This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Cha Am.
Cha Am, Thailand, is just twenty-five kilometers north of Hua Hin and is a playground for Thai holiday-makers that make the relatively short journey down from Bangkok. The three-kilometer-long beach is strewn with umbrellas and sun loungers, and the sea can be awash with banana boats and jet skis during the Thai holiday periods. Off-season and during the week, however, it's a quiet, relaxing place that has neither Thai nor many Western tourists, and is a much cheaper option all round than Hua Hin.
The beach is quite narrow and the sand a little gritty, but it is shaded by casuarinas and it's easy to find a secluded spot during weekdays.
As with most Thai towns and cities, there are a handful of Buddhist temples visitors can see, but the main draw is Mrigadayavan Palace, the lustrous seaside palace of Rama VI, built almost a century ago. Designed by an Italian architect, Ercole Manfredi, in a Westernized Thai style, the entire, four-hundred-meter-long complex of
sixteen golden teak pavilions and connecting walkways is raised off the ground on over a thousand concrete columns, with a niche for water at the base of each to keep out ants. It's set in beautiful grounds, ten kilometers south of Cha Am. It can be reached to within two kilometers by any minibus to Hua Hin from Cha Am.
Cha Am Forest Park is by no means up to National Park standards, but if you fancy a relaxed day amid some pretty scenery, then it is definitely worth a trip. Situated on Phetkasem Road, it is easily reached by taking the Narathip junction when coming from the direction of the beach. The more-than-six-hundred-thousand-square-mile park sits on a lowland area covered in casuarina trees, cacti, and a wide range of tropical plants. Crisscrossing the park, a large lake is home to several species of water fowl. If you are lucky, you might be able to spot a few peacocks, gibbons, monkeys, and palm civets.
There are a couple of backpacker hostels in Cha Am, Thailand, but they are not near each other, so get directions beforehand. Cha Am, Thailand hostels are close to the beach, however. Cha Am, Thailand hostels offer cheap dorm beds and each hostel in Cha Am, Thailand, can help with information on the area and onward travel. There is a night market near the train station, where you can get freshly cooked Thai food, or you can order and eat right on the beach from any one of the restaurants on the promenade.
Written by local enthusiast for Cha Am hostels
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