Phetchaburi city is 10 miles from the coast. The nearest easily accessible seaside village is Chao Samran, which has a few small hotels and guest houses, and one luxury resort. It is a tranquil spot, ideal for seekers of peace and solitude except on long weekends. Legend has it that this beach was a favourite place of relaxation for Thai royalty during the 17th and 18th centuries while Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand.
Puek Tian is a few miles to the south of Chao Samran, and is somewhat larger and more popular, although evidently dilapidated. It is distinguished by the very large statues of imaginary figures from Thai literature dispersed around the beach area.
About 25 miles south of Phetchaburi lies Cha-am, a rapidly developing resort with a fine long beach that is immensely popular with Thai families. There are also many good hotels and guest houses aimed at visitors from overseas, especially from Northern Europe. The ordinary fan buses takes about 90 minutes and costs you 40B.
The whole of the Western half of the province is given over to the Kaeng Krachan National Park, the largest such park in Thailand, and a pristine evergreen jungle covering more than 1,000 square miles that remains mostly unexplored to this day. The park headquarters can provide details of hiking, rafting and camping opportunities tel: +66 3245 9291.
