A Week In Cha Am

[seancar29]

Hello all, we have a short holiday booked for a couple of weeks in february. Well short for me then the wife is staying an extra couple of months to start on the house in ranong. I thought we would try Cha am this time on our way back to Bangkok from visiting the inlaws in Ranong. Does anyone have any suggestions of reasonably priced accommodation near the beach and restaurants. I have not been to Cha am before but have read so many good things about it I thought it had to be worth a week.

I know the beach is a long one so am unsure of the best part to head to, enabling us to be near the fishermans village (we love seafood) and any other bars and eateries.

I am not rich so no 5 star hotels please, somewhere between 1-2000 is fine, would like a satelite tv, pool if possible and a bar/cafe/restaurant sort of thing is fine.

I look forward to your suggestions,

many thanks,

Sean.

[Chaam local]

I suggest the Golden Beach or the Methavalai hotels, both have a large swimming pool and the location fits your needs (restaurants around and not too far from the fishing pier). The Golden Beach is good value for money, the Methavalai is nicer but also more expensive. For more info read the latest travel reviews on a booking website.

[Mahseer]

Before you book consider Bang Saphan (Palm gardens 1000bht / italay restaurant / Montris coco bar - large Singha 60baht, Leo 70 baht. Bangsaphanguide.com for more and Prachuap an hour south of Hua Hin (Prachuap beach hotel 750-850 has pool / Sun beach 700-900 doesnt / Ao Manao beach to work on the tan / Ma Prow restaurant - talay tod 180 / whole fish 280baht).

Have spent plenty of time in both recently and in Prachuap at present. Both highly recommended.

[rixalex]

I visit Cha Am regularly for long weekends and love it, but would find a week a little too long. As far as places to stay are concerned, there are some nice clean new establishments right in the central part of the beach road.

This is my personal favourite. Best place in Cha Am by a mile, and if you go off season should be within you budget... just. Well worth it.

http://www.bannpantai.com/

[ESB7]

Lang Suan 1,000 or Naradin 3 700-1,200 but no pool. Cha am Villa 700-1,000 with pool. All on the beach road and central to restaurants etc....googl for details

[seancar29]

Lang Suan 1,000 or Naradin 3 700-1,200 but no pool. Cha am Villa 700-1,000 with pool. All on the beach road and central to restaurants etc....googl for details

Thanks for that, Cha am Villa seems to tick all the boxes, cheap and cheerful. I couldnt find the others by google.

Happy for any other suggestions,

thanks again,

Sean.

[katabeachbum]

Lang Suan 1,000 or Naradin 3 700-1,200 but no pool. Cha am Villa 700-1,000 with pool. All on the beach road and central to restaurants etc....googl for details

Thanks for that, Cha am Villa seems to tick all the boxes, cheap and cheerful. I couldnt find the others by google.

Happy for any other suggestions,

thanks again,

Sean.

A week in Cha Am is a long time

Try Hua Hin, like Jed Pee Nong hotel in the middle of town, pool, 1200 baht/day, 032512381

[SantiSuk]

Even in February Cha Am will feel out of season during weekdays. A few people like that but, if you are not one of them, remain flexible with the booking in case you feel the need to cut out to Hua Hin or Bangkok

[ESB7]

Lang Suan 1,000 or Naradin 3 700-1,200 but no pool. Cha am Villa 700-1,000 with pool. All on the beach road and central to restaurants etc....googl for details

Thanks for that, Cha am Villa seems to tick all the boxes, cheap and cheerful. I couldnt find the others by google.

Happy for any other suggestions,

thanks again,

Sean.

A week in Cha Am is a long time

Try Hua Hin, like Jed Pee Nong hotel in the middle of town, pool, 1200 baht/day, 032512381

Thats the problem, so many people just dont look further than their nose and never find what Cha am and the surrounds have to offer.......After living in Samui and Phuket, I would say that Cha am has more to offer than both those places......OK only 40 or so bars so nightlife isnt so full on but for daytime activities and families it can be a full rewarding holiday for a few weeks and at a fraction of the cost of anywhere else....horse riding, fishing trips, jet skis, banana boats, elephant trekking, kings palace (Narasuan), ATVs, shooting range, national parks, temples galore, cycling, floating market at Ratchburi, bat caves, crocodile farm and much much more...also the added benefit of fresh seafood at a third of the cost of any other tourist resort....beach chairs only 20 Baht a day.....and until Songhran it is still busy with foreigners.

Edited January 8, 2011 by ESB7

[rixalex]

Thats the problem, so many people just dont look further than their nose and never find what Cha am and the surrounds have to offer.......After living in Samui and Phuket, I would say that Cha am has more to offer than both those places......OK only 40 or so bars so nightlife isnt so full on but for daytime activities and families it can be a full rewarding holiday for a few weeks and at a fraction of the cost of anywhere else....horse riding, fishing trips, jet skis, banana boats, elephant trekking, kings palace (Narasuan), ATVs, shooting range, national parks, temples galore, cycling, floating market at Ratchburi, bat caves, crocodile farm and much much more...also the added benefit of fresh seafood at a third of the cost of any other tourist resort....beach chairs only 20 Baht a day.....and until Songhran it is still busy with foreigners.

