Dragon Crest
Dragon Crest
4.7
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.7
74 reviews
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John K
Costa Mesa, CA2,444 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Today was the second time I've climbed up to Dragon's Crest viewpoint (actually named Nong Thale peak). Access is through Khao Ngon Nak nature trail. Entry fee is 200b, which seems high, but quite a bit of work has gone into constructing and maintaining the trail. That said, maintenance could use a tune up these days, as there are many broken stairs and considerable erosion has occurred along the trail. Most of the hike is shaded, but don't fool yourself - it's hot going up there. Count on drinking at least 2 liters of water, maybe more if you're a sweaty person, and bring energy food as well. Today I saw at least a dozen people headed uphill without any food or water, the logic of which escapes me. OK, exiting "dad mode" now. As you approach the peak, you will start coming across viewpoints, all of which are spectacular on a clear day. There are a few side trails leading off to other attractions, but honestly I'd save your energy for the trip to the top, and only walk the side trails on the way down if you've got the stamina. The main attraction is the view from the top. Be sure to walk the narrow trail all the way around from the main boulder, as this trail leads to several more great view points. The time you spend going up and coming down could vary greatly, depending on how fit you are (not how fit you think you are). For me it was 1.5 hours up and 1.25 hours down, but I'm not a slow climber. A reasonable time would probably be around 4 hours total up and back. And count on at least an hour on top to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Ok, back to "dad mode" for one more brief moment. Please pack out all of your rubbish. The trail was pretty clean overall, but I still filled a big bag full of empty water bottles and miscellaneous rubbish collected along the way down.
Written 2 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mckjl3
Washington DC, DC178 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
Buckle up friends because this hike kicked my butt. It’s a very intense climb for the elevation (almost 1,800 feet). Entrance fee is 200 baht per person. A lot of rocks and sand so it can be quite slippery in places so I recommend tennis or hiking shoes. Bring more water than you think you’ll need! I’d also recommend starting early in the day. We finished around 1:30 pm and it was very muggy with the humidity. I cannot imagine doing it in the heat of the day. The view at the top is incredible but you do need to scramble across some rocks to get there. It’s shaded for 95% of the hike which was a lifesaver. It took us around 4 hours round trip and we had told our taxi around what time to pick us up to avoid the problems getting a Grab/Bolt. You can do it if you’re relatively fit and have a pool to look forward to when you’re done!
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica P
3 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
This was an incredible hike. We consider ourselves fit and hike in the Rocky Mountains often and would consider this a challenging hike for most. It is not a technically difficult hike but involves significant elevation gain and some steep segments, high humidity, and some mild bouldering at the end that many novice hikers might not be prepared for. It was longer than we expected and took us about 4 hours, top to bottom, with just a few stops for water and a small detour to a waterfall. If you want to do the full hike to the top, bring good shoes and lots of water. We took a grab taxi to get there but had a hard time booking one on the way back. We recommend walking down the road to the taxi stands outside of nearby resorts.
Written 13 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dennis
Papendrecht, The Netherlands6 contributions
Jan 2025 • Family
It's a pretty doable hike if you just work out a little. If you are totally untrained and don't have any stamina it will be harder. I'm a smoker and a bit heavier, but not untrained. My first advice don't smoke before ;). It took us about 3 hours and 40 minutes from bottom to top and back. Included a few brakes and making photos. Make sure you have hiking shoes, about 2 liters of water and think twice about going when it rains. The path is pretty okay, climbing a bit sometimes but when it rains i can imagine its harder. The best advice i can give you is goed early! We started at 6am at 22 degrees and ended around 10 with 26/27 degrees which you really noticed. Yeah it's humid but you'll be okay. It's all worth it, the view is amazing!
And if you go early you have a chance to see a lot of great stuff. We saw monkeys and a big Malaysia forest scorpion.
And if you go early you have a chance to see a lot of great stuff. We saw monkeys and a big Malaysia forest scorpion.
Written 6 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marika
Akersberga, Sweden378 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
The hike is demanding. The surface is uneven; lots of rocks & roots. The slope is sometimes very steep. The humidity is very high, which makes it extra difficult. It took about 1 1/2 hours up, 1/2 hour at the top and 1 1/2 hours down. It rained for large parts of our hike. It didn't do much but it got slippery and scary on the way down.
