After arriving early in the afternoon to Thung Wua Laen beach we were dropped off right outside our hotel- Nana Beach resort where we checked in and found our nice luxury room (for us). The bathroom was a bit outdated but the rest of it was lovely with a big comfy bed, sofa and desk for Dave. We couldn’t see the sea from our room but you could from the hallway. Our hotel was just the other side of the road from the beach but we could see it from the pool area.
Still being backpackers on a budget and after recent days with our boots getting (and staying very wet) in Khao Sok we needed to wash out the river water smell and leave them to dry. So we didn’t actually end up going out for some lunch until 4ish. It was sprinkling a little by this point but it was dry enough to wander for food. Just down the street there was a good selection of small local restaurants/ food stalls and we picked one with a friendly lady in it to have some cheap Thai basil chicken and rice (70B each). It was a Thai public holiday on the days we were there so there were lots of families on the beach, each ordering food from the local restaurants to eat on the beach. We wandered down the main strip to see what there was before cutting up onto the beach. It was a lovely sandy beach with a lot of people playing in the sea. Despite that it was relatively quiet and surrounded by coconut trees providing areas for shade (when the sun was out). Thung Wua Laen beach is a local beach, one visited mainly by Thais on weekends or holidays and we could see the appeal.
In the early evening we made the most of our hotel and the weather being dryish to go for a dip in the pool. As it had been cooler and cloudier for the last couple of days the pool was quite cold but did have a good view looking out over the beach. When we were ready for dinner, we went for a wander in the other direction but unfortunately not much was open due to it being a public holiday. So instead we had dinner in the hotel’s restaurant which was on the beach overlooking the dark sea. We ordered massaman and panang curries which were just ok for the price (125B each) but we were paying for the location and convenience of them still being open quite late.
The next day was Dave’s birthday. I had booked the hotel by the beach so that we could have a proper chill day relaxing by the pool and at the beach with a few drinks. However it decided to chuck it down for most of the day and was still a public holiday so alcohol wasn’t really being served! Instead we had a chilled morning inside our hotel room Dave playing games and me doing some washing/admin bits ready for heading to malaysia soon. We did make it across for our included breakfast though that was a mix of western and asia dishes with cereals, toast, fruits, eggs, curries and rice porridge. The best bit of it was the brownies though that were surprisingly good!
When the rain slowed a bit we decided to head across to the next village- Saphil to see the fishing boats and to go to 7/11. On the way it absolutely poured and we were soaked even with an umbrella. But we did get to see a local small procession for the holiday, the colourful fishing boats and get cheap lunch and snacks from 7/11. The way back was kinder with no more rain.
As the morning had not gone to plan we decided to celebrate Dave’s birthday by visiting a local coffee shop- Mahila Blues. This was where I had originally wanted to stay but they only have a couple of rooms and were booked up months in advance. We treated ourselves to 2 different local drip coffees (120B each). Thailand has quite a few areas where they produce good coffee beans. The coffee was wonderful, the place had a chilled vibe with jazz music playing and views out over the beach. It also had some very interesting art pieces as it was a gallery too. We spent a long time there savouring our coffee and relaxing into the vibe of the place. They also have food and craft beers (on days that aren’t thai holidays!) if you are looking for western food. Thoroughly relaxed now and with the rain having stopped, we walked the length of the beach back to our hotel. We wanted to make the most of it being dry and being at the beach as this would be our last beach in Thailand so we headed back down to the beach for a dip. It was a really calm sea and a beautiful temperature, not being too hot. Plus it was actually deep enough to swim in!
In the evening we checked out a local restaurant on the beachside, attached to a nearby mart. It didn’t look like anything but they had an extensive menu and actually sold us a couple of beers so we could celebrate Dave’s birthday. We ordered a seafood feast of seafood fried rice, battered seafood and vegetables and a mixed seafood curry. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection- although way too much for two people! All of this with 2 large beers each came to 595B which definitely was worth it. So Dave still managed to have a nice chilled birthday playing games, having coffee, swimming at the sea and having seafood and beer. Just less sun than expected!
Of course it was brilliantly sunny the next day when we were leaving! The next day was a travel day where we were waiting around before getting our night train from Chumphon. That will be in the next one!
Thanks
Alex
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