A lot of those activities you mention can't really be given as a reason for staying in Cha Am, because many of them are just as close to Hua Hin, some closer.

As i said, i love Cha Am, but recognize it has limited attraction for periods longer than long weekends.

Choice of a decent range of restaurants is limited. And as far as seafood being a third of the cost of any other tourist resort, that has not been my experience.

[Chaam local]

Cha-am is a nice place to live, you don't have to bear with all the hassle of more popular resorts. You can park on the beach and have a picnic and if you stay two hours maybe you will meet just the one vendor trying to sell you something. During week-ends you're never short of ideas for activities, excursions, places to take the kids etc. There are a few bars, just enough to have fun from time to time. We are very close to Hua Hin, so we can go to cinema, shopping center, hospitals, Mc Donalds, you name it... I like to go to Hua Hin when I need something, but I would hate living there for sure (couln't cope with traffic jam, tuk tuk mafia, crazy prices and so on). We are also close to Bangkok, only a 2 hours drive. That is what I like about living in Cha-am. It's laid back in a Thai way, not laid back in a backpacker way (which involves at some point getting stoned watching twirling fire).

However, I understand that tourists need activities. When I get up in the morning I drive the kids to school and I come back home to work, I have my daily routine. The tourists get up and they need something to keep themselves busy all day. Here we have a nice beach but you can't dive or snorkel. There are many nice places to visit in and around Cha-am, but if you don't have a car it's not always convenient to go there and come back. So mostly the tourists stay on the beach, or they go for a bicycle ride, maybe book a tour with an agency. Maybe some who are stuck in a hotel in between Cha-am and Hua Hin hardly ever get out of their hotel.

So Cha-am seems to be this way, either you live here (or spend 6 months here as many Scandinavians do) or you just spend a week-end here, as the Thais from Bangkok do.

[katabeachbum]

Thats the problem, so many people just dont look further than their nose and never find what Cha am and the surrounds have to offer.......After living in Samui and Phuket, I would say that Cha am has more to offer than both those places......OK only 40 or so bars so nightlife isnt so full on but for daytime activities and families it can be a full rewarding holiday for a few weeks and at a fraction of the cost of anywhere else....horse riding, fishing trips, jet skis, banana boats, elephant trekking, kings palace (Narasuan), ATVs, shooting range, national parks, temples galore, cycling, floating market at Ratchburi, bat caves, crocodile farm and much much more...also the added benefit of fresh seafood at a third of the cost of any other tourist resort....beach chairs only 20 Baht a day.....and until Songhran it is still busy with foreigners.

A lot of those activities you mention can't really be given as a reason for staying in Cha Am, because many of them are just as close to Hua Hin, some closer.

As i said, i love Cha Am, but recognize it has limited attraction for periods longer than long weekends.

Choice of a decent range of restaurants is limited. And as far as seafood being a third of the cost of any other tourist resort, that has not been my experience.

seconded

must admit I have never spendt more than a week there, but it totals to approx 60 nights over the years. In Cha Am you depend on transportation to do anything besides a few restaurants, while in Hua Hin its all on your door step.

as for prices, both places same

[sam666]

Cha-am is a nice place to live, you don't have to bear with all the hassle of more popular resorts. You can park on the beach and have a picnic and if you stay two hours maybe you will meet just the one vendor trying to sell you something. During week-ends you're never short of ideas for activities, excursions, places to take the kids etc. There are a few bars, just enough to have fun from time to time. We are very close to Hua Hin, so we can go to cinema, shopping center, hospitals, Mc Donalds, you name it... I like to go to Hua Hin when I need something, but I would hate living there for sure (couln't cope with traffic jam, tuk tuk mafia, crazy prices and so on). We are also close to Bangkok, only a 2 hours drive. That is what I like about living in Cha-am. It's laid back in a Thai way, not laid back in a backpacker way (which involves at some point getting stoned watching twirling fire).

However, I understand that tourists need activities. When I get up in the morning I drive the kids to school and I come back home to work, I have my daily routine. The tourists get up and they need something to keep themselves busy all day. Here we have a nice beach but you can't dive or snorkel. There are many nice places to visit in and around Cha-am, but if you don't have a car it's not always convenient to go there and come back. So mostly the tourists stay on the beach, or they go for a bicycle ride, maybe book a tour with an agency. Maybe some who are stuck in a hotel in between Cha-am and Hua Hin hardly ever get out of their hotel.

So Cha-am seems to be this way, either you live here (or spend 6 months here as many Scandinavians do) or you just spend a week-end here, as the Thais from Bangkok do.

If you think the tuktuks are bad in HH don't ever go BKK, pattaya or phuket you would have a nervious breakdown. Same for traffic, I thought HH is pretty empty and chilled, easy to drive and boring if your not out for drinks in the evening. However if you take a car to go 2kms in the city centre to buy some cow pad gai and it's a massive 4 by 4 then what do you expect, it's the same anywhere. I drive a bike (apart from wet season or going long dist) and I can go anywhere in under 20mins, even from deep in Smor Prong to soi 100 in rush hour is about 10-15mins and it's a stressfree ride, what more do you want ......

