Prachuap Town BeachAo Manao Beach
Pran Buri - Paknam Pran Only 30 south of Hua Hin is a great beach and several resorts. In Ban Praknam Pran you will find a long stretch of excellent "stay" beach. Quite a lot of building is going on in the area; beach homes, resorts and small housing estates are all in progress. And not all of the resorts contribute to the view.
Accommodations
Numerous small resorts, both roomstyle and bungalow style have been built along the coast. Several new resorts are under construction as of this writing.
Beauty Beach Resort - has very nice bungalows on a fine beach and beautifully landscaped grounds that include a swimming pool; plus a spacious open air restaurant. The bungalows have air con, hot water and refrigerators at about Bt 1,000 per day. Tel (032) 631 732, (01) 848 3527
Baan Chomtaley Resort - has 10 air con rooms at Bt 1,100. They also feature cooking classes and tours of local attractions. Tel & Fax (032) 631 739. E mail chomtaley@hotmail.com.
Baanburi Seaview Hill Resort - has 17 air con rooms and a small restaurant on the beach at Bt 1,300. tel (010 374 5824 Fax (02) 585 1987
Baan Pran Resort - features air con rooms from Bt 1,500 to Bt 2,500. Amenities include hot water, fridge, TV satellite and UBC TV. Common facilities include a swimming pool, lobby lounge, music room and internet service. Tel (032) 631 838 Fax 631 848 www.come.to/baanpran
Swiss Beach Resort - is at the opposite end of the stretch of beach. This resort is new and has very nice looking bungalows at Bt 1,200 that include air con, hot water and refrigerators. Tel (032) 511 056, (01) 274 9707
Getting There Bus or train service will get you to Pran Buri. Then you will definitely need to use local transport. Best is calling the resort and asking them to pick you up. They will also supply transport back to the bus or train station on departure.
Prachuap Town Beach
Prachuap Khiri Khan will probably not remind you of its more famous city 80 km up the coast. For you will not see hordes of western tourists, dense traffic and rows of beer bars.
You will not see rows of beach chairs and umbrellas ... or hear the chaos of traffic, loud motorbikes and car horns.
What you will see is a quiet little city set on a bay where the shoreline curls gracefully out into the Gulf of Thailand until each land's end is capped with green mountains.
And that subtle sound you hear will be the surf breaking against the golden sands of Prachuap bay and the whisper of an ocean breezes.
The area is noted for pineapple and nice people. The long sweeping beaches that are mostly deserted are a bonus for your good judgment in bypassing the tourist spots.
Activities nearby include forests, caves and waterfalls. The most prominent landmark is a temple perched on top of Mirror Mountain. Great views of the surrounding area reward the intrepid souls who have climbed the rather steep stairway of 395 steps. The monkeys are either playful or annoying depending on your perspective.
For those so addicted, Prachuap has an computer/internet shop on Pitakchat Road, one street down from the railway. A coffee shop is just to the left of the computer shop.
Accommodations include several hotels and bungalows, but several had a poor service attitude. One bungalow across from the northern beach wouldn't allow me to see the rooms before booking. The older hotel in town is a bargain.
Getting There Regular or Air Con buses as well as rail service is available to Prachuap from any nearby city. A type of motorcycle with canopied sidecar makes local transport easy and cheap. Prachuap still has the occasional samlor for around town. Plus the city is very walking and bicycle friendly.
Ao Manao
Ao Manao is arguably the best oceanfront in the Umphur (District) of Prachup. Most of the curved bay has flat tree-lined sand beaches punctuated by limestone mountains.
The area belongs to the Royal Thai Air Force Wing 53 and as a result, certain formalities are required before you can enjoy the beach ... usually leaving your passport in the custody of security. Once inside the base, people pretty much leave you alone.
The beach area is divided into two parts. The Southern section has quite a number of services that include toilets. Farther south the beach is more private.
Golf: A long walk or short ride from the guesthouse, a basic 9 hole, par 36 golf course spreads out along the runway. Green fees of Bt 100 allow you to play as much as you want all day. Pull cart rental is Bt 20. The course has a practice range with shaded hitting area.
Accommodations: A very nice hotel style guest house and restaurant will allow non-military booking at Bt 600/day for air con single or double rooms. A restaurant is open from 11:00 AM to 10:30 PM. The area has its own beach.
So if you are quiet type who doesn't need nightlife, For less than Bt 1,000/day you can stay in the Wing 53 resort, eat well, play golf all day, walk the beach and swim.
Caveat: Avoid on holidays. If they get a large military group coming in, you will be required to give up the room, For booking, Tel (032) 661 088
Getting there is easy. The entrance to the Air Force Base is in Prachuap Town at the south end of town and off one of the main roads. Once on the base you actually have to cross the runway. It is quite a long walk. Renting a motorbike makes sense.