Walk Around Cha Am Beachfront

Our little resort appeared just as we turned on the the road that runs up and down the beach front. From the road  side it looked pleasant and not really revealing much of anything.  Check-in was quick and  helpful. A young little Thai, no more than 4 feet tall, grabbed our bags and started to lead us to our room.  I quickly grabbed them back at the first sight of her struggling to lift them. Unseen from the road side the gardens and pool came in to view. A large inviting pool surrounded by coconut trees and well kept shrubs. Wooden walkways and paths led us to our room which was on the second floor of a small block.  Room was excellent and the gardens seemed like a little Eden to enjoy.

Towels were on the bed moulded in the the shape of two kissing swans, but a shower was needed and the artistic creation ceased to exist and ended up in a crumpled pile in the bathroom. The large Television was checked out and then a stroll through the gardens. The resort comprised of a few two stored blocks of rooms and a few garden huts, maybe 50 or 60 rooms in total. Not too big and again we seem to have hit a quite time. There were a few other guests but you would hardly notice.

Out on to the road. This is pretty long, running from a fishing village in the north and down in the direction of Hau Hin in the south. I`d guess 5 km or so long. The resorts on one side and a few side roads heading inland. On the beach side, Trees. A band of of large pines trees leading onto the sand and the cooling water.

The road was quite busy, lots of resorts and hotel, an abundance of 7-11 stores. Enough places for us to east and extras like internet cafes, tourist centres, clothe shops. Selling most things that you would need while still not feeling built up.

The beach was quite busy, many of the locals having a cooling off and making use of the available activates.  The inflatable tubes and sausage rides seemed popular.

The afternoon was coming to an end and as Cha-Am is on the Gulf of Thailand the sunsets are over the land. It was getting dark quickly and this seemed to be a signal for the locals to pack up. And they do..the resort does close down quite a bit. There are still the restaurants and some shops open enough to keep us happy in the evening.

The evening meal was taken close by, well practically next door to the resort. Great tasting Thai food and we did have a couple of beers here. It was a long day travelling and it was nice to unwind a little bit sitting by the side of the road watching the people and traffic passing.

Then wandering home  and having a sit on the balcony enjoying the coolness of the evening.

Travelling to Cha Am

Getting to Cha Am was relatively simple. Fly in to Bangkok, take the bus in to the city then catch a mini van down to Cha am.  Not much could go wrong and nothing really did .. apart from our regular holiday companion the Monsoons.

To be fair the rains were not torrential or long lasting, they just made the already horrible Bangkok traffic much worse. The flight with Cathay Pacific arrived and immigration and customs were passed through swiftly.  The bus terminal was on the ground floor and they have around 5 or 6 routes to various parts of the city and to some of the long distance coach stops on the edges of the city. We were going right in the the heart of Bangkok and It wasn't long before we were on our number 3 or 4 bus. The weather outside was warming up but there was the occasional wet spot we passed through and sometimes the rain was quite heavy.

The trip was pretty quick, at first, and if you are some kind of fan of taxi cabs then the trip will be a happy one. The taxis seem to come in all colours here and some look pretty good. Not being a great taxi fan I just looked at the flatness of the land as it passed.

As we started to get nearer the city the bus started to go slower  and slower. Traffic was starting to build up and making the journey quite a bit longer. The great thing about Thai Drivers is they know where YOU are going even if you have no idea.  With the traffic at a standstill and the coach doors opening, the diver gesturing in some direction and saying something it Thai, it seemed instinctively that he thought we should walk.

Victory Monument was just around the corner and we hauled our baggage leaving the bus behind and waving to the driver. They were probably inching forward for the rest of the afternoon.

Now we knew where we were and what we wanted but we never knew where that was!! A little bit lost but it was time for some food. It was just a snack, some noodles and a cooling drink, but it was a welcome as a stress reliever after the start stop of the traffic and we were not even driving. We asked the waitress for a little bit of help in directions, we had to find our mini van stop for the trip down to Cha-Am. This was quite funny in a way, I guess she never spoke any English but she brought somebody else who spoke a little and so we asked again. Not quite getting the message across a third waitress was pulled in to the conversation who understood the question but never knew the answer. Finally a guy who could have been the manager was called and he never knew either but he did say he would find out. This is what I love about Thailand, the people will do their best to help if you are stuck.

So eventually we were pointed across the road and in a certain direction and finishing our food and stopping at 7-11 for some liquid for the trip we were on out way again. Now a hand pointing a direction to something far away does offer up some error. So were soon lost again. But not really lost, more asking for help and more pointing soon guided us closer. Looks can be deceiving, a guy quite different from your normal Thai, Burly and covered in chains made from expensive metals  approaches you asks where you are going then you kind of step back and think HEY!. Nothing to be fearful of here, he was just looking for trade for his own transport, but did give us the final hand pointing we needed.

The little terminal was a hive of activity, people and vans coming in and out, being herded in different directions. I have no idea how they remember who is going where. So tickets bought, I think it was around 150THB each for the trip and then the heavens opened. It was heavy and a little bit unpleasant, especially the dripping down the neck.

Not long passed before seats were available and we were leaving Bangkok and the wet behind and heading south. Getting out of the city was a lot quicker then getting in and it was back to flat land and rice fields as we sped down the highway. It was a couple of hours trip but never seemed too long, the mini van was packed but not really too cramped even with luggage. Just as the journey was beginning to lose it appeal, we pulled off the highway and the van came to a stop. We had arrived, or just about.

The stop was in Cha Am town which is about 1km inland from the beach. There is a long straight road and I was sure I could already hear the waves and smell the sea. Taxis here are more of a motorcycle, you hang on the the back but that didnt quite appeal at the moment. The locals eager for business or just helpful made a few calls and a more appropriate bit of transport with seats arrived and soon were were on the last part of our trip and soon at the resort.

The bustle of Bangkok was gone , the rains had gone, the beach was before us. Time for a bit of relaxation and food to enjoy.

Cha Am Beach Thailand

Thailand has lots of tropical islands and sandy beaches with names that are familiar with tourist around the world. One little sedate  place we found is Cha-Am.

Well known to Thailanders as a getaway from the city of Bangkok than as an international destination for tourist. It still can offer a well needed bit of relaxation and slower bit of life but quite easier to get too than other places.

Situated in a Thai  province of  of Phetchaburi about 150 KM (100 mi)  south of Bangkok which is much closer  than the more well known Hau Hin resort.

We found this place by accident, having originally planning to take a well earned rest in Hau Hin. Cha Am made itself noticed and became more desirable as a quick place to pop in and out off.

No really knowing much more about it than there was sand and it wasn’t an island, we were not disappointed and it did offer something different from the typical place orientate at overseas tourism.

As with most of our journeys, how to get there was all up in the air. We had a vague idea of flight and bus but not much more. Thailand's transport can be daunting especially with language problems, but as always passing over the most basic of information like pointing on a map the Thai people spin in to action and you are ushered in the right direction even if you do not realize.

Cha Am does not present the best of Thailand's beaches and the location and facilities are mainly aimed for the home tourist industry but that did no really do much to spoil our enjoyment. Mixing in with the locals on the beach front and in the waves was a great way of feeling part of Thailand. Needless to say the food did, as always, offer great tasting dishes.