Known in English as Fossil Shell Beach, Suu San Hoi was a freshwater 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, and if that sounds like fun, you can drag yourself out here too.
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Appearing like discarded pieces of concrete from afar, slabs of Shelley limestone containing approximately 75-million-year-old mollusk fossils sit strewn around the shore at the far eastern end of Ao Nammao. You’d have to be a biology enthusiast with a particular interest in ancient shellfish to get a real thrill out of it, but the seaside scenery isn’t too shabby and the site is easy to reach by songthaew from either Ao Nang or Krabi town.
Unusual but overpriced. Photo: David Luekens
Low tide is the best time to visit, as some of the fossils return to their original salty home when the tide comes up. You can always check out a small showroom that houses some of the more impressive finds. From there it’s a fairly steep descent down a stairway to reach the beach and the rest of the fossils.
The other attraction here is a 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 around the car park 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 ... please log in to read the rest of this story.
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By
David Luekens.
Last updated on 13th November, 2018.
How to get there
To get here from Ao Nang, Haad Noppharat Thara or Krabi town, hop in any white songthaew and expect to pay 40 to 60 baht per person for the lift. If coming on your own from Ao Nang, take the main drag (Highway 4203) north away from the beach and hang a right shortly after passing the Tesco Lotus supermarket on to Khao Kaew Soi 1. Keep east and then bear right at the traffic circle; from there it’s a straight shot to Suu San Hoi.
Location map for Suu San Hoi (Fossil Shell Beach)
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