Petchaburi
Palace and Thai Farm
A one hour-ride leads
you to Petchaburi, 60
km north of Hua Hin.
This busy commercial
center is famous for
its great many temples
(the mining of diamonds=
petch=however finished
long ago).
First you go to the
Wang hill near to the
city. On the hilltop
you visit an old summer-palace
of King Rama 4th and
the scenic park. After
that you head for the
famous Mahatat temple
in Petchaburi, a remarkable
monument of the centuries
old Khmer architecture,
an important spiritual
center of Buddhism in
Thailand till today.
In front of the temple
you can admire traditional
Thai dances, too.
The next destination
is Khao Luang (royal
mountain), situated
about 4 km outside the
city. There you enter
an extended natural
cave. Its several cavern
are filled with rows
of buddha-images including
a remarkable large reclining
statue. Its particular
impressing at noon,
when the sunlight floods
into the dome-shaped
central cave. Another
15 minutes ride passes
through rustic villages
and bright green paddy
fields. Finally you
reach a large coconut
plantation and new tourist
territory. Inside this
‘jungle like plantation
lives a German expatriate
and raises fish with
his Thai family. You
have lunch on the verandah
of a wooden Thai-house.
After lunch a short
boat-trip starts in
front of the house.
The narrow tributary
with its lush tropical
vegetation flows soon
afterwards into the
wider Petchaburi-River. The
small fishing-boat passes
along old wooden Thai-style-houses,
along orchards, tropical
gardens, palm trees
and mangroves. It heads
for the impressive Wat
Khao (temple on the
hill). Though famous
in Thailand, its barely
explored by western
tourists. The hilltop
provides fine views
of the surrounding countryside.
Back at the farm you
visit the fish-pond,
accompanied by the farmer
Includes:
lunch, all entrances,
boats trip and soft
drink in the car.
