Located at 175 km southeast of Bangkok, the province of Rayong is mostly known to travellers as a getaway destination leading to the more famous islands on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand (Koh Samet being by far the most popular one). But there’s more to Rayong than just the bus ride to the pier and then the ferryboat trip to the islands.
As a matter of fact, one could take a pleasurable educational trip to Rayong and become immersed in authentic Thai culture while, at the same time, having fun and enjoying the nature. If you’ve got a few hours to spare on your next trip to Koh Samet, here are three destinations you won’t regret visiting: Dok Krai Reservoir, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhon Herbs Garden, and Sunthorn Phu Memorial. Of course, you could also spend the entire day visiting here on a full day trip to Rayong Province.
Dok Krai Reservoir covers a massive area of 1300 hectares and is located in Pluak Daeng district, 35 kilometers from Rayong City. Apart from its obvious function to store water, the reservoir was also built to educate the public in areas related to agriculture, fishery, and irrigation. After you’ve visited the educational center, it’s time to head for the water and enjoy the scenery and the clean air.
A few rows of open-air bungalows built on stilts offer a perfect view of the lake. Depending on the season, there’ll be enough birds in the air to please the weekend birdwatcher, while the breeze coming from the water will help you overcome the heat. This part of the reservoir is usually quiet, so it’s a good idea to have your lunch here.
Being in such close proximity to both freshwater and seawater, the choices of dishes mainly revolve around seafood. The deep-fried fish (pla thod), fried rice with crab meat (khao pad poo) and glass noodles with various seafood (yam wunsen thale) will fill your stomach and keep you going for the rest of the day. After lunch, you can walk on the wooden plank way to the shore of the lake and skip pebbles on the surface of the reservoir. Obviously, you can find great spots to take photographs and selfies everywhere!
Your next stop is Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhon Herbs Garden, an even quieter place where you’ll have the chance to walk among thousands of herbal trees of various sizes and learn about Thai herbs. The history of the garden is linked to that of PTT, the state-owned oil and gas giant, who established the first Thai herb garden in 1984/85.
In 2004, with the occasion of the Princess’s 50th birthday, PTT expanded the garden into a full-fledged research, educational, and recreational center. The 60 rai that encompass the herbs garden are filled with 260 species of medicinal herbs about 20,000 herbal trees. Well-manicured footpaths flanked by tall trees and a huge water fountain with multiple sprinkles just add on to the peaceful atmosphere.
The garden is open every day of the week (except Mondays) from 9am to 4pm and the entry fee is from 50 to 150 baht, depending on whether you are a child, a student or an adult.
Your last destination for the day (before you head on to the beach) is Sunthorn Phu Memorial, maybe one of the most recognizable monuments in Thailand. The namesake of the park is that of the Rattanakosin era poet whose most famous work is Phra Aphai Mani, an epic poem that is taught and drilled in every Thai class. The poem includes many elements of Thai folklore (including mermaids and giants) and dwells on the romantic adventures of Phra Aphai Mani in Siam.
The memorial park was officially opened in 1970 and has ever since become a pilgrimage site for hundreds of thousands of Thais. It is located on Phra Aphai Mani Road which literally leads to the seashore, your last stop for the day. Obviously, you can’t compare the white sand beaches of Koh Samet with the trash-littered beach in Rayong, but if you want to gaze at the vast expanse of the Gulf of Thailand, listen to the waves crash on the shore, and look out in the distance at all sorts of vessels, then the view is as good as any.
Being a transportation hub on the eastern seashore, there are many ways to reach Rayong. From Bangkok, busses leave every 40 minutes from both Ekamai bus station and Mo Chit bus terminal. The journey takes 3 hours and the first bus leaves at 4am while the last one at 10pm. Vans also leave regularly from Victory Monument and many taxis have a standard fare of about 3,000 baht for a one-way trip. If you’re in a rush, you can take a plane from Don Muang Airport to Utapao Airport and be there in less than one hour. If you drive your own car, then just follow the signs on Bang Na-Trat Highway or the motorway to Chonburi.
The main thing I liked while being in Thai is food, sea food. The range of fish, crabs, shellfishes is so huge
True, Thai are famous for their sea food. Let’s just hope that they will pay and treat their fisherman (most of which are illegal immigrants) humanly!