Eat, Heal, Love: Day Trips to Take Beyond Bangkok Part II

This is a continuation from the part I series of “Eat, Heal and Love”. If you have read Part I, you would have seen my suggestions for three day trips to take out of Bangkok. Here are more recommendations for you to consider and it’s all fun, joy and laughter.

Day Trip Option #4 – Adventure, selfies and wefies lover

Vana Nava Hua Hin is Asia’s first water jungle filled with 10 world class attractions built with the state-of-the-art technology and modern facilities. Not your typical family-friendly water theme park, the 3.2-hectare Vana Nava is an adrenaline-inducing water adventure park created for the ultimate thrill seekers. Here the water rides reminds me of an actual roller coaster but the only difference is you are partially submerged in water.

The variety of the rides aims to thrill. The Abyss™, the largest slide in Thailand, brings you up, down and around as you get pushed along by the water pressure and spins you inside like a giant washing machine, while the vertical looping slide, the Aqualoop, is the fastest slide going at 60 km per hour. It takes only six seconds to get down from the top.

If you have enough of the thrill-seeking rides, you can relax by the wave pool, get a drink by the bar (Fisherman’s Tavern). You can easily spend the whole day here and not get sick of it. For those who prefer to sit back and relax, rent a cabana to chill out or visit any of the five restaurants within the park.

Plenty of lockers are available for you to store your personal belongings. There is no need to carry around cash and valuables as a RFID chip will be given to track all your expenses for the day. Simply make the final payment when you leave the premises. A wide variety of food options are available as well.

Turning one year old this year, Vana Nava is still a hidden gem mostly unknown to tourists yet. To come here, the establishment has arranged various pick up points to Vana Nava within Hua Hin. To get here from Bangkok, buses depart from Bangkok’s Sai Tai Mai terminal every 20 minutes (3.5hr ride). There are also mini-vans that depart from Bangkok’s Victory Monument to Hua Hin.

On the way back to Bangkok, drop by the Swiss Sheep Farm (Kao Yai, Cha-am District, Phetchaburi province) for a change of pace. Not your usual animal farm, the Swiss Sheep Farm is a hybrid of a carnival park and an animal farm.

Visitors can go around feeding the sheeps, alpacas or swans, pat horses or ride on a donkey. To make sure you have plenty of memories to bring back home, quirky props are peppered across the farm for you to take beautiful photographs against the wonderful Hua Hin Hills backdrop .

*Optional* If you are staying the night at Hua Hin after Vana Nava instead, drop by the Hua Hin Grand Night Market for some night flea market action. While you are there, enjoy a seafood feast at one of the seafood restaurants along the street. Big and juicy crustaceans like the King Lobster are readily available and best served fresh to you lighted steamed and barbequed.

Located in between the Grand hotel and Sao Paulo Hospital on Petchakasem Road, Hua Hin Grand Night Market  is made up of two main sections; the front part is lined up with street stalls selling typical flea market-style of clothing, fashion accessories, stationary and other local handmade handicrafts which you can bring back as souvenirs. There are also street food stalls and seafood restaurants. The second section has a more hippy vibe where you will find custom made crafts from local designers. The market is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 6pm to 11pm.

Vana Nava Hua Hin
129/99 Soi Moo Baan Nong Kae, Nong Kae, Hua Hin,
Prachuap Khiri Khan 77110
Tel: +66 032-909-606
Email: [email protected]

Swiss Sheep Farm
Petchburi Thailand 76120
Tel: +66 032-772495
Email : [email protected]

Day Trip  #5 – For the history lovers

About 130 km (or 1.5 hours) away from Bangkok in the province of Petchaburi lies the Royal Hill or Khao Luang. There are many caves in Petchaburi province but Khao Luang is the largest and contains the most Buddha images.

Khao Luang is a natural underground cave with hanging stalactites that enshrines over 120 Buddha images in various styles and sizes, including a large sitting Buddha, sleeping Buddha and the Buddha foot print. It is said that King Rama IV used the cave to study Buddhism and to meditate.

