For most people, Chanthaburi is simple a seaside town with a great variaty of fruits. In our eyes, Chanthaburi is a small and charming province, rich in diverse natural resources like forests, waterfalls, the sea, rivers and local life.
Tropical evergreen forests cover half of the province's land area, while Chanthaburi's coastline spans 108 kilometers, making coastal fishing the major livelihood of local folk. The province's local craftsmen are internationally renowned for their skill in gem cutting and jewelry making.
Today, although most raw, precious stones are brought in from abroad there is always a busy scene at the gems market on Sri Chand Road, every Friday Saturday and Sunday, where buyers and customers can be heard hagging over prices.
The province is also famous for spices. It has the best-tasting pepper (prik Thai) and cardamom (kra-wan), and the sweet-smelling aquilaria (kritsana) wood.
I chose to acquaint myself with the province, once a major maritime trading post during the Ayutthaya period, by exploring its town area. It was raining, but I managed to dodge the worst of it until I reached the old Catholic church, which dates back over a hundred years, on the banks of Chanthaburi River. The Gothic-style beauty of the interior is simply wondrous, with lovely stained glass windows showing the image of the Virgin Mary and various saints.
Step across the bridge to the other side of the river, and you come across one of the oldest market places. Known locally as Yan Tha Luang, or lower market community, this is where Chinese and Vietnamese settled after times of war. The houses here are built in rows and are no less than 100 years old. The concrete structures boast curved door facades and windows decorated with beautiful woodcarvings. Some houses are wooden structures with roofs without gables.
Besides Tha Luang, Chanthaburi has yet another interesting old community located next to Klong Nong Bua, a subsidiary canal of the Chanthaburi River. Called Nong Bua Market, the commercial center with a good many wooden houses almost 100 years old. Although taller and airier than the houses in Tha Luang, the houses here do not boast such beautiful carvings.
This market has been the center for the rough-hewing and cutting of precious stones since the time of a more flourishing gems trade. Behind the market are a fruit orchard and a small pier by the canal for buying and selling fresh seafood. I found myself charmed by this picturesque scene and the evening ambiance beside Klong Nong Bua.
The route through Kung Gabaen Bay, Laem Sadet Beach, Chao Lao Beach and Pak Nam Kaem Noo is ideal for cycling because it runs parallel with the coast so cyclists get a great view of the sea, bay, mangrove forests, mountains and fishing communities.
You might begin by finding accommodation around Kung Gabaen, a bay enclosed by sandbar, but fed by several freshwater canals that flow into it. The Kung Gabaen Bay Development Center, a royally-initiated project to improve the quality of life for people in the area, is located here. There is a footpath for those who want to venture out on their own for a nature tour of the coast and mangrove forests.
At low tide, villagers can be seen collecting the many shellfish and crabs scattered along the beach. In the past, this part of the sea was home to dugongs. But today, only a dugong statue remains despite efforts to revive and restore the mangrove forests of the area. Local villagers here mostly make a living through oyster farming and catching jellyfish.
Opposite the mangrove forests of Kung Gabaen is Laem Sadet Beach, where there are sandbars stretching 2 to 3 kilometers.
Chao Lao is another well-known beach in Chanthaburi. From the Chao Lao sandbar, you can enjoy the stunning panoramic views, and another plus is a shallow-water coral reef not far from the shore, where you can dive to explore the underwater world.
From Chao Lao Beach, if you take a bike along the road running parallel to the steep coastal strip that will reach Yotatikan Bridge in Pak Nam Kaem Noo, a small fishing community with houses built in rows on the banks of the Wand T Nod River. This is the spot where you can enjoy breathtaking views that will make your trip seem more than worthwhile. Villagers here live the simple lives of fishermen, going out during the day to catch jellyfish and out to sea in the evening to set traps for cuttlefish.
Mountains take up one-quarter of Chanthaburi Province; all covered with lush evergreen forests, themselves the source of numerous waterfalls and rivers. One of the major waterfalls in the area is Soi Dao Waterfall with 16 tiers, which is located in Kao Soi Dao Animal Reserve Zone. Each tier has its own unique beauty, but most visitors enjoy the waterfall's fifth tier.
This forested area is know to have the best cardamom in the world, and is also one of the best places in eastern Thailand for watching birds and butterflies. Visitors making their way to the waterfall in the cool season, will also have a chance to take in the beauty of “dok sok” flowers, which are abundant and bloom in their full glory this time of the year.
