This region situated on the southern part of Thailand, has many to offer to those willing to go ! As our company, SiamRise travel, proposes a one-day trip in Phetchaburi, we thought it would be interesting to learn more about the region itself.
PHETCHABURI OR "CITY OF DIAMONDS"
Precisely, Phetchaburi is a region situated between the Gulf of Thailand and borders Myanmar. Only two hours away from Bangkok (160 kilometers), taxis and direct bus and train services can be used to get there. Depends on your time, buses are the fastest with one hour and a half, while taxi and trains are the longest with two hours and half (taxi) and three hours (trains).
Its capital, Phetchaburi, got its nickname “Diamond City” by the fact that it seats on river Phet. Phet means diamond in Thai, while buri means city in Sanskrit.
For a responsible travel, we recommend you using train services. As you may consider it time-consuming, trains are part of the slow travel. Taking your time during your journey instead of changing location as fast as possible is also a way to take care of the environment.
ITS LUXURIOUS AND DIVERS ENVIRONMENT
Phetchaburi is cut in three green “zones”. In the west, you will be surrounded by mountain in the east, beaches stretching to the Gulf of Thailand will welcome you. Then you have this natural boundary with Myanmar with the Tenasserim Range, a mountain chain of 1700 kilometers part of the Indo-Malayan Mountain system. To complete it, three major rivers feed the province: the Phetchaburi, Bang Tabun and Bang Kloi.
MAIN SUSTAINABLE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Phetchaburi is mostly known for its mountains and beaches. Relaxing at the beach is the main activity travelers will do. Why not applying sustainability to your journey in Thailand ? With these few activities, we want you to try the community-based and sustainable Phetchaburi.
- Mangrove Ecological Conservation and Study Center Bang Tabun Whittaya School
This national learning center is open for both visitors and schools. It makes it perfect for a family trip in Thailand. There, you will study the mangrove forest and environment through various activities such as listening to a lecture or boat trip to study the mangrove. This mangrove is an ecosystem on his own with macaques, crabs, fireflies glow insects and mangrove plant species. Boat trips are interesting as they allow you to discover local fisherman’s lifestyle, local slat farming and on-site knowledge about mangrove forest.
- Lao Song Cultural Centre
Lao Song (or called Thai Song dam) is a tribal village of Phetchaburi. Originally, they were situated between Laos and north of Vietnam in a city called Diên Biên Phu.
Managed directly by the people of the community and the municipality, Lao Song cultural center highlight their customs that they brought in Thailand, more than 200 years ago. Through explanations and equipment (objects from everyday life, duplication of their house, ancient scripts, cultural show, reed mouth-organ dancing, Luk Chang (children’s folk game),…), you will immerse yourself into their cultural heritage.
As you will go further into this knowledge journey, you will understand why they wear all blacks’ clothes (“song” means clothing while “dam” means black), how they became expertise in textiles and listen to their unique oral and writing system (Black Thai language).
To finish, you can either spend a night there in a traditional Thai house (homestay experience can be included) or decide to stop buy a local souvenir.
This visit is perfect for families, backpackers and any travelers interested in Thai culture, as it allows you to improve your knowledge about Thailand complex culture.
The good point is its daily opening and free of charge (for groups, cost occurs).
- Mangrove resources development
This place’s goal is to conserve and restore the mangrove environment through community participation. To achieve their goal, they created the Mangrove Forest Nature Trek, that allows you to walk through the place with formers trails that respect the surrounding biodiversity. The activities go from bird-watching and coastal creatures’ observation to plant seedlings and cockles collect with villagers.
Perfect for every traveler, you can experience homestay as well as many other activities.
- Bang Khun Sai
This small village is composed of fishermen. Located near to the sea, you can view the shell catching by yourself or collect shells with a raft. Villagers use old techniques to catch them and still live with fishing incomes.
- Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park
Since 1999, it is conserved as a national heritage site. The goal was to transmit and preserve legends, to following generations.
The first legend is Nang Phanthurat. Famous in Thai literature, locals named a mountain “Khao Nang Non” as it represents her cremated body. When you go to the highest point of the park, you will see a specific mountain that look like a sleeping woman. The legend says that Nang Phanthurat adopted a son, Phra Sang. Due to Phra Sang behavior (he flew away from her), she kept looking for him without success. Her sorrow led to her death and Phra Sang came back to give a proper funeral through cremation.