And 2nd what everyone says, skip over to HH if it's more then a weekend (You can still drive to CA beaches and attractions pretty fast), even I get bored in places like Pattaya after a few days, let alone Cha Am.

[Chaam local]

If you think the tuktuks are bad in HH don't ever go BKK, pattaya or phuket you would have a nervious breakdown.

Thanks, I've been there. Also lived several years in Bangkok and drove a car there, but Bangkok is Bangkok, you have to bear with the downsides if you want the advantages. Same for Pattaya and Phuket I guess for people who are into this kind of scene.

[stoneyboy]

Before you book consider Bang Saphan (Palm gardens 1000bht / italay restaurant / Montris coco bar - large Singha 60baht, Leo 70 baht. Bangsaphanguide.com for more and Prachuap an hour south of Hua Hin (Prachuap beach hotel 750-850 has pool / Sun beach 700-900 doesnt / Ao Manao beach to work on the tan / Ma Prow restaurant - talay tod 180 / whole fish 280baht).

Have spent plenty of time in both recently and in Prachuap at present. Both highly recommended.

Dont give the secrets away please i will be heading to Ao Manao again in Feb myself absolutely love it been loads of times,very few Farang,and the sea food is the best i have had.

Highly recommended and worth the extra hours travel IMO.

[sam666]

If you think the tuktuks are bad in HH don't ever go BKK, pattaya or phuket you would have a nervious breakdown.

Thanks, I've been there. Also lived several years in Bangkok and drove a car there, but Bangkok is Bangkok, you have to bear with the downsides if you want the advantages. Same for Pattaya and Phuket I guess for people who are into this kind of scene.

If you've lived in BKK how on earth is the traffic bad in HH? only time i'ts ever bad is around NYE and the odd weekend. It's hardly a busy city ....

[seancar29]

If you think the tuktuks are bad in HH don't ever go BKK, pattaya or phuket you would have a nervious breakdown.

Thanks, I've been there. Also lived several years in Bangkok and drove a car there, but Bangkok is Bangkok, you have to bear with the downsides if you want the advantages. Same for Pattaya and Phuket I guess for people who are into this kind of scene.

If you've lived in BKK how on earth is the traffic bad in HH? only time i'ts ever bad is around NYE and the odd weekend. It's hardly a busy city ....

Thanks for all the replies, however I think the puropse of the original post may have been lost.

I would like to hear about recommended accommodation but it seems to have become a Hua hin v's Cha am thread.

Any suggestions on resorts or hotels would be greatly appreciated,

many thanks,

Sean.

[Chaam local]

Any suggestions on resorts or hotels would be greatly appreciated

Ok, so just an additional information: ESB7 suggested Lang Suan and somebody else suggested Baan Pantai. Baan Pantai is a bit on the expensive side but it has a very nice swimming pool. However, if things haven't changed, both hotels are under the same management and customers at Lang Suan can use the Baan Pantai's facilities, including swimming pool. Both hotels are within walking distance.

[seancar29]

Lang Suan 1,000 or Naradin 3 700-1,200 but no pool. Cha am Villa 700-1,000 with pool. All on the beach road and central to restaurants etc....googl for details

Hi, just to get back to you. We did stay for six days in Cha am. Had the experience of both midweek and the weekend, such a difference. We stayed in one of the 1000 B rooms at Cha am villa hotel. Very nice room, cable tv, aircon, average pool but good enough, buffet breakfast was fine, eggs to order, fried rice, noodles etc.

We had a room at the front so a view of the sea and the pool. All in all I am glad we stayed for the six days, had the chance to really chill out and get a proper feel for the area. All in all I do prefer it to Hua Hin, more of a laid back atmosphere.

It takes a little time to get used to seeing all the people in the sea are fully clothed, some still wearing long sleeves and jeans. The Thais and their dislike of a suntan.

Will definately be going back at some point to Cha am, but there are so many other places to see as well.

Thanks again to everyone that offered advice,

Sean.

[Chaam local]

Thanks for the feedback!

[stander]

Week days in Cha Am are great, but come the weekend and the boom boom speakers it's time to clear out.

[BazilFox]

Before you book consider Bang Saphan (Palm gardens 1000bht / italay restaurant / Montris coco bar - large Singha 60baht, Leo 70 baht. Bangsaphanguide.com for more and Prachuap an hour south of Hua Hin (Prachuap beach hotel 750-850 has pool / Sun beach 700-900 doesnt / Ao Manao beach to work on the tan / Ma Prow restaurant - talay tod 180 / whole fish 280baht).

Have spent plenty of time in both recently and in Prachuap at present. Both highly recommended.

Cha Am is the better option, nothing doing in Bang Saphan, if you have kids you will be travelling to keep them happy. Suggets "Mahseer" has opened a business in Bang Saphan, its the last stop before going home.

Plenty to do in Cha Am when comparing the two, no comparison, suggets you go and choose a Hotel or GFuesthouse yoursef, will not be fully booked unless its the Thai New Year in April.