Sweets in Chan.
A province of abundance
Beaming on the Gulf coast, the “Moon City” of Chanthaburi delivers a fantastic sub-regional food tradition focused on seafood, fruit and herbs. Between bites you’ll see coastal viewpoints and heritage architecture from the Thai, Chinese, French, Vietnamese and Khmer.
On this trip we’ll head east out of Bangkok, skirting the Gulf Coast for some 200 km. Bring an appetite. Click here for photos of this tour.
Itinerary:
First day
- 08:00: Meet at your hotel in Bangkok and drive roughly four hours to Chanthaburi. (Pick up in or near Pattaya and Ko Chang also may be available.)
- 12:00: Arrive at the beach for a seafood lunch.
- 13:00-16:00: Explore the Chanthaburi River Delta with stops at a soft-shell crab farm, oyster farm and a village where sturdy mats and other products made from a sturdy type of grass that thrives here.
- 17:00: Check into the hotel and take an hour to relax.
- 18:00: Dinner at a 60-year-old restaurant that is a local institution (see below for samples of food we’ll try).
- 20:00: Back to hotel.
Second day
The old town.
- 06:00-09:00: Breakfast is available at hotel.
- 09:00-13:00: Explore Chanthaburi town’s photogenic old quarter, poking our heads into century-old temples, churches and houses featuring exquisite carvings and mosaics. We’ll also eat a bunch!
- 14:00: Head out of town to visit Phlio Waterfall, where King Chulalongkorn courted Queen Sunandha in the 18th century.
- 15:00: Continue to Wat Phlap, a haunting Ayutthaya-period temple. On weekends we can also sample some truly unusual dishes at a local market beside the temple.
- 18:00: Another terrific local restaurant for dinner.
Third day
- 06:00-08:00: Breakfast at the hotel and then check out.
- 08:00-10:00: Head back out towards the coast to sample a breathtaking array of Thai sweets in a village lined by attractive old houses.
- 10:00: Start heading back west towards Bangkok, stopping at various coastal viewpoints, beaches and food stalls along the way.
- ~18:00-21:00: Arrive back in Bangkok and drop off at your hotel.
*Exact itinerary may change based on weather, time of year and other factors such as festivals and availability of special markets. Chin will put together the best tour possible for the specific days that you book.
Examples of foods you’ll try:
- Fresh mangosteen salad
- Pla kung: delicate shrimp and lemongrass salad)
- Muu chamuang: a Chanthaburi specialty of pork simmered with chamuang leaves
- Massaman curry with durian
- Fish stir-fried with Siamese cardamom
- Soft-shell crab deep fried with garlic and shallot
- Tom yum noodle soup with seafood
- Jungle curry with silago
- Chanthaburi’s famous fresh fruits including salacca, durian and mangosteen (May-Sept. is best for fruit)
- All sorts of traditional Thai sweets
*Food samples are subject to changes/additions and can be adapted to your tastes. Vegetarians and those with allergies are welcome.
Accommodation
Typically we like to stay the first night on the beach at a boutique resort called Baan Imm Sook. For the second night we suggest Baan Luang Rajamaitri, an inn set in a beautifully restored 19th-century building in the old quarter of Chanthaburi. Both have excellent reputations and are often full in advance; in that case there is reliable back-up accommodation on hand.
Days offered:
Every day; please inquire as far in advance as possible.
Meeting point and time:
8:00 am at your hotel in Bangkok.
Price:
40,000 Baht for 2 people (if only 1 room).
Please contact us for a quote for 1 person or 3+ people.
*These prices are for private tours. We do not offer mixed group tours.
To reserve a tour, please email to chilipastetour@gmail.com
Please check your Spam folder if you don’t hear back from us within 24 hours.
***When inquiring, please answer the following:
- What is the date (or dates) that you would like to do the tour?
- Number of people in your group?
- What are the full names, ages and nationalities of everyone in your group?
- Any eating restrictions such as allergies, vegetarian or no pork?
- Any health conditions that we should be aware of?
