Khao Tang Kuan is the taller and better-known of Songkhla's two hills, rising behind Samila Beach to a summit crowned by a centuries-old Dvaravati-era chedi and Sala Vihan Daeng, a pavilion built during the reign of King Rama V. A cable lift runs to the top for a small fee, or you can climb the 305 steps for free.
The payoff is the view: Songkhla Lake on one side, the Gulf of Thailand on the other, and the old town's rust-tiled roofs laid out below. It is the best single vantage point on the peninsula's odd geometry, squeezed between lake and sea. The nearby, lower Khao Noi hill offers a quieter, less-developed alternative with its own view over the town.