Durian sundae with sticky rice and coconut cream

Deliciousness at S&P in Cha-am, Thailand.

Looks ugly but tastes divine.

EBriel.com

Taken on: 12th July, 2011. Copyright: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License - See E.Briel's page of Flickr

Read more about Cha-am

Sort of a dump, Cha-Am is also a nice change of pace with a unique flavour. Its key charm lies in what it lacks, namely an over-developed tourist infrastructure and hordes of Western visitors.

Cha-am's beach is divided in two by Naranthip Rd which runs from town till it bisects the beach road, Ruamjit Rd. To the north guesthouses and shops cater to Scandinavian and European tourists who have staked out a small claim, while to the south, the beach strip is dominated by Thai tourists.

If you've ever wondered what the locals do to get away from the daily grind of serving you drinks and trying to coax you into their tuk-tuks, here's the answer -- the wage-slaves of Thailand save their baht and descend on Cha-am Beach once a year on weekends and holidays.

They come in large, colourful buses, throbbing with Thai pop music, and filled with vacationers who have been drinking and dancing since the moment they boarded. They can't afford to waste a minute, since some tours only ... Read our complete Cha-am travel guide

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