Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [455]
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Upper Southern Gulf
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PHETCHABURI PROVINCE
PHETCHABURI (PHETBURI)
KAENG KRACHAN NATIONAL PARK
CHA-AM
AROUND CHA-AM
PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN PROVINCE
HUA HIN
KHAO SAM ROI YOT NATIONAL PARK
PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN
AROUND PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN
HAT BAN KRUT & BANG SAPHAN YAI
CHUMPHON PROVINCE
CHUMPHON
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Most travellers slide through the upper southern gulf region, often in the middle of the night, en route to beaches and islands further south. The area’s attractions may not be as dazzling or obvious as more popular destinations, but with mellow seaside towns, flashier resort destinations, the country’s biggest national park and plenty of historical intrigue, this thin slice of Thailand holds its own.
Local tourists have long flocked to the region, and you can get your merrymaking on with Thai revellers on weekend sojourns in decidedly un-fa·ràng Cha-am. For the comforts of hotel high-rises, world-class golf courses and a buffet of international food choices, hit the brakes at modern Hua Hin, which, though firmly cosmopolitan, has been attracting Thai tourists since Rama VII built a palace retreat there in 1922.
For those more into history than holidaying, the region is pocked with cave temples seemingly lit from within by sun-dappled Buddhas, and Phetchaburi’s provocative skyline of wáts and palaces is perfect to take in on a city stroll.
Wilderness and wildlife fans can challenge their quads on steep hikes that climb past waterfalls, through thick forests to savannahs and panoramic sea views.
Exercise your traveller’s ingenuity and make some new Thai friends by catching local transport between the smaller towns. Sure, it’s not as simple as an overnight train-ride, but it’ll be worth it.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Spotting a 2.5m water monitor while dining on banana blossoms by the river in Phetchaburi (Click here)
Classing things up with a round of golf and a fancy dinner in resorty Hua Hin (Click here)
Lazing away a jungle beach day in toned-down Bang Saphan (Click here)
Promenading between sudden limestone peaks in seaside Prachuap Khiri Khan (Click here)
Clinging onto the back of a banana boat packed with holidaying Thais in Cha-am beach (Click here)
BEST TIME TO VISIT: FEBRUARY–JUNE
POPULATION: 1.4 MILLION
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History
Though the region owes much of its current status as a popular Thai holiday spot to its endorsement by a long line of relatively recent kings, archaeological evidence suggests that the upper southern gulf has attracted visitors since the Dvaravati period. In particular, Phetchaburi acts as a visible timeline of historical periods, displaying evidence of the different influences enacted upon the area.
During the 11th century, the Khmer empire settled in, though their control was relatively short-lived. As Khmer power diminished, Phetchaburi became a strategic royal fort during the Sukhothai and Ayuthaya kingdoms; in fact, the Sukhothai reign marks the first true kingdom of Thais along the peninsula.
As the Ayuthaya kingdom absorbed the Sukhothai reign in the 13th and 14th centuries, the upper peninsula flourished. It saw the gradual growth of what today is called Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Phetchaburi thrived as a 17th-century trading post between Burma and Ayuthaya. The town is often referred to as a ‘Living Ayuthaya’, since many relics that were destroyed in the former kingdom’s capital are still intact here.
When the city of Ayuthaya was taken in 1767, Prachuap Khiri Khan was abandoned. It wasn’t to be reconstructed until 1845, when King Rama IV re-established the town and gave it its current name.
Prachuap Khiri Khan, and specifically Ao Manao, was one of seven points on the gulf coast where Japanese troops landed on 8 December 1941 during their invasion of Thailand.
Climate
The best time to visit is during the hot and dry season (February to June). From July to October (southwest monsoon) and October to January (northeast monsoon) there is occasional rain and strong winds. However, because this region