The second one is Sang Thong legend. Through trails, you will discover its story with specific places to see and activities to do such as birdwatching, banana tree, stalactites, etc.
The legend is the expression of “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. In fact, it begins with a king who have two wives. One wife gave birth to a child with deformity : a baby that lived inside of a crab shell. The king banned its son and wife because of the deformity, and they live as pariahs, in a restricted zone. Her mother broke the shells he lived in, as she wanted him to accept himself.Surprisingly he was a good-looking boy with a golden body. Years passed and Sang Thong started to forget its royal status. He decided to break his mother’s promise and went outside the restricted zone. Life was harsh until one day he heard that a king was marrying his seven daughters. Six of them found a man but not the last one. He decided to try his luck and find the King, with an ugly mask on its face.
Long story, short story, he overcame each obstacle and married the girl. He revealed his identity and they accepted him as he was.
- Hup Kaphong and Hup Kaphong Royal Project Learning Centre
Starting from a royal initiative, the goal was helping poor vegetable farmers. In fact, they didn’t possess any land. Hup Kaphong land was chosen thanks to its rich soil. Thanks to this initiative, farmers were able to receive technical aid and sustainable knowledge on the agriculture. They upgraded their skills and started creating hand-woven products from sisal fiber and vetiver.
They achieved to create the Hup Kaphong Agricultural Cooperatives which sell products from their land which is dehydrated fruits, bags, hats, …..
The activities mostly consist of understanding the project, their way of agriculture and observing how they farm. Through an educational aspect, travelers, families and even groups of friends, will discover sustainable agriculture in Thailand.
- Sirindhorn International Environment Park and International Environment Camp
This park aims to develop the natural habitat (mangrove and beach forest) of fauna back to its original fertility. They added an educational aspect with promotion of ecotourism towards tourists for the wellbeing of the nature. On-site, accommodations and natural study room are provided to go deeper into the sustainability and environment (degraded soil improvement, resolution of eroded shores,...).
- Kaeng Krachan National Park
Since 2021, it is considered as a World Heritage Site. It owns the place of the largest national park in Thailand with wildlife watching, hiking, incredible landscape, and camping. You will be blowned by all the wildlife inside the park : Siamese crocodile, Banteng, Asian Elephant, Elongated Tortoise, Asian Golden Cat, Tiger, and so on.
Inside the park, you have many sites such as the lak (islands with cruises on the lake is available), Khao Phanoen Thung (park’s highest peak within Thai territory), or Phanoen Thung Camp (camping slot with beautiful scenic point).
LOCAL DELICACY
- GIFT
During your trip here, you can find hand-made products. There is “Lucky Woods” formed of 5 kinds of lucky trees (Siamese rosewoods, santal woods, ...) used for handcraft. In Phetchaburi, they will use them for realistic miniature boats.
- FOOD
Thong Yot
This ancient Thai dessert is composed of water, sugar, egg yolks and Thong yot flour. Thong yot flour is a rice flour and wheat flour mixture. It is part of the Nine Auspicious Thai Desserts that give specific blessing according to each dessert. Tong (“gold” in Thai) is the symbol of wealth and good luck.
Khao Lam
This Thai dessert is a must to eat. Despite its simple recipe (coconut milk and sticky rice), it is presented in a bamboo tube. Unfortunately, you cannot bring it back with your in your country, but at least you can taste it.
Khanom Mo Kaeng
This traditional Thai dessert is like a flan. The ingredients are simple : coconut, egg yolks, coconut cream, salt, vegetable oil, shallot, and mung beans. It supposedly appeared during Ayutthaya royal time from Maria Guyomar de Pinha a Japanese-Portuguese woman. Take a try to this sweet-salty dessert ! Some may have apprehension about the saltiness on a sweet dessert (shallot, salt), so what not give a try ?
Khanom Allure
Its real name is Alua which means “charming” in Thai. This dessert is simple and colorful. They come by small pieces from different color and shapes. Green, Yellow, Red, Orange….You eat with your eyes as much as with your mouth. Made from three ingredients (flour, sugar, and coconut milk), they offer sugar crust on the top and chewiness on the inside ! Kids are fond of this dessert in Thailand.
Enjoy your trip in Phetchaburi with us or by yourself. The most important is to respect the nature and enjoy every minute of Thailand beauty.