Day 5: Ban Krut - Ban Thung Maha - Frankie goes to.....the Gulf of Thailand (2022)

January 12, 2022

Day 5: Ban Krut - Ban Thung Maha

I was really looking forward to today´s ride and when heavy downpours woke me up in the middle of the night I thought: Nooooo! Why on this particular section? I absolutely adore this bit. Always right on the water, then through Bang Saphan and back on the water further down the coast headed for Chumphon. It always has felt like an off-the-beaten-track and I seriously wonder why. I believe any of this coastline can compete with most islands. Phuket in particular. My opinion, back to the facts....

Leaving Ban Krut is the most delightful start you can possibly have on a bike. Right on the beach, usually well kept by the various attractive resorts all along it. Mind you the first ones seem to have already paid the Covid 19 price and had to shut down. All the same those 20 km down to the end of this bay are as good as it gets.

When you come to the southern end you will notice the fishing pier on the left (see the photo with the fishing boats below). Don´t turn right after the pier towards Prachuap Port and Bang Saphan but go straight through towards Wat Bo Thong Lang (you will find it on google maps). It is well worth the extra 2 km as you will find that lovely little Bo Thong Lang Bay and a great seafood restaurant right on/in the water. I had my soup at the very last one when you turn right at the temple.

From here on my day turned more into an average one. Cyclingwise the 15 km south of Bang Saphan along the #3374 are rather odd. Along one of those newly developped fast roads killing any former atmosphere. After 15 km you will find a 7eleven on your right and you should turn left onto the #1015 here. Usually a great ride down to Bang Boet (aka Bang Burt) but the clouds had moved in again and soon after it started getting rather nasty. Strong onshore winds bringing some heavy showers and when I came into Bang Boet the little town didn´t feel very inviting at all. I decided to keep rolling along and take the next best resort along the by then #4015. And that took ages. It was already getting dark when I found a cluster of guesthouses and the very good Chomlay Restaurant in the middle of one of the many palmoil plantations just south of Ban Thung Maha. I stayed in the Ratree@sea guesthouse next door as I wasn`t aware the restaurant had some bungalows attached too. Nice end to a wet afternoon!

No, the extremely friendly owner of the Wandee Resort in Ban Krut is not kneeling down....

Very busy at the fishing pier at the very southern end of the Ban Krut Bay. And fortunately some of their catch seems to go just round the corner...

....to one of the nicest seafood restaurants I have been too.

They prepare this devine khao tom talay (rice soup with seafood) and anything else I saw coming out of the open kitchen looked great too.

On the Bang Boet Bay pier further down the #4015 just before the weather turned really wet.

The outstanding Chomlay Restaurant. They have great bungalows (the green structures on the top right; 800 Baht, breakfast included) too but I didn´t know that when I got here in the teaming rain. Next time!

Today's ride: 88 km (55 miles)
Total: 356 km (221 miles)

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