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Region: Southern Thailand> Province: Phetburi>Location: Cha-am

Cha-am sights and attractions

Fishing Village -

Description
Heading north on Ruamchit Rd the road turns to dirt passing through a line of Thai shops, fishmongers, and associated restaurants. The road tees at the harbour--to the right is the beach and Shylae Seafood. To the left, the road continues around the harbour past the docks, and a narrow bridge leads to the other side. It's worth half a day or so just to wander around and take in the bustling scene. Fishing is an important part of the local economy, and much of the fish served down in Hua Hin actually comes from right here. Be sure not to venture too deep into the Fishing Village after dark, though. Falang stick out like a sore thumb and have sometimes been targeted by hard-drinking locals with criminal intentions.

Eurasia Cha-am Lagoon - Skinny-dipping in the moonlight

Description
The Lagoon is a resort and residential community on the beach, about 3km north of Cha-am. It has two cool, welcoming, free-form pools overlooking the gulf that are free to the public and open 24 hrs a day. There's a terrace restaurant that serves typical Thai fare in the 100 to 300THB range, along with beer and spirits, but the latter are outrageously over-priced so you'll want to bring your own. Never crowded, it's a great place for taking a dip and sunbathing, but there isn't a lot else to do. After dark you can get a little more adventurous. Feel free to BYOB, and some wood for the fire pits on the beach (some citronella candles wouldn't hurt) and go skinny-dipping in the moonlight.


How to get there: A little tricky to get to, so you might want to suss it out by day before venturing there at night. Take Naranthip Rd north and take the last right before you reach Petchakasem Rd, at the Family Mart (Sri Sakul Thai Rd.) 2K or so down the road you'll cross a bridge and find two right turns shortly after it--take the second one, heading towards Haad Chao Samran. Continue for another kilometre until you see a big sign on the right pointing the way to the Eurasia Cha-am Lagoon. Go right, down the winding road past the cow stalls, and follow the signs until you get to a street that snakes through a gated residential community. When you see the beach on your right, you're there, but you won't be able to see the pools yet. They're on the other side of the low, white retaining wall. Rent a good bicycle or motorcycle to get there if you don't have your own transport.

Cha-am Forest Park - Go see Magilla the monkey

West side of Petchakasem Road, 1 km south of intersection with Naranthip Rd

Description
A small, modest nature preserve that is still worth a visit. ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) rentals are available for guided tours. You won't be able to hot-dog around on your own, but there are sufficient bumps and water crossings to make it amusing, especially for families and small groups. Pricey though, at 500 THB per ATV for a half hour, 900 THB for an hour. One child can ride on the back with you for and extra 150 THB, flat rate.

And you can go see the big monkey. Actually, it's a gibbon, a member of the siamong family, and it's definitely not from around here. It's still unclear what it's doing in the King's Park, but it lives there, on an island surrounded by a moat, and they feed it. Locals call him Magilla, though it's also not clear whether it's a 'him' or a 'her.' Data is still being collected, tests are being run.

To spot Magilla you'll have to get yourself into safari mode, and you'll also have to drag your ass out of bed early. He's typically only visible when he's swinging from his favourite swinging tree, and he does that usually from dawn to 10:00 then knocks off for the day.

Upon entering the park, you'll find a restaurant on the right and a visitor's centre on the left. Go straight over 2 bridges, past the ATV rental place on the left. At the last left before the road ends, turn left at the brown and yellow sign. The road loops around to a small wood and concrete bridge. Park your vehicle and walk on to the bridge.

Go to the center of the bridge and gaze over to the island. The gibbon usually hangs out in a tall tree straight ahead. If he's not there look down to the right, where there should be some blue feed buckets. He might have taken a break for breakfast. It may take a while for him to make a noticeable move, so you might to bring some breakfast along, too, while you wait. Bring a camera with a telephoto lens or binoculars to get an up-close look.

There's a path that goes around the moat surrounding the island, which is a pleasant place to hike or ride. Even if you don't spot Magilla, you may spy a monitor lizard, a king fisher, or any manner of wildlife. Don't let a rainy day stop you from showing up--the frogs will come out, making a thunderous chorus of croaking, as people run around trying to catch them for food.


How to get there: The sure-fire way to get there is to head south on Chao Lai Rd to where it tees and turn right. You'll reach Petchakasem shortly, and if you look across the road and you will see a big picture of the King at the entrance to the Park. Go straight across the road into the park.

Phrarachanivet Mrigadayavan - A summer palace

Description
This summer palace for King and kin was built in 1922, though it is no longer used by the royal family, so it's open to the public. Head south on Petchakasem Rd and look for the signs. It's about nine km from Cha-am, on the left.

It's a complex of teak houses on stilts with louvered windows and a maze of walkways connecting them. The airy rooms were designed to beat the heat in the days before air-conditioning, and the raised walkways enabled the Royals and their guests to get around without getting their tootsies wet during flash floods. It's well- maintained, and the architectural design somehow evokes both the austerity of a life devoted to contemplating the Buddha and a summer of fun on the beach. Several rooms feature exhibits depicting how the inhabitants and their servants lived.

There isn't a lot of English language information, so if you want to know what you are looking at, you'll have to hire an English-speaking guide.