A Holiday on the Thai Riviera
Prachuap Kiri Khan, Thailand, 2012-11-02 12:00 by Laerke



The beach stretches for many kilometers; the water is clear and warm as in a bathtub. Welcome to the Thai Riviera extending from the well-known tourist town of Hua Hin down towards the Bounty islands of the Southern Region. South of Hua Hin the beach gets really pretty and the tourists are few and far in between. This area is called Prachuap Kiri Khan, and here you can find some really nice resorts at a reasonable price - in only four hours’ time you can transition from Bangkok's busy streets to a deck chair on the beach.



We’ve booked a weekend away at Nishaville in Prachuap Kiri Khan. Upon arriving at Nishaville it really feels like entering into a small village, the beautiful villas are painted in colors ranging from sunny yellow to burnt ocher, and the palm trees sway gently in the wind. We are welcomed by the attentive staff, who all greets us with a smile and a “wai” - the typical Thai greeting. They have freshly squeezed pineapple juice and small cold towels ready for us. Our luggage is brought in with a big smile, and at five o'clock in the afternoon someone comes in to put flowers on the bed, fluff the pillows and puts a pair of slippers on each side of the bed. They’ve got an eye for details here! Our villa has a private terrace which is just a perfect place to sit and eat breakfast.



The bathroom is just gorgeous! It is equipped with a large free-standing bathtub, a shower cubicle with jet shower and two hand basins. There is also a large well-equipped kitchen with dishwasher, dining table and in the living room there’s a TV and DVD machine – great for cuddling up with a movie in the evening. There are also washing and drying machine in the villa. We feel pretty confident we’ve got everything we might need!
The restaurant serve delicious Thai and Italian food, we indulge in cheese platters, crispy pizzas, yummy pasta dishes and tiramisu. The swimming pool is located right next to the beach and the big question is – to swim in the ocean or the pool first…? Oh, it is a hard life!



One day we bike to a magnificent nearby temple, which sits on top of a hill. A huge golden Buddha sits serene at the top with stunning views over the ocean. We also did a great day to the nearby National Park Khao Sam Yod Loi, which name means something like the three hundred hilltops. Here we drove through large flat areas with shrimp farms and rice paddies before the majestic limestone cliffs, that Southern Thailand is so famous for, suddenly shots up from the green rice fields. You can go on a cruise in a traditional Thai boat around the small canals with stunning views to the beautiful cliffs. Driving along the main road and taking the small side roads towards the ocean, takes you to many deserted stretches of beach, where you are likely to be the only people – perhaps a fisherman will sail by or a dog will join you for a walk…