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Eating

Christie’s Bar and Restaurant (0 3865 1976; 280/92 Soi 1; breakfast, lunch & dinner) With funky tunes and friendly staff, Christie’s is where you’ll meet other travellers waiting for the ferry. Buy a takeaway baguette sandwich before you board the boat. At night, the bar becomes the regular drinking hole for expats in town teaching English.

Getting There & Away

There are two air-con bus stations in Ban Phe that have buses to Bangkok’s Eastern (Ekamai) bus terminal. Fifty metres west of Ban Phe pier, buses depart four times a day starting in the afternoon at 12.30pm; they leave Bangkok as many times in the mornings beginning at 7am (138B, 2½ hours). Slower but more frequent buses depart across from Nuan Tip pier, 100m east of Ban Phe pier. These buses leave Ekamai hourly from 5am to 8.30pm and return from 4am to 7pm (167B, four hours).

Slightly more simple, but also more expensive, are the tourist minivans that run to and from Ban Phe and other traveller destinations: Pattaya (200B per person); Victory Monument or Th Khao San in Bangkok (300B to 450B per person); and the Laem Ngop pier, the departure point for Ko Chang (300B per person). These can be booked through guesthouses on Ko Samet, the travel agencies near the 7-Eleven opposite the ferry terminal in Ban Phe, or through travel agencies in Pattaya.

For information about boats to and from Ko Samet Click here.

AROUND RAYONG & BAN PHE

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Khao Chamao/Khao Wong National Park

Although less than 85 sq km, Khao Chamao/Khao Wong National Park (0 3889 4378; reserve@dnp.go.th; admission 200B; 8.30am-4.30pm) is well known for its limestone mountains, high cliffs, caves, dense forest and waterfalls. Secreted in the rugged landscape are tigers, wild elephants and bears. The headquarters has eating facilities and a small store, as well as visitor information and accommodation. The park is inland from Ban Phe, 17km north of the Km274 marker off Hwy 3. You’ll need your own transport to get to the park; a taxi from Ban Phe will cost around 1500B.

You can stay at a campsite (50B per person) or rent a two-person bungalow (600B to 800B). To book go to www.dnp.go.th or phone 0 2562 0760.

Islands & Beaches

Ko Man Klang, Ko Kudee and Ko Man Nok, along with Ko Man Nai to the west, are part of Khao Laem Ya/Mu Ko Samet National Park (0 3865 3034; reserve@dnp.go.th; admission adult/child 200/100B; 8.30am-4.30pm). This official status hasn’t kept away all development, only moderated it. Ko Kudee has a small, pretty sandy stretch, clear water for decent snorkelling and a nice little hiking trail. Ko Man Nai is home to the Rayong Turtle Conservation Centre (0 3861 6096; 9am-4pm), which is a breeding place for endangered sea turtles and has a small visitor centre. The best way to visit is to join a boat tour from Ko Samet (Click here).

You can also volunteer to work at the centre through Starfish Ventures (www.starfishventures.co.uk; 4 weeks incl accommodation £900). Activities include monitoring the progress of the turtles, releasing young turtles into the ocean and explaining the project to tourists on day trips from Ko Samet. Accommodation is in a fishing village, and every day you’ll go to work in a speedboat across to Ko Man Mai. It’s pretty leisurely – you’ll be expected to work from 8am to 1pm four days a week –and in your downtime there are good beaches nearby to explore.

Ko Saket, a small island near Rayong, is a 20-minute boat ride from the beach of Hat Sai Thong (turn south off Hwy 3 at the Km208 marker).

Suan Son (Pine Park), 5km further down the highway from Ban Phe, is a popular place for Thai picnickers.

Suan Wang Kaew is 11km east of Ban Phe and has more beaches. Ko Thalu, across from Suan Wang Kaew, has decent diving, a nice beach and a woodsy walking trail up to a viewpoint.

Other resort areas along the Rayong coast include Laem Mae Phim and Hat Sai Thong. Hat Mae Rampeung, a 10km strip of sand between Ban Taphong and Ban Kon Ao (11km east of Rayong), is also part of Khao Laem