Most guesthouses and tourist offices can arrange rafting trips and tours to local waterfalls in the nearby rainforest. The best beaches are Sairi Beach, for island excursions, and Thung Wua Laen beach to the northeast of town, where kite-boarding is proving popular. Diving over Chumphon's offshore pinnacles reveals pristine reefs and abundant marine life -- including whale sharks (in season), turtles, and a range of tropical fish.
The town of Ranong straddles the Myanmar/Thai border west of Chumphon and is a popular daytrip because of its hot springs, but inquire about visas before you book.
The Chumphon National Museum (Office of Archeology, Sam Kaew Hill, Na Cha Ang subdistrict; tel. 07751-4105; 30B/86¢/45p) is open 9am-4pm from Wednesday to Sunday and covers historic events such as the Japanese invasion of 1941.
