Sam Muk Hill
Also known as 'monkey hill' this precipice overlooking the sea is located at the north end of Bang Saen beach on the way to Ang Sila village. A shrine, Chao Mae Khao Sam Muk, is believed to commemorate an 18th century Chinese girl who threw herself from the cliff after her parents refused to give their permission for her to marry her lover. The girl is now considered a goddess. Another legend says the hill was once a 'lover's leap' where a couple killed themselves after vowing their eternal love. Still another folk tale says that the shrine honors the memory of a fisherman's wife who waited atop the hill for her husband who was lost at sea. Many Thai-Chinese people like to visit the shrine to fly kites to honor the magical spirit said to dwell at the site, and to pray for good fortune and prosperity.
On Sam Muk hill there are beautiful cactus gardens and, as the nickname 'monkey hill' implies, the area is inhabited by a large number of wild monkeys.
