The bus dropped us off, as the only people leaving at this stop, by Cha-Am's beach at the intersection of Ratchaphlee Road and Ruamchit Road (Beach Road) at exactly 4 PM. As this was not the main intersection by the beach, it took us a moment to get our bearings. Shortly, however, we wandered at the Nirandorn 3 Hotel which we'd sought.
Calling Cha-Am a little fishing village does not do the town justice. Spread along a beautiful beach, Cha-Am consists of two roads running along the beach and Narathip Road leading into Cha-Am Village about 1,5 km from the sea. This simple design makes getting lost practically impossible. Cha-Am is located on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand in the Phetchaburi Province and has a population of about 46000.
After the constant sounds of Bangkok, Cha-Am seemed extremely peaceful. There were no hasslers, no conmen and no tuk-tuk drivers offering ping pong shows. Two motorcycle taxi drivers asking if we wanted a lift were the only people to pay us any mind on the way to Nirandorn 3. The only even remotely unsettling thing to notice here was the large amount of stray dogs running along the beach and by the roads.
And about Nirandorn 3 I must say that money does buy you more outside of Bangkok, it seems. Our twin bedroom was very clean, well furnished with air-con and cost 700 baht per day (with wifi, a pool and a fridge). After the constant heat (to which my body had not adapted in a week) of Bangkok and Suksawad Hotel, it was a blessing. A week of sweat and blisters had made my feet sore and body itchy. The best medicine, I thought, was air-con and rest. And swimming, of course.
But rest we would not have, for tomorrow it's off to Chumphon and Koh Tao.
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