Lovely low key Prachuap Khiri Khan
For those looking for somewhere less touristy than the well known islands and resorts of Phuket, Samui and Pattaya then look no further than the region of Prachuap Khiri Khan.
This narrow strip of land is bordered by lush tropical mountains still home to native wildlife to the west and the gulf of Thailand to the east.
The coast is a wild and incredibly undeveloped mixture of beaches, mangroves, incredible limestone karst rock formations and wetlands. Apart from the lively large city of Hua Hin to the north, the rest of the region is relatively undeveloped with small boutique hotels, private villas and the odd larger resort. The whole atmosphere is authentic, relaxed, with the kite-surfing community lending it a cool beach-life vibe.
Thai Food Life
We spend ten days here exploring and tasting the delicious fresh food – the region is famous for juicy sweet mangoes and pineapple, fresh shrimp and seafood and some of the most incredible crab and squid dishes I’ve ever tasted from curried to crispy fried, and stir fried with fresh veg!
And we even caught our own fish in one of the many fish tanks which let in fish from the open sea, some kind of barracuda, although we were hoping for a grouper – next time!
And for those who like less spicy, you can always request “Mai Pet” – not spicy, or with the sauce on the side. Kids seem to love the ubiquitous street food classic Thai Krapao which is minced meat stir fried with rice and topped with a fried egg and served pretty much everywhere, even in 7-Eleven! Variations on Pad Krapao can include with pork, chicken or even squid.
Shrines and Temples
The area is most famous for the Phraya Nakhon Cave – a shrine built as thanks for the Thai Kings salvation from the sea during a storm. The hike is short but has lots of steps. Forget the step machine in the gym – this is the real thing! Once there you descend into a couple of limestone caverns with fantasy style stalectites and rock formations and the shrine itself which is illuminated in the morning by a shaft of sunlight (note: go later in the day to avoid the worst of the crowds who aim to get there to see the sunlight!) The place is actually magical anytime of day – it looks like somewhere where a Bond villain might make his lair.
Beaches
The area is not as famous for its beaches as other parts of Thailand and sometimes the tides mean that there isn’t much beach during the day. And many areas are given over to tidal salt flats and mangroves.
However, there are some gems and we found that some beaches were practically empty even over the Christmas and New Year holiday!
History – Battle of Prachuap Khiri Khan
For the first part of our trip we explored Kanchanaburi and the Death Railway, so were interested to find that the Japanese invaded along the Kra Isthmus at 0300 hrs on 8 December 1941, and one of the main locations was the (now) gorgeous Ao Manao Beach (pictured above). The nearby airfield became the site of heavy fighting as the Thai’s resisted, and the incident is now known as the Battle of Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The small garrison rallied and held off the superior forces for a day and a night, with several brave pilots attempting to take off in their Hawk III’s, all but one were shot down and one failed to locate Japanese ships due to heavy fog and rain. Hopes were kept up by rumours that the Thai Navy was en route but during a lull the next morning a telegram arrived ordering the defenders to cease fire as an armistice had been arranged.
Thinking it was a trick the defenders continued to fight despite the Japanese ramping up their attack and the Wing Commander ordered the command building and documents burned, with officers told to save a bullet for themselves. At noon a civilian vehicle arrived to hand Wing Commander Prawat a direct order to stand down and fighting ended at 12.35 on 9th December 1941.
You can request entry to the airfield (still operational) at the gate and see the monument to the brave defenders and a Hawk III aircraft similar to the ones used back then.
Wildlife and Jungles
While you will find wildlife everywhere in Thailand – from temple monkeys to birds and reptiles, in the remote forested national parks along the border with Myanmar the mountains are home to larger species.
On our jeep safari in Kui Buri National Park we were excited to see so many wild elephant who the locals attempt to keep within the park borders with rich mineral licks despite the sweet temptation of nearby mangrove and pineapple plantations! The park is home to about 320 elephant which are relatively easy to find on a guided jeep safari (no private vehicles).
We also saw the even rarer Gaur as this park is home to one of the largest numbers in Asia.
If lucky you might also spot other wildlife such as jackal, deer, langur, gibbon, porcupine and boar. Far rarer are leopard, tapir and dholes. Plus plenty of birds with over 260 species.
The best time for wildlife viewing is on an afternoon jeep safari from 3 – 6 pm, with a greater chance of seeing wildlife during the dry season.
Mangroves
The Thai government and monarchy are making a concerted effort to reverse the decline of the mangrove forests which help to protect the coastline against errosion and provide a crucial habitat for many marine species.
At Pran Buri Forest Park instructive boardwalks through the mangroves help you to learn more about them, along with boat rides through the channels to try and spot birds such as egret, kingfisher and monitor lizard. We saw plenty of crabs, fish, kingfishers and a monitor lizard on our afternoon walk and boat ride. The beach nearby is also a great spot for a picnic and camping is permitted too.
For a tailor made variation of this trip please see our Elephants and Jungle trip and other trips to Thailand. Most trips are tailor made so the style of travel, and type of hotel is up to you, although we’d generally recommend smaller, boutique properties which give back to the local communities.
