Phetburi

The province of Phetburi borders Pratchuap Khiri Khan to the south, Burma to the west, Ratchaburi to the north and the Gulf of Thailand to the east. Characterised by thick jungle covered mountains towards the western frontier with Burma that run down to the plains by the Gulf of Thailand, Phetburi holds considerable allure for nature-loving travellers -- with stunning mountain scenery and lush national parks.

While the provincial capital, Phetburi (also known as Phetchaburi) has a number of wats worth peeking at, the massive Kaeng Krachan National Park (Thailand's largest at 3,000 sq km) makes a stopover of at least a day or two worthwhile. There are also a few beaches not far from Phetburi that may interest some.

Despite the considerable appeal, tourism is only a small part of the local economy -- the majority of the population are involved in the agricultural and fisheries industries.

A mixture of ethnicities inhabit the capital -- the town started it's life as a trading post, set between the southern Malay/Thai peninsula to the south, the Burmese to the west and the Chinese/Khymer empires to the north. As a result, there are many ethnic influences represented in the town, including Malay, Hmong, Burmese and Chinese. This history brings a rich variety and vibrancy to daily life in Phetburi and as a result there is much variety in the food, culture and even language.

The town is split in two by the Phetburi River and most sights are within walking distance of the river's banks. Khao Wang is to the west, whilst most of the interesting wats are on the east side of the river. Phetburi is reasonably small and travellers will find it easy to walk around town. Traffic is light and the streets and lane are quite easy to navigate.

People do not travel to Phetburi town for it's nightlife. There are no bars or clubs open (and, at night, precious few restaurants) due to a police crackdown on drinking establishments. Phetburi was gaining itself a reputation for gangster related activities and gun crime had become a common feature of the town's after-dark scene. The police made a decisive move and closed all the night time drinking establishments. Things have now become very quiet at night. Most travellers will just buy their drinks at the local convenience stores and consume them in the comfort of their hotel.

Phetburi is particularly well-known for khanom mo kaeng a desert made from eggs that is sickly sweet. Look for the stalls selling little yellow balls -- that is the stuff. Khanom mo kaeng comes in a large variety of flavours, including taro and lotus seed and some of the best stalls are near the base of Khao Wang.

Be careful how much you eat, the first few balls are tasty, but too many can leave you feeling very ill.

The town is easily reached by train or bus as it sits on the thoroughfare of the main north south highway and the railway. Hua Hin and Prachuap Khiri Khan lie to the south and Ratchaburi and Bangkok to the north. Both the train and bus stations are reasonably centrally located in town, near the bustling night market. Arriving travellers will find plenty of tuk tuks and assorted travel options waiting to whisk them to accommodation dotted around town or the surrounding attractions.