Day 2: Sam Roi Yot Beach to Prachuap Khiri Khan

October 22, 2018 to October 23, 2018

Hooray on the low season! On two previous trips I had tried to get a room at Maggie´s Seaview Guesthouse, a place Austrian fellow cyclist Jan Houtermans had highly recommended to me. Both times the charming place right on Prachuap Khiri Khan´s waterfront had been fully booked. Not this time! After a delightful day out on the road settling into one of their two prime seaview rooms on the 1st floor was the icing on the cake.

The day had started well too as the weather was much better than the forecast had predicted. I don´t mind them being wrong at all if it goes that way: rain was announced, sun is shining. The temperatures are currently very nicely down in the low 30s Celsius and the moderate breeze from the south certainly doesn´t make the cycling itself easier but it feels very comfortable.

I have made my comments on all the shrimp farms in the Sam Roi Yot National Park several times now and don´t want to bother you again. All the same, it spoils the ride through these otherwise exciting karst formations. Fortunately two attractive temples, the deserted Sam Phraya Beach and the almost non-existent traffic make up for the unpleasant presence of that seafood industry. Even the few inevitable kilometers along Highway 4 later on are not too bad due to the wide shoulder.

One more turn from the Phetkasem Road onto the rural road #1047 and thirty minutes later "you have reached your destination". I always enjoyed my time in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Surprisingly little tourism for it´s great location right on the sea with several good beaches just north and south of town and probably the most authentic Thai food along this coast. Two nights for me, please!

A last look at the boatbuilders at Sam Roi Yot Beach

Street food, literally! Last night I had eaten exactly that same meal (Phad Khapao Moo - Fried pork with Thai basil) in the touristy environment of Sam Roi Yot Beach. I paid three times the money (120 but 40 Baht) and got less than half the flavour. If you should visit Thailand, I can only urge you to let your understanding what a "decent" restaurant looks like behind. Look out where the local people go and eating will become one of the highlights of your holiday.

The park on the foot of the Khao Chong Krachok hill just north of the town center is a stronghold of these monkeys.

And they are not shy. When I cycled along here a few years ago I got chased as I had forgotten to take a bunch of bananas off the top of my panniers.

The Maggie Seaview Guesthouse. The left room on the first floor quite obviously being mine.

Entirely self-service. I have been in the guesthouse for more than 24 hours now and haven´t seen one single person yet. Neither other guests nor staff.

It took me hours until I realized this pigeon is nesting with two young ones on the folding-screen of the balcony. The screen is only 150 cm high but the courageous little bird would not leave although I had been moving around the balcony a lot

Today's ride: 70 km (43 miles)
Total: 124 km (77 miles)

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