San Chao Pho Khao Lom Muak — Local services in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province

To visit the monument at the bottom of the hill to see the Dusky Langurs you have to enter the air force base, it's likely that you will need to write your name and phone number in the register to enter the base. Once in the base, follow the road that leads across the runway and towards the beach, turn left just before the hotel and head past the golf course to the historical park. There's a check point where you will be required to surrender you're passport or ID card (I used my UK driving license) before entering the area. Once at the monument you will usually see the Langurs either on the roof of the shrine or hanging around in the nearby trees. They are generally gentle and will take nuts and fruit (they much preferred the peanuts to the bannanas we took to feed them) from you hand but be warned, a few of the the adults will jump on people and sit on their heads to get at...

I had originally come here to climb khao lom muak, but it was closed to public access, so I just visited the monkey monument instead. The monkeys are very friendly, as it's clear that they have been fed by humans and are not at all afraid. I did not feed them, but other people did. Be aware that although they mostly took food gently, there were a few that jumped on people's backs when competition heated up. Be advised, you must bring your passport and leave it with the military guard (a very friendly young man, by the way). There is a toilet block near the monument, but it's not well marked. Cost is 5b. All in all, if you coming by motorbike to Ao Manao, the monkey monument is worth a 15 minute stop, but it's not really worth a special trip. Hopefully next time I'm in town I'll be able to climb...

Military camps in Thailand are full of surprises and Ao Manao is one of the most amazing ones thanks to a Langur Conservation Area. If you hate monkeys (I mean the terrible macaques !) you absolutely must go there. Leave your id to a soldier and discover the cutest monkeys of the world : they stay in the trees, jump elegantly and watch you shyly. And the most amazing is that black & white adults have fully orange babies ! If you have a few fruits such as banana you can approach them and feed them nicely. I love the Dusky Langur (Trachypithecus obscurus) ! Unfortunately the trail to the view point is not workable anymore : after hundreds of steps, you have to climb thanks to a rope and even enjoying hiking I haven’t been able to reach the peak. Actually the trail is not...