Known in English as Fossil Shell Beach, Suu San Hoi was a fresh-water swamp that teemed with mollusks back when the dinosaurs roamed.
Today it’s a large collection of seaside fossils where local school kids get dragged on field trips. If that sounds like fun, you can drag yourself out here too.
Slabs of Shelley limestone containing approximately 75-million-year-old mollusk fossils emerge from the coastal water at low tide; shoot for late afternoon to see the widest collection. You’d have to be a biologist with a particular interest in ancient shellfish to get a real thrill out of it, but the seaside scenery isn’t too shabby. If you can’t get here for low tide but are dying to see some fossils, a small showroom houses a collection of the more impressive finds.
Apart from the fossils, the main attraction seems to be the seaside park with gazebos where local couples come to get doughy eyed at sunset. You can also take a walk up Ao Nammao beach from here, though swimming is next to impossible due to all of the rocks. The attraction mainly draws Thai visitors and a range of food and souvenir stalls set up at the entrance to meet their needs.
Hat Noppharat Thara - Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park oversees Suu San Hoi. Admission is 200 baht for foreign adults and 100 baht for children -- rather pricey for such a small attraction. It’s open daily from 08:00 to 16:30.
How to get there
White songthaews can take you here for 50 baht per person from Krabi town, 20 baht from Ao Nang. If coming on your own from Krabi town, take Route 4034 north and hang a left after several km on to Route 4204, following signs for Ao Nang. After another several km, keep to the left at the roundabout and Fossil Shell Beach is located all the way at the end of the road. From Ao Nang, simply head inland on the main drag and hang a right just after Tesco Lotus.
By David Luekens .
Location map for Suu San Hoi (Fossil Shell Beach)
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