CHA-AM, a district in Southern Bangkok, offers visitors a host of charming discoveries.
The district located in the Petchpuri province has a myriad of attractions including its charming beach, sight seeing spots and shopping experiences.
Cha-am’s town is made up of several rows of shophouses and hotels around the beach.
Unique: The tree-top houses are one of the atrractions at the hillside resorts in Cha-am. The beach town which is surrounded by a fishing village offers serenity for those seeking peace, away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.
About three hours drive away from Bangkok, Cha-am offers visitors exotic accommodation, including hotels and resorts facing the beach and around it.
As guests of the Thai Tourism Authority who brought a group of tour agents for the familiarisation trip under the theme Bangkok & Beyond, we were placed at Tara Menthra Hotel, located about 500m from the beachfront.
The one-night stay in a mini-suite of the contemporary-designed hotel was more than a delightful experience.
It is equipped with a creatively designed 48sq metre studio-style guestroom; its living room and bedroom space separated by a swiveling television set console.
The hotel is also equipped with three swimming pools, jogging track on the roof top, beauty salon as well as a spa and fitness centre.
Besides catching the sunset and cycling around the long beach at a nearby fishing village, you can also have a seafood barbeque dinner by the poolside.
Adrenaline boost: ATV adventure is a different challenge compared with the calmness of Cha-am. There are also a few entertaintment outlets, including nightclubs in the area.
Hua Hin nightmarket, located some 20km away, offers you a shopping opportunity for various kinds of souvenir items, including clothing. The price of things here is much cheaper than in Bangkok.
Cha-am is also renowned for the Tham Khao Luang cave which contains beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. Several images of Buddha including a large reclining Buddha ican be found here.
The ATV park is another attraction in Cha-am. It offers All Terrain Vehicle adventure, paintball experience, shooting and horse-riding.
While heading back to Bangkok, the Premium Outlet is the spot that tourists cannot afford to miss.
It can be called the “shopping paradise” for branded stuff as the area boasts of more than 200 premises that offer various types of popular brands from fashion, accessories, footwear to sports items.
Special items are available from as low as 70% of the normal price.
For show: The Queen Sirkit Forest Garden has a sculpture of the people’s involvement in the tin mining activity in the olden days. Before the trip to Bangkok, a two-day, one-night trip to the Ratchaburi province is also worth a try.
A must-visit is the Wat Khanon, a temple which houses the collection of “Nang Yai” a great show play, a traditional form of Thai entertainment that combines the skills of sculptors with the grace of puppeteers.
The Siam Cultural Park offers a wealth of cultural, historical and religious attractions. Formally opened last year, it features life-sized wax and fibreglass statues of famous national and foreign personalities, including Ho Chi Minh and Mother Theresa.
The artificial fibre cave is complemented by the presence of natural green garden on the outskirts including a waterfall.
Lord Buddha and his disciples are set amid a landscaped garden and peaceful environment. It also has the traditional homes from the four regions of Thailand.
You also have the opportunity to experience and design your own candle at a village which is popular for its candle-moulding activity as part of the “one district one product’’ concept.
Suan Phung district is located on high ground surrounded by mountains and adjoining the Thai- Burmese border.
The climate here is colder and is complemented with hill resorts that are built with various themes.
The Pua Watana resort that we stayed at came with various types of accommodation, including tree- top houses, link and individual chalets.
Lights in: Mesmerising view from the cave of the Wat Khanon temple Dinner at the Honey Scenery restaurant complemented by a live band gives you the feeling of being in a countryside. This is so because the restaurant owned by the Scenery and Nagaya Resort, is situated just beside a sheep farm.
The scenery around the two resorts was breathtaking and the accommodation here comes with a spa attached.
A visit to the hot mineral water stream of “BO KHLUNG” that received its water source from the Tanawsri mountain range is refreshing.
The stream flows throughout the year and the temperature of the water ranges from 120°F-134°F. Travellers are able to come and bathe in the warm mineral water.
The Queen Sirkit Forest Garden, which was opened in celebration of the 60th birthday of the Queen, has many different kinds of forest plants, several of which have economic benefit.
The garden is also an excellent place to study nature. Adding to the atmosphere is the presence of the Pha Chi tributary.
While in Bangkok, a trip to the Siam Ocean Park which is the largest aquarium in South-East Asia will be a good learning experience.
The Suanlong Night Baazar is the most popular night market for shoppers of handicraft and souvenir items.
All in all, the Thai experience was indeed an enthralling discovery.
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