Cherating is mainly about water and nature. The lagoon and beach offer windsurfing, surfing (during monsoon season), kayaking, and snorkelling. Equipment hire is available on the beach. The boat trip up the mangrove river is the highlight — a two-hour guided trip with good chances of spotting monitor lizards, otters, monkeys, and snakes. At night, the same river puts on a firefly display that is worth the trip alone.