Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
wăhn
(green curry),
Ъlah mèuk gà·prow
(squid stir-fried with basil) and even the standard
pàt pàk roo·am
(stir-fried vegetables) arrive at a leisurely pace.
Getting There & Around
Pranburi is about 35km south of Hua Hin and accessible by ordinary bus from Hua Hin's
night market (20B). You'll be dropped off on the highway where you can catch a
sŏrng·tăa·ou
to Pak Nam Pran.
There is also a minivan service from Bangkok's Victory Monument to Pranburi (200B);
if you're going to Dolphin Bay (sometimes referred to as Khao Sam Roi Yot Beach),
you'll have to negotiate an additional fare with the driver (usually 100B).
If you want to explore the area, you'll need to rent a motorbike; public transport isn't an
option.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park
Towering limestone outcrops form a rocky jigsaw-puzzled landscape at this 98-sq-km
park
( 0 3282 1568;
www.dnp.go.th
; adult/child 200/100B)
, which means Three Hundred Mountain
Peaks. There are also caves, beaches and coastal marshlands to explore for outdoor enthu-
siasts and bird-watchers.
With its proximity to Hua Hin, the park is well travelled by day-trippers and contains a
mix of public conservation land and private shrimp farms, so don't come expecting re-
mote virgin territory.
Rama IV and a large entourage of Thai and European guests came here on 18 August
1868 to see a total solar eclipse (apparently predicted by the monarch himself) and to en-
joy a feast prepared by a French chef. Two months later the king died from malaria, con-
tracted from mosquito bites inflicted here. Today the risk of malaria in the park is low but
the mosquitoes can be pesky, especially during the rainy season.
The
Khao Daeng Visitors Centre
in the southern end of the park has the largest collection of
tourist information, and English-speaking rangers. Maps are handed out at the entrance
gates.
Travel agencies in Hua Hin run day trips to the park. Hua Hin Bike Tours (
Click here
)
offers cycling and hiking tours.
