Cha-Am
Cha-Am Beach - Just as
beautiful as the nearby seaside Hua Hin, Cha-am is the No.1 beach
resort of Petchaburi Province. Located 41 km to the south of the provincial
town, the casuarinas-lined beach is long and clean and equipped with
numerous
accommodations.
Tourists can enjoy several water sports like swimming, scooter riding, water
skiing, banana boats riding and jet skiing. Riding a bicycle along the 6-km
road running in parallel with the beach is a charming activity of Cha-am.
Beach-side grilled seafood, snacks, and drinks are available.
Pranburi
Around 30 kilometers south of
Hua Hin is Pranburi, the Thailand's new coastal hip hotel hotspot
encapsulates serenity and tranquility. Set well away from anything that
could be described as over developed, the beaches are lovely and quiet and
the water is blue, a delightful destination for the beautiful boutique
resorts of
Praseban,
Evason Hideaway
and
Aleenta
to be located. The town of Pranburi is small and charming with a scattering
of houses, a local school and the Na Huam temple making up the majority of
the local infrastructure. If you get restless, visit the Sam Roi national
park, explore the Tham Praya Nakon cave or clime the Khao Kaloke hill. And
if that’s not enough, slightly more upbeat Hua Hin isn’t too far away to go
for the day or at nighttime.
Just over 250 KM’s from steamy
Bangkok, 20 KM’s south of Hua Hin, the small village of Pranburi is Located
in the province of Prachuap Khiri khan, an elongated province approximately
100 KM’s down the Gulf side of the peninsular, bordered in the north by
Petchaburi, in the south by Chumpon and to the west, Myanmar.
Undeveloped, Pranburi’s
geography is typified by long stretches of secluded beach back-dropped by
forested hillside and craggy limestone cliffs. 37 KM’s to the south of
Pranburi is the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, one of the Kingdoms most
scenic parks
When to go ?
January to September
The best time to visit the area
for clear and dry weather is between January and September. In contrast,
October and November tend to be the rainiest months. However, this region,
as with the majority of the upper peninsular on the whole experiences less
annual rainfall than the more southerly beach destinations. And, distinct
from the more northerly provinces, i.e. those beyond Petchaburi, has only
two seasons rather than three, the reason, due to their closer proximity to
the equator which gives rise to dryer and more stable climatic conditions.
What to do ?
Relaxation &
Pampering
Relax, relax and oh yes, relax!
Anybody thinking of going to Pranburi to do anything else is most definitely
picking the wrong destination! It’s a quiet town with a moderate selection
of small stunning resorts on the beachfront. And, with Eco-friendly being
Pranburi’s ‘middle name’, if you expect to partake in anything vaguely
active, forget motors and engines.
Swimming Sun
Worshiping & Sea Kayaking
Swimming, sun worshiping, sea
kayaking and walking are the main events other than of course the luxury
pampering available in the resorts. The beaches are pretty nice so
frolicking around in the sand comes highly recommended.
Pran River
Trips
Activities for the ‘most’
energetic include a trip down the Pran River. There, many species of
beautiful bird can be spotted, and is an area famed by bird spotters all
over the Kingdom.
Pranburi
Magrove Forest Trips
A trip to the Pranburi mangrove
forest to walk the long wooden pass is also highly recommended. This is the
Kingdoms largest mangrove forest and is home to an amazing array of fauna
and flora species. But, do take your insect repellent, as with all mangroves
there are some pretty unfriendly bugs. However, without a doubt the feature
activity near to Pranburi village is an excursion to the Khao Sam Roi
National Park.
Khao Sam Roi
National Park
63 KM’s from Hua Hin, 18 KM’s
south of Pranburi and meaning ‘land of 300 peaks’, the Sam Roi Yot National
Park predictably features over 300 hilltop ‘peaks’, some only really the
result of rock rifts but still included in the figure. The park covers an
area of 98 square kilometers and is home to an array of wildlife including
over 300 species of resident and migratory birds and the fast disappearing
Irrawaddy dolphin. Aside from the ‘300’ craggy limestone peaks, the park
features mangrove swamps, beaches and estuaries and has numerous picturesque
trails offering great trekking and even some quite good climbing, including
a scenic hike up to the 600 meter Khao Krachom Peak. The park also has some
notable limestone caves worth a visit. The best ones are the Tham Kaew and
Tham Sai caves north of the parks office. These caves feature spectacular
protruding stalagmites and stalactites in the multitude of sprawling
caverns.
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