Day 8, Monday 10 December - Haad Thung Whua Laen

All quiet on Haad Thung Whua Laen..... The motorbike needs to go back before 11 am today so I have time to go up into the village of Ban Saphli. This small market town compliments Haad Thung Whua Laen in having facilities lacking near the beach. Here you will find an ATM and a variety of shops which supply local needs. I only have time for a specialty coffee which at 10 baht is the bargain of the day, before taking the 'charging bull' back to the resort. After a lazy lunch the afternoon slips by terminating in my emersion into the warm shallow waters of the bay. Yes this is a popular beach thankfully without jellyfish but today has clouded over a bit, not so hot and despite still being a public holiday much quieter. Finally, there is another recent history lesson on offer. While walking along the beach road I noticed a signboard only written in Thai. Curious, I later asked about it. Here was another example of the surprise attack by the Japanese on 8th December 1941 by 700 troops that brought about a swift armistice.

Day 9, Tuesday 11 December - Haad Thung Whua Laen

On the road again..... I still have a few more days before I need to return to Bangkok and have provisionally penciled in Thursday to head back by train and minivan. If I take the Ordinary service I need to be in Chumphon Railway Station before 7 am. I would therefore like to stay in a hotel near the station on Wednesday night. If this is plan A then I can stay in Haad Thung Whua Laen another night. Ok that's soon arranged so for the rest of the day I'm on the road again. I pick up a usual automatic motorbike after breakfast but exactly where I'm headed I'm not sure. Extracting as much information as I can from maps and guides I start heading north. This is almost a repeat of the plan I had in Ban Krut, but this time there's more of a problem. From Haad Thung Whua Laen in the south of Chumphon's Pathiew district to the provincial border with Prachuap Kiri Khan, it is sparsely populated. The district town of Pathiew is 20 kilmetres north, but I'm expecting not much more than deserted beaches, caves and viewpoints. The village of Saphli, 2 kilometres north of Haad Thung Whua Laen on the main road from Chumphon to Pathiew, is a starting point. I head north along the main highway.
Chumphon Raptor Centre, Khao Dinsor (Pencil Hill)..... Just a few kilometres along the highway, signposted to the left, is Chumphon Raptor Centre, but as I ride up the 150 metres or so to the visitor centre it's clear my efforts are a little premature. The centre isn't manned and appears to be a new project. The visitor centre is almost complete but lacking the final touches. From research, I learn that this is a premier location for observing many species of migrating raptors at close range seasonally between August and November. Several websites are devoted to this specialist subject. The centre itself is located halfway up Pencil Hill and already presents spectacular views of the Chumphon coastline. From the centre, a pathway leads to the summit at an elevation of over 350 metres, the highest point in Chumphon province. Naturally this attracts ornithologists from far and wide.
Ao Bang Son (from a local species of tree)..... This is a larger bay running north from Saphli. The bay can be accessed from the beach road which affords views of the bay in places. There are a few small resorts and restaurants, but for the most part it's deserted. I venture down one narrow cement road edged by rubber and palm-nut trees. The long beach is populated only by rubbish washed up from the ocean. I note the familiar islands on the horizon, their shapes altered by this more northerly location.
Wat Tham Khao Bang Siap..... Tahm Khao Bang See-ub is a small Buddhist shrine at the base of a hill, set in a small cave (tham). Worth a look! On the way I can appreciate the importance of cash crops to local people. As well as the harvesting of pine nuts for processing and coconuts, the drying of the white sap from the rubber trees can also be observed.
Pathiew (Pathio)..... I proceed into Pathiew unfortunately missing a more important cave a few kilometres off the highway, but it's time for lunch. First a visit to the train station. It's here my plan A becomes redundant. A little after 1 pm a DRC (diesel rail car, also know as a 'sprinter') from Surat Thani arrives heading for Bangkok and that sets me thinking! The DRC is a 2nd class air-conditioned service and can only be pre-booked to guarantee a seat. They are usually full a day or two in advance. The service is comparable with tour buses and minivans. I figure that little else can be achieved by staying the night in Chumphon. Plan A in any case involves taking a minivan at some stage probably at Cha-am. The DRC is just under 500 baht but all in all it's a better plan. I can book my ticket from Chumphon to Bangkok here in Pathiew. Now that things are settled I take lunch and make inquiries regarding other locations that could interest me in the afternoon.
Haad Tham Thong (or Coral Beach)..... Occasionally Thai translation comes up with something that doesn't make too much sense. Haad Tahm Thong translates literally as flag cave beach but be as it may I've literally stumbled on it. Having received some directions in the town that weren't too clear to me, I head in the direction of Chumphon Airport, my only reference point. Having turned off this road I lose my reference point and to confuse matters, find myself on a new or at least substantially upgraded road without markings. However, by trial and error and some local advice I arrive at Haad Tham Thong. Having seen a photograph of this beach in a local brochure pristine and inviting, one photograph I took did not have the same appeal revealing the usual debris washed up from the Gulf of Thailand.
Tha Rua Hin Gohp (frog stone 'fishing' port)..... I seem to be heading back along the airport road past a bay containing a fishing community without a river estuary. Refuge for small boats has been obtained by creating a dyke to hold back the silt. Sometimes it is just nice to observe life without tourists. But I just charged that!
Ao Bo Mao..... I don't manage to get a logical translation of this bay, but it deserves a mention. The airport road leads back to Pathiew and this bay occupies a good several kilometres with sea views. I can't help wondering if this is not a beach location for future development. Presently, there are a few small resorts and restaurants, but seaward is mostly occupied by coconut and sea pine trees. With few facilities and lack of transport I guess this is Robinson Crusoe style: I'm tempted to try it.
Tha Rua Ao Leam Son (fishing port at Leam Son bay)..... Tha Rua Ao Leam Son is a fishing port off the Chumphon/Pathiew main road reversing my route taken in the morning. The pier is off to the left of the village immediately before the river bridge: Another photo opportunity.
Tha Rua Saphli..... As mentioned before, Saphli is just a couple of kilometres from Haad Thung Whua Laen. Before returning to Sea Beach Bungalows, I walk down to the seafront in the village which has its own pier and beach. However, it's late afternoon and the night market is already geared up for custom. Instead of taking an evening meal at my restaurant near the resort, I buy something from the street vendors. By bedtime I will regret it. It's been another very hot day and as I try to sleep diarrhea kicks in. Something I learn later is that there is nothing basically wrong with street vending except that early evening vendors start to build up their stock of prepared food without the controls insisted on in EU countries. A quick tip is to take only food that is cooked in front of you and heated right through.
Next Page