Guest-houses In Cha-am

[Ricardo]

I'm planning a week at the beach in November, and thought Cha-Am looked much-less-touristy and more-relaxed than Hua-Hin, when we passed through in July. Much more my preferred sort of resort !

There were a few guesthouses at the north end of the beach, 250-450 B/night going by their signs, and also a soi full of shop-house GHs south of the centre ? Can anybody recommend a good comfortable one ? I'd prefer air-con & TV, will be travelling solo, and looking to pay 350-400B per-night if possible.

Also are there any recommended bars, I know the town keeps them off the beach-front road, so where's a nice place to hang out, or somewhere with good 'eats' ?

Lastly any book-exchanges in Cha-Am ?

Thanks in advance for the info !

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

J&K restaurant has accommodations that have A/C, television, hot shower and close to most things in the village. It is about 100mtrs from Courtyard Marriott and just a bit further from Regent Holiday Inn, about between them. Has very good food also, closed on Wednesdays. Also has fan, fridge & electric kettle.

700Baht per day 3500 per week, 7000 a month. Tel 032-451215

I eat there a couple of times a week, nice people and very clean place.

[Chaam local]

Beentheredonethat according to what you say J&K looks closer to Hua Hin than Cha-am.

Plenty of guesthouses in Cha-am town, not sure you can have AC and TV for less than 400 baht though. I'd recommend Golden Guesthouse in the soi where most of the bars are (aka soi "bus station", probably the soi you're referring to). Prices around 600/700 baht, very close to the beach and many restaurants nearby.

Edited October 13, 2009 by Onlychaam

[ESB7]

J&K is in Bang Kwai and although reasonably nice it is like a Morgue until December, Soi Bus Station has Perfect House, 500-600 Baht , free tea/coffee, air/TV/Hot shower....there are many along the beach that are 400 but thats only fan room. No book exchange yet

[Ricardo]

Many thanks for the info so far ... sounds like 'soi bus-stop' is the place to head for.

About that name, do the long-distance buses stop there, or do they just stop on the main-road, as I'd previously assumed ? I'll be arriving on the overnight direct-bus from Chiang Mai.

[ESB7]

No, they just stop on the main road. You will probably be able to get a motorbike taxi.....30-50 baht or so....buses do go from Soi bus station to BKK every few hours from about 6am-8pm

[Chaam local]

Or walk 1.3 km to the beach, then another 300 m to your right.

[ESB7]

Or walk 1.3 km to the beach, then another 300 m to your right.

Or save a few minutes and swing a right at the crossroads and then a left at soi bus station

Wouldnt fancy walking past those ladyboy karokes on Narathip in the early hours so a taxi is best

[Chaam local]

And they say nothing ever happens in Cha-am...

[Ricardo]

Just back from Cha-Am, where I stayed at the Golden Guest-House on Soi-Bus-Stop, following other members' recommendations. I would definitely recommend it myself, the friendly & helpful owners have a very modern & good-quality guesthouse, with a range of rooms & prices. I myself paid 650/night (for 1 week & without breakfast) for a room with balcony & sea-view, king-size bed & colour-TV with 70-channels, stylish modern bathroom & fridge, well worth the extra compared to the other GHs further back from the beach with simpler/fan-rooms. They also have a helpful web-site (google on golden+guesthouse+cha-am) and do a family-room with a large-bed plus a single-bed, for those of with kids.

The resort itself was exactly what I'd hoped, friendly & relaxed without being high-priced, a sort of Thai-Margate or Bridlington, I guess people in cities all share the need to escape to the seaside, for a few days or a week-end, Good For Them ! Being offered to share their food/drink, as I strolled along the beach, reminds me just how pleasant & friendly Thais can be, compared to the more-commercial resorts for overseas package-tourists. Definitely a good place for a family short-break.

The single-deck (32 seats) overnight-VIP-bus by Sombattour from Chiang-Mai to Hua-Hin was fine, 785 Baht each way, and the 18.15 departure down dropped me off in Cha-Am, on the main road as others had said, about 06.15. A 40 Baht motorbike-taxi to the beach. However coming back, you have to join the bus in Hua-Hin, as it doesn't pick-up in Cha-Am, it left (17.00 arr CM 05.15) from the quiet new bus-station on the main road about 3 km south of the town-centre. There is also a second slightly-later double-decker bus run by the same company, departs CM 20.00-20.30 and HH 18.00, I think.

On food, plenty of cheaper German/English/Scandy/pizza food, as well as Thai & seafood, nothing too memorable except that I would recommend the Norsk Lapskauss at the Viking Bar on soi-bus-stop, a nice thick peppery meat/potato/carrot stew with a slice of brown-bread for 100 Baht, they make this every Monday-evening and it was very welcome now that the evenings are getting chilly !

Hope this visit-report helps motivate others to visit, and thanks to the local TV-members who had helped, with their advice.

Edited November 27, 2009 by Ricardo

[Chaam local]

Great, thank you for your feedback!