Just a few kilometres away from Khao Luang is the Phra Nakorn Kiri Historical Park in the Muang District of Phetchaburi province. The park is located on the mountain peak at 95 metres above sea level. Today, Phra Nakhon Khiri offers the best view of the Phetchaburi province at its peak. To reach the top, you will either take a tram or alternatively walk to the top. The park is made up of three summits – Western Peak, Central Peak and Eastern Peak.

King Rama IV built his summer palace called Phra Nakhon Khiri in 1859 on the Western Peak of the mountain. Also known locally as Khao Wang, which means mountain with a palace, is the first palace in Thailand to be built on a mountain range.

The 155-year-old building is heavily influenced by a mix of European neo-classical, classical Thai and Chinese dynasty architectural styles, depicting the cultural influences brought on through international trade. Due to the vantage point, the light house at the top of Phra Nakhon Khiri is used by the local fishermen as guide. Besides the palace, King Rama IV also built Wat Phra Kaew temple on the Eastern Peak, a smaller but similar style to the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

You will also find an exhibition of personal items of King Rama IV and King Rama V on display, including ceramics from a number of foreign countries set up by the Fine Arts Department.

After exploring Phra Nakorn Kiri Historical Park, make your way to check out another summer palace constructed by King Rama VI in 1923 located further down on Bang Kra beach at Cha-am county. Mrigadayavan Palace, also known as the Palace of Love and Hope, consists of 16 buildings of golden teak designed in Thai-Victorian style. All of its buildings are connected by elevated airy walkways designed to catch the coastal breeze from all directions.

Unlike the other palace where you could only explore the exterior, Mrigadayavan allow visitors to access selected parts of royal compound which gives you a glimpse of the rooms of the King, Queen and consorts stay at, the gardens, and the beachfront area. As Thai traditions are very strict, man and female living areas are separated; even the beach is spilt into male and female sections.

To enter the premises, you need to listen to a quick briefing (done in Thai) that reminds you to be in your best behaviour as you are entering a place deemed sacred. Certain actions are required: do not to take any photos, switch off mobile phones, walk gently (no loud stomping), speak softly, no dragging of feet or bags and no leaning on property.

A little history fact: Mrigadayavan Palace was known as the palace of love and hope because when Queen Indrasakdi Sachi was pregnant, King Rama VI was extremely hopeful in anticipation of an heir and took extra care of the Queen at the summer palace.  The King took great care of her throughout her pregnancy but regrettably, the queen miscarried.

Last but not least, head down to Hua Hin to visit the famous Wat Huay Mongkol temple. If you are heading from Hua Hin instead, it is about 30 minutes’ drive away.

Here the main attraction is to scale up the steps to see the 12-metre-tall and 10-metre-wide giant statue of the revered monk Luang Phor Thuad. The monk is known by the locals to provide protection and especially safety for those who are always on the road.

A story goes that many years ago a helicopter crashed and the two pilots who were flying it escape unharmed except for some scratches. According to the news reported, the pilots were wearing the amulet of Luang Phor Thuad. Plain lucky or divine intervention? We’ll never know, but the locals really believe in the divine powers of the monk, and come here regularly to pay their respects and seek for good fortune besides safety.

Beside the giant statue are two large wooden elephants. You are supposed to walk in circles under the belly of the elephants for a few times for good luck. Besides the statue of Luang Phor Thuad, the complex also holds a Buddhist temple, a statue of King Taksin the Great on horseback and shops selling Buddhist amulets.

Royal Hill (Khao Luang)
Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Opening hours: 9am to 4pm daily (free admission)

Phra Nakorn Kiri Historical Park (Khao Wang)
Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Opening hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily. Admission is 150 Baht per person including the museum at the Western peak.

Palace of Love and Hope (Mrigadayavan Palace)
Mrigadayavan Palace, Cha-am, Cha-am, Phetchaburi 76120 Thailand
Opening hours:  8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily. Closed on Wednesday
Admission fee is 30 to 50 baht per person.

Wat Huay Mongkol
Thap Tai, Hua Hin 77110, Thailand
Opening hours: 5am to 10pm daily (free admission)

To find out more information about these places or to explore other provinces in Thailand, visit the website of Tourism Authority of Thailand.