Any picturesque places within an hour or 2 drive?

[mrblonde]

Am back in Pattaya in november for 2 weeks with the mrs (English), are there any picturesque places within an hour or 2 drive from Pattaya worth visiting?  Either quiet beaches, mountains, places like that?

 

Before you ask why stay in Pattaya then, its because we enjoy the nightlife every night

[dotpoom]

Banchang....beach area. Turn right at the 2nd. set of lights as you drive through Banchang from Pattaya and carry on straight for about 6 klm. So peaceful and quite I actually moved there myself. I call it my 2nd last resting place.

[jacko45k]

Nong Nuch gardens.....

 

[jossthaifarang]

Buddha mountain, lots of tourists but lots of photo ops.

[Rimmer]

Silver Lakes next to Buddha Mountain is being made into one very nice area indeed, there is also a small nature reserve in the same area.

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

Banchang....beach area. Turn right at the 2nd. set of lights as you drive through Banchang from Pattaya and carry on straight for about 6 klm. So peaceful and quite I actually moved there myself. I call it my 2nd last resting place.

Not the last time I went, the beach was disgusting, covered in rubbish, and soi dogs everywhere.

[LennyW]

7 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Not the last time I went, the beach was disgusting, covered in rubbish, and soi dogs everywhere.

Not now.

 

[LennyW]

If you come through Ban Chang, past Shell gas station and then go Left at the next lights, about 4Km in there take a right, up over the mountains at the back of St Andrews school, great views, rent a paddle boat, lovely area.

[eddie61]

Hat Sai Kaew beach, avoid weekends

[Nice Boyd]

Ban Phe, south of Rayong

[dfdgfdfdgs]

Koh Sichang.  Less than an hour's drive then a 45 minute ferry.  Ferry is 50-60 baht.

[MadMuhammad]

Koh Samet. 1hr drive and 20min boat trip. There’s parking at the boat jetty @ Ban Phe and rooms are around 1000 a night. Well worth the trip 

[newnative]

Sanctuary of Truth.

[chatette]

The board walk across the Thung Prong Thong mangrove forest in Klaeng district of Rayong Province is a very pleasant outing; you can rent a boat for a small amount at the end of the walk that will take you through the estuary beyond the sea wall, with the boatman providing a commentary in Thai.
Adjacent the entrance of the board walk is the HMS Prasai memorial, which provides an interesting historical diversion. The drive there along rural roads is very picturesque, too, and you could stop for lunch or dinner enroute at one of the many local restaurants. I wouldn't recommend traveling on these roads after dark, though, as they're very dark and narrow.
You could  incorporate the Rayong Botanical Garden into the day trip, although I wouldn't suggest it as a stand-alone outing.
The Khao Wong Caves are also worth a separate day trip in conjuction with a trek to view the waterfalls at Khao Chamao. They're both part of the same national park but the caves are ~ 20 km from the park headquarters and not linked within the park; you can access the caves from the main Klaeng-Chantaburi highway.

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Soi 6. You don't even need to drive. Plenty of sights to amaze and amuse. Play spot-the-most-ridiculous-leisure-outfit, wifebeater-sans-frontiere and other entertaining games. Enjoy a chat with local guides offering surprising proposals at modest prices. Very picturesque and traditional Thai culture dating back to the 1960s.

[9KPhalak]

I heard of Koh Samet too.  I think it is just north of Rayong.  Some Thais recommend it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Thaitoknow]

2 hours ago, Nice Boyd said:

Ban Phe, south of Rayong

Dirty beaches and boring.

2 hours ago, Nice Boyd said:

 

 

Edited March 19, 2018 by Thaitoknow

[sandrabbit]

3 hours ago, 9KPhalak said:

I heard of Koh Samet too.  I think it is just north of Rayong.  Some Thais recommend it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lol, you mean SE of Rayong?

[mrblonde]

Thanks all, sorry I forgot to say we've been to Nong Nooch and Sanctuary of Truth previously.  Silverlakes looks nice, as do some of the smaller islands (although we are both shockingly bad on boats)

 

What is Samae San Island like (the one owned by the Navy), and also Koh Tao Mo just off Sattahip?  I'm purposely picking those closest to the mainland  

[gamesgplayemail]

8 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Banchang....beach area. Turn right at the 2nd. set of lights as you drive through Banchang from Pattaya and carry on straight for about 6 klm. So peaceful and quite I actually moved there myself. I call it my 2nd last resting place.

 

Is it Phala beach ?

 

 

[Commercial Diver]

I think you got an ocean near there .. use google maps

[ballbreaker]

Ninety minute drive from Pattaya your might like Brookside Valley Resort & Strawberry Town in Rayong Province.

[9KPhalak]

5 hours ago, sandrabbit said:

lol, you mean SE of Rayong?

Yeah, what did I say, NE?  It's SE of Rayong but still supposed to be nice.

[torrzent]

It's all virtual now.  With Songkran approaching, close the curtains, turn up the ACDC, put on National Geographic and pity all those poor souls discovering what mayhem means for the first time, as you sip another dram of single malt, before heading to your freezer to get an ice cold chaser.  Live it large!

[Wake Up]

Koh Kood has the best beaches I have seen in Thailand if you like quiet and clean. 

[thinkingman]

Viharna Sien is the most amazing place.  Entrance is only B20. Get the guide book where you buy your ticket. Going south on 3, make a left on Wat Yang road, marked by a light at KM 160 or 161, then follow the signs. Follow it up with lunch at Silver Lake restaurant, only a mile or so from the museum.

 

Viharna Sien was established by a wealthy Thai-Chinese and includes a dozen or so terra cotta warriors, as well as the most amazing carvings, including a jade temple about 15 feet high. 

 

The carvings of mythological Chinese figures are spectacular.  

 

Even if you don't like museums, you need to see this place. And, who'd a thunk it? One of the world's best Asian museums in Pattaya? I have been to the Asian museum in San Francisco, and Viharna Sien far surpasses it.

[dfdgfdfdgs]

9 hours ago, mrblonde said:

What is Samae San Island like

 

There are 2 islands right next to each other.  Koh Samae San and Koh Kham.  I think the below (in bold) applies for both but I realised once I'd written it that it might just apply for Koh Kham and not Koh Samae San.  I think both - the navy in this area seems to discriminate against foreigners a lot.  There's an old war vessel tourist attraction in Sattahip (HTMS Chakri Naruebet) which Thais are allowed to visit (for free) and foreigners are completely banned...  Can you imagine that in Europe/US?

 

Double-pricing for the boat (foreigners pay double) and you're only allowed there if you are with a Thai!  So effectively if you weren't already taking a Thai, you have to pay 3 times what a Thai pays...

 

Worth avoiding for that reason alone.  I looked at swimming there...

[gk10002000]

18 hours ago, 9KPhalak said:

I heard of Koh Samet too.  I think it is just north of Rayong.  Some Thais recommend it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bacin 2004, I was on Ko Samet with friends during the Tsunami.  We were supposed to go to Phuket but my friend changed the reservations at the last minute.  Beautiful and peaceful where we were, I think Malibut something.  NIghtly barbecues on the beach put out by the 7 or so hotels on that beach. 

[sandyf]

You may think its a bit far at 3 hours but the Pliw Waterfall is well worth a visit. I never made it up to the waterfall, too old, but the views from the viewpoint was quite spectacular. Quite easy to get to, just follow the No3 and its not far the other side of Chantaburi.

I would support the previous post on Koh Sichang, even the ferry across is something different, passes through a main shipping area.

[timber]

Chinese cultural centre

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