Written 24 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex M
London, UK97 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
My husband (in our 60s) and I did this hike today. It is challenging and took us a good 4 hours there and back, including 20 minutes at the top and stops for photos elsewhere. There are some very steep parts, including 2 flights of steps and 2 roped slopes, though these (ropes) not strictly necessary. The vast majority of the walk is in the jungle and in the shade. It is mainly on good paths and everything is well maintained, clear to follow and clean. It is marked as a nature trail with information boards along the route. The view points (one after about an hour), then a couple of others as well as the top, give magnificent far reaching views, over 2 coastlines as well as forests and hills. At this time of year there is little or no water in the nearby waterfall or lake, so we didn't visit. We wore trainers /walking shoes, but younger people did the climb in sandals, even bare foot. The very top section (quite short) involved rock climbing. At the beginning you are near a small river which you can paddle in and the path is very stony. You have to check in with the park registrars on arrival and departure. Many people do this walk, probably 100 or so the day we went. It wasn't crowded (we started at 10.30) but we did see people coming and going fairly regularly. There is an adequate toilet near the check in, and a drink stall with only fizzy drinks or water. There is nothing at all on the trail. We took a private taxi from Ao Nang to the start of the trail and picked up one to return just about 5 minutes walk back down the road, price was 5-600 baht each way. It didn't seem worth getting a taxi to wait for us, or joining a tour. All in all, we were very pleased to have done the hike and it was very easy to get there from Ao Nang, taking at most 30 minutes.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen Browne
35 contributions
Feb 2020
I started up in the dark with a headlamp, as it is a difficult climb and very humid.
The first half of the climb is more difficult and then it levels out and you get a breeze.
The instagram hotspot is technically a fine if you go there, but if that's what you want then you should go later in the evening so the sun won't be at your back making you a silhouette, or very early before it is too strong to make the photo look bad.
It isn't easy, but it isn't overly hard either, wear proper shoes or hiking boots.
Took me about 1 hour and a half up, but that included my camera backpack with 3 litres of water weighing about 11kg, as well as a 10 minute period in the dark where I went the wrong way (this won't happen to you though so don't worry it's easy)
About 1 hour and 10 minutes to come down, but that included heaps of people stopping me to ask questions about the top and how hard it is or how far it is. It gets very busy as I was leaving about 08:40.
The first half of the climb is more difficult and then it levels out and you get a breeze.
The instagram hotspot is technically a fine if you go there, but if that's what you want then you should go later in the evening so the sun won't be at your back making you a silhouette, or very early before it is too strong to make the photo look bad.
It isn't easy, but it isn't overly hard either, wear proper shoes or hiking boots.
Took me about 1 hour and a half up, but that included my camera backpack with 3 litres of water weighing about 11kg, as well as a 10 minute period in the dark where I went the wrong way (this won't happen to you though so don't worry it's easy)
About 1 hour and 10 minutes to come down, but that included heaps of people stopping me to ask questions about the top and how hard it is or how far it is. It gets very busy as I was leaving about 08:40.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mango212
Singapore, Singapore203 contributions
Jan 2022
It took us 1.5hrs to the peak and we're pretty fit/didn't take any breaks. Come prepared especially if it's been raining as it will be slippery on the tree roots and muddy sections.
Easy to follow trail, mostly in the shade but a very hot and sweaty climb. Cracking views from the top so well worth the climb. You can park your scooter right at the start of the trail (no need to stop when you see all the bikes parked at the first barrier, these are staff from the hotels).
Take proof of your vaccination (@Jan 2022) to show the ranger, and remember to sign in and out of the walk.
Hard-close of the trail at 2pm and they won't let you start climbing.
Easy to follow trail, mostly in the shade but a very hot and sweaty climb. Cracking views from the top so well worth the climb. You can park your scooter right at the start of the trail (no need to stop when you see all the bikes parked at the first barrier, these are staff from the hotels).
Take proof of your vaccination (@Jan 2022) to show the ranger, and remember to sign in and out of the walk.
Hard-close of the trail at 2pm and they won't let you start climbing.
Written 16 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
r2thebizel
Pattaya, Thailand3,981 contributions
Apr 2022 • Solo
I think straight there and back could be done in 3 hours. I took 4 hours with about 20 minutes at the top and 185 photos later 😅 1.5L of water was just enough and I agree with the other reviews in that this is a moderate hike, with some areas that are difficult and only recommended for those of good fitness and flexibility.
Views at the top are spectacular, especially when you consider much of this was seabed at one time.
If you go right to the top where Dragon Crest’s rock is, you may want to keep walking past it for equally amazing views of the rock and scenery.
Views at the top are spectacular, especially when you consider much of this was seabed at one time.
If you go right to the top where Dragon Crest’s rock is, you may want to keep walking past it for equally amazing views of the rock and scenery.
Written 11 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
katie26
Edinburgh, UK2,789 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
Great hike but start early and be prepared to be sweaty and hot! 200 bhat for non thai and well kept park/trail. We started at 8.20 and took us just over 3.5 hours to go up and down. Very uneven and bits of scrambling required so wear trainers etc. Almost all in the shade so not too much sun exposure and worth it for the amazing views. Almost no one else for us on the way up but we met a few on way down. Take lots of water ! Closes at 2pm at the moment so go early.
Written 1 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonjour, quelle distance et combien de temps faut il compter pour atteindre le sommet
Written 22 January 2020
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