This is the last photo set from the Thailand trip back in February. We visited an up and coming tourist attractive for the Thais called Suan Phung. One of the most famous resorts there is The Scenery Resort & Farm, which is often known as New Zealand of Thailand. Anyway, not going to write a lot because I’m in San Jose, CA this week but my bio clock is still on DC time and it’s 3:00AM there. All I can say is it is another good trip away from the city and the resort is definitely worth a visit.

Getting There

The resort is really in the middle of nowhere. It took us 2½ – 3 hours to drive there. For about 45 minutes, it was just a two lane road. We stopped for lunch at a resort/restaurant called Duan-Lom (เดือนล้อม). I ordered a local steak entree and it came well done…

Around the Resort

There are a bunch of things you can do and see at the resort. We spent an entire afternoon just wondering around, being chased by sheep, etc. Warning: The Scenery sheep are always very hungry. They will jump on you, for reals. I tried running a few laps with them chasing and barking at me. In the end, I just gave up and threw the veggies at them. Personally, the best activity was to relax and do absolutely nothing.

On a related note, I think it is a great wedding location.

Accommodation

The accommodation is really well done…except the bathrooms. The ones in our two-bedroom cottage were damp and smelly.

At Night

Instead of going out or eating the restaurant at the resort, my dad and I thought it would be great to do some BBQ while we were there. So we ordered a bunch of BBQ via email prior our arrival. On the roof of the cottage there is a dining area with a grill. Since it was a New Zealand-themed resort, the only kind of BBQ they offered was the high-end one. And by high-end I mean this. The idea of BBQ in the US typically consists of burgers, hot dogs and maybe bacon-wrapped shrimps, which is quite different from what it is in Thailand. Anyway, everything was good. It was a little too hot even after sun down. The temp was around mid 80s with no wind. This place would be perfect for a December vacation.

In Suan Phung Area

On the way back to Bangkok, we visited an orchid farm and learn about how hard it was to grow and take care of them. Mom bought two. We also stopped for lunch at a candle shop called บ้านเทียนหอม.

Getting back to my two week vacation in Thailand, I did a day trip to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya is the old capital city of Thailand. It was the first day that I started recovering from food poisoning and didn’t feel like throwing up all the time. The drive from Bangkok to Ayutthaya is very easy and only takes about an hour. We had lunch at a noodle place called Wat Yai Noodle House or ก๋วยเตี๋ยววัดใหญ่. It was very good. Definitely a must try when you visit Ayutthaya.

According to Wikipedia:

Before Ayutthaya fell to a Burmese invasion, its vassals included the Northern Shan states of present-day Myanmar, Lanna (Chiang Mai, Thailand), Yunnan & Shan Sri (China), Lan Xang (Laos), Champa (Vietnam), and some city-states in the Malay Peninsula.[1]
Ayutthaya (Thai: อาณาจักรอยุธยา, RTGS: Anachak Ayutthaya, also Ayudhya) was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese (Annamese), Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the city walls. In the sixteenth century, it was described by foreign traders as one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in the East. The court of King Narai (1656–1688) had strong links with that of King Louis XIV of France, whose ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris.Before Ayutthaya fell to a Burmese invasion, its vassals included the Northern Shan states of present-day Myanmar, Lanna (Chiang Mai, Thailand), Yunnan & Shan Sri (China), Lan Xang (Laos), Champa (Vietnam), and some city-states in the Malay Peninsula.[1]

Although it was stupid hot there, we had a great time. Visiting on a weekday is recommended to avoid crowd.

Amphawa (อัมพวา) or Amphoe Amphawa is a floating market village located in Samut Songkhram province about an hour drive from Bangkok. I spent time there both on the way to and back from Hua Hin. Although I was feeling nauseous from food poisoning the whole time, I very much enjoyed my time there.

I don’t really have much to say about Amphawa. It is certainly a great day trip away from the city and conveniently located on the way to Hua Hin. One thing though – be prepared to flight the crowd, especially on weekends. The food and shopping are great.

It was surprised how clean it was considering the amount of tourists they get every week and the age of the village itself. However, there was this one ignorant dude that dumped gallons of what looked like beef broth into the canal.

According to AmphawaFloatingMarket.com,

Amphawa Floating Market  is an afternoon floating market by the canal near Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, during 12.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m., the Amphawa Canal is occupied by vendors who pack their boats with food and drinks, such as fried sea mussel, noodles, coffee, O-liang (iced black coffee), sweets, etc. Visitors can enjoy a cosy atmosphere and music broadcast by the community members, explore the market, have food, and hire a boat to see fireflies at night.

Hua Hin (หัวหิน) is a famous beach resort town — a two and a half hour drive from Bangkok. Unfortunately just before our Hua Hin trip, I got really sick. Like diarrhea sick. Like couldn’t sit straight at the dinner table sick. Like had to wear a fleece in 80 degree weather sick. It was probably a case of food poisoning. Anyway, that’s why I didn’t take that many photos during the beach trip.

The Rock Hua Hin and Resort

The Rock was a popular place to stay in Hua Hin a few years back. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely not as hip as it used to be because there has been a number of new boutique hotels popping up in the same area. I like the bathroom though. It has a big glass window allowing you to enjoy taking a bubble bath with a view. However, I guess the bad part for most people is that people can see you through that same window if you don’t close the curtain.

The hotel has has a beachfront like most hotels in Hua Hin. It has two small swimming pools and a pool side bar/restaurant.

Plearnwan (เพลินวาน)

Not really sure what Plearnwan is. It’s kinda like a man-made old school floating market village. According to the website,

From the starting point of love and yearing for Hua Hin the past, Plearn Wan is originated as a new travel destination for Hua Hin residents and visitors.
Plearn Wan is … “Center of joy and happiness … stop the past in order to tell the various tales of Hua Hin in the past … toward present”

I liked it. Good food even though I was still feeling nauseous from food poisoning. It’s definitely a good addition to Hua Hin’s attractions.