directly opposite the PTT gas station. I think there’s only one. There is a sign, and when you see it, you’ll think “Do they really mean up there?” Yes, they do.

Now, I must admit, I have orchids. I can’t claim to “grow” them. I buy them. I water them from time-to-time. And if they want to produce flowers, well, it’s up to them. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Mostly I have anti-green fingers. Whatever I buy is likely to be dead inside eight weeks.

I probably should have warned the orchid garden. They might not have wanted me in the place. But I’m glad they did.

It’s not big. The area is about the size of a small house, or one large room. My initial reaction was – should I have paid 100 Baht for this? But it all goes towards the maintenance of a wide variety of orchid species. And that’s not really much money. Less than US$3, or two-and-bit Brexits.

The first part of the garden houses hybrid varieties that can be found in many parts of the world…

But beyond that there are some very unusual species.

Not long after I walked in – and needless to say, as usual, I was the only visitor – a nice lady rushed over and handed me a magnifying glass. Now, I know I look old (-ish) but that old? Well, no, that wasn’t the reason for the magnifying glass. It was needed in order to see some of the really tiny flowers.

I had already noticed there were orange arrows everywhere…

It looked like the last visitor had been a demented rally organizer!

But the arrows are there to point you to the flowers you might otherwise miss. Many of which are about the size of a finger nail…

Hmm, I think I shall call them minichids.

Some of the plants are very odd shapes and sizes, from long to tall to bizarre. Although many, at the moment, don’t have flowers…

I enquired about this, and discovered some of the rare plants had recently been moved from Koh Lanta, and they can take as long as twelve months to acclimatize to their new surroundings. So, I’ve instructed Siri to remind me to return in about twelve months. I doubt that will happen. She’s about as brainless as Ms. Chuckles.

Overall, this was the highlight of the Khao Lak part of the trip. The biggest surprise was on my way home. That’s coming next.