Tawaen Beach, Thailand

There are 3 beaches near Pattaya.  I went to each one whilst on holiday in Thailand.  Whilst Luke was at work, I go on trips alone.  I love it.  I love the freedom and I love seeing new places.  :)  

Naban Port:

 The Sunbeds:

 The Beach Area:

 The Fine White Sand:

Crystal Clear Water:

 The Wooden Bridge:

I was pleasantly surprised with the beach. It was nothing like I've expected. I mean, Samae Beach disappointed me and according to the articles that I read, Samae is better than Tawaen. I beg to differ. Tawaen is wayyyy better than Samae, less crowded, cleaner water and kid friendly. You can actually walk on the seashore without bumping into the sunbeds.

There are two ways to go to Tawaen Beach depending on which time you depart. First is the Pattaya(from Bali Hai Pier) to Naban Port Route. You must take a Baht Bus located in front of 7-11 to Tawaen Beach. Second one was the direct Pattaya - Tawaen Beach Ferry. I took the first one cause I miss the direct Ferry. Returning from the beach is easy, they have every hour ferry service from 1PM til 6PM.

This is the cheapest beach trip I've been. All in all, I spent less than 150 THB. Here's the breakdown:

Fare to Bali Hai Pier - 10 THB

Ferry to Naban Port - 20 THB

Baht Bus to Tawaen Beach - 20 THB

Sun Bed - 20 THB

Food/Fruit - 20 THB

Ferry to Pattaya - 20 THB

Baht Bus to Soi 5 - 20 THB

For a grand total of 130 THB for a day of relaxation on a beach.

Samae Beach, Thailand

Koh Larn is 30 minutes away from Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya. My fare costs 150THB return from the Pier to Samae Beach. There is a cheaper fare, 20THB each way, which drops you to the Naban Port. You can take a tuktuk from there which will take you to the other beach of your choice. I took the hassle free one as this was my first trip ever. Anyway, prepare 50THB for the Sunbeds. It ain't free. As soon as you settle into your position, thai people will ask for sunbed fee. It wasn't that expensive but they made it sound free as soon as you leave the small boat. You'll know when you get there. As for my thoughts on the beach, it was okay for me. I only want to see the beach and had a proper tan. For beach lovers, you might hate this. It is very very crowded. Remember the sunbed photos? The beach stretch is covered with sunbeds!!! You may only have less than a yard to walk to on the seashore. Food are quite pricey too. I had magnum for whopping 80THB! They have a lot of water sports too and clear water for swimming. I can't swim and water sports are best enjoyed with company and I was incapable of both. LOL!

Pattaya Floating Market

 Touring by boat.

They haven't made the Pattaya Floating Market yet when I first visited Thailand in 2005.  With lack of research and planning, my family end up doing almost nothing.  My siblings stayed home whilst my mum and I go to work.  I did my OJT in Thailand.  

I love the Pattaya Floating Market because there a lots of things to do there.  You can sample authentic Thai food for very cheap price, you can shop for clothes, souvenirs, furniture, go for a massage, play on the swing bridge and tour the market through a boat.  There aren't much to see but it's maybe fun to experience the actual floating market.  :P

Interested?  Please go to this link - http://www.pattayafloatingmarket.com/topic.php?userid=1&pageid=57&lang=english&pagename=Location

Ayutthaya Cycling Tour

If you are in Bangkok and you've toured the city by bike, loved it and wanna do it again, I suggest going to Ayutthaya.  

We missed the quick train to Ayutthaya. We had to take the ordinary train. Translation: No airconditioning. Ordinary train costs 15THB for foreigners and free for locals. The airconditioned train cost 300THB as I remember. Glad we took the ordinary train cause I haven't experienced riding into one. As I told Luke, I've always wanted to stick my head out of a moving train. I did that on our way back. I was happy then.

Below is the boat that we took to cross the river.  It cost 4THB.

Don't worry about renting bikes.  It's everywhere on the pier.  I think this costed us a little over 100THB to rent for the whole day.  

Armed with a travel book and Luke's compass watch, we travelled to Ayutthaya by bike.  Loved the ruins and temples!