890 m from the resort
Chan Ngam Mountain cave and rock paintings
Red paintings on a sandstone cliff, made 3,000–4,000 years ago.
Activities around Sikhio
Khorat Global Geopark
The land of cuestas and ancient life
Sikhio is one of five districts in the Khorat UNESCO Global Geopark area, where long sandstone ridges rise above the Lam Takhong basin and the ground keeps a record of ancient life.
Sikhio is part of the Geopark area. Come and see!
2023Joined the Global Geoparks network
3,167sq km in Nakhon Ratchasima
5districts, Sikhio among them
10/55ancient elephant genera known worldwide are found here
What it is
A landscape recognised for its geology
The Geopark follows the middle to lower Lam Takhong basin, where geology, nature and local life are looked after together.
Khorat joined the UNESCO Global Geoparks network on 24 May 2023, the second in Thailand after Satun.
Its visionLiving Sustainably in Harmony with Nature and Humanity
The five districts
- Sikhio
- Sung Noen
- Kham Thale So
- Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima
- Chaloem Phra Kiat
ChanNgarm is in Sikhio
The land of cuestas
Why the ridges look the way they do
A cuesta is a ridge with a steep cliff on one side and a long, gentle slope on the other, like a cleaver seen from the end.
The rocks of the Khorat Group lie at a slight tilt. Hard sandstone of the Phra Wihan and Phu Phan formations resists erosion while softer layers wear away, leaving two parallel rows of cuestas along the edge of the Khorat Plateau. Khao Yai Thiang is one of them.
The ridges you see from your balcony are part of this landscape.
- 1Steep cliff, where the hard layer has broken away
- 2Long, gentle slope that follows the tilt of the rock
- 3Hard sandstone that resists erosion
- 4Softer rock that wears away faster
World Paleontopolis
A city of ancient life
Fossils found around Nakhon Ratchasima tell of dinosaurs, crocodiles, elephants and forests that have long since turned to stone.
Dinosaurs
Three new species of iguanodont from the Khok Kruat Formation, among them Sirindhorna khoratensis.
Ancient crocodile
Khoratosuchus jintasakuli, an ancient crocodile known from this area.
Ancient elephants
Ten genera found here, out of 55 known worldwide.
Petrified wood
Trees whose wood turned to stone, found in sand and gravel deposits.
The elephants and petrified wood come from younger sand and gravel deposits, about 16 million to 10,000 years old. The dinosaurs come from the older rock of the Khok Kruat Formation.
Go and see it
Geopark sites to visit from the resort
Start close by in Sikhio, then follow the fossils towards Korat city.
15–18 min by car
Khao Yai Thiang and its cliff
Stand on a cuesta: the viewpoint and Pha Yai Thiang look out over the Lam Takhong reservoir.
Khao Yai Thiang: our guideBan Yuan Chaloemraja Cultural Center
Handicrafts and a market tied to the Thai Yuan way of life, going back nearly 200 years.
Sikhio
Wat Pa Phu Pha Sung
A forest temple in the mountains, with wide views of the ridges around it.
Sung Noen
Petrified Wood Museum
See how minerals replaced the wood while keeping its original structure.
Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima
Khorat Dinosaur Site
Where dinosaur fossils were found in the rock layers of Mueang district.
Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima
Tha Chang Fossil Museum
Fossils from the sand and gravel deposits of Chaloem Phra Kiat district.
Chaloem Phra Kiat
Opening hours and entry rules vary. Check with each site before you go.
One province, three listings
Nakhon Ratchasima on the world map
Nakhon Ratchasima is the first province in Thailand with three UNESCO listings: World Heritage, Biosphere Reserves and the Global Geoparks network.
Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai Forest Complex
Natural World Heritage, 2005
Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere Reserve, 1976
Khorat Geopark
Global Geopark, 2023
Official information
Information on this page comes from the UNESCO Global Geoparks network page, the Khorat Geopark website, Thailand Geoparks and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
ChanNgarm is an independent hotel in Sikhio. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by UNESCO or the Khorat Geopark.
Stay in the Geopark area
Wake up with the ridges in view, then ask our team to help plan your day out.