Take Time for Tantalizing Trat
TRAT, IN EASTERN THAILAND, OFFERS UNIQUE CULTURAL EXPERIENCES, EXCELLENT SEAFOOD, CAPTIVATING SCENERY AND NATURE IN A TRANQUIL UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT WRITES FLOYD COWAN.
My suite at Mira Montra The Beachfront Resort Koh Mak, in eastern Thailand had one of the most striking tranquil sea views I’ve ever enjoyed. The sliding doors opened towards the grounds and the beach just a few steps away. Sea and islands alternated into the distance. It was like a beautiful ode, very nuanced, subtle and pleasing to the senses. Monsoonal rain clouds and mist mixed with the hills and the sky. And perhaps, this wasn’t even the most beautiful place I enjoyed on this trip.
SUMPTUOUS SEAFOOD
Days earlier I had flown from Singapore to Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport on a Tourism Authority of Thailand sponsored trip. I joined the group that included media, members of TAT, staff from Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways and guide Tim who met us at the airport. We immediately began the hour and a half drive to Pattaya for lunch at Mum Aroi Restaurant. I am quite familiar with Pattaya, but more so the Jomtien side and had yet to enjoy this excellent seafood restaurant in North Pattaya and its sea views with the highrises along the coast.
After lunch we drove past all those buildings and made for Ocean Marina Yacht Club where the Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2019
was taking place. We had a media briefing before heading to the reception dinner at Alexa Beach Club. If you’ve avoided visiting Pattaya because of its reputation, take a look at the beaches to the east of the city. There you will find a more laid-back environment with hotels and restaurants right on the beautiful beach.
ABOVE IT ALL
It was about 10:00pm when we arrived at the Grande Centre Point Pattaya, that opened earlier this year adjacent to the also recently opened Terminal 21 shopping centre. The rooms are modern and beautiful and have views over the throbbing centre of the city. With all the bars, night clubs, street food, shopping, street hawkers and massage parlours laid out below me, I took in the view then went to bed. I’d been awake since 4:00am and needed sleep more than I needed anything else.
Hardly surprising, I was one of the first up for breakfast and enjoyed the excellent buffet almost in solitude before the other guests slowly trickled in. For some it was their first time in Pattaya, and they took in the night life.
TARGETING REMOTE DESTINATIONS
Regardless of how we spent the night before we all had the opportunity interview TAT Executives at Ocean Marina Yacht Club. Mr Klissada Ratanapruk, Executive Director of ASEAN, South Asia and South Pacific Market Division; Mr Chanyuth Sawetsuwan, Deputy Executive Director of ASEAN, South Asia and South Pacific Market Division and Mrs Kulpramote Wannalert, Director of ASEAN, South Asia and South Pacific Market Division were available for the press conference.
Executive Director Ratanapruk made the point that one of Thailand’s objectives was to encourage tourists to go to destinations other than the most popular places such as Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui. There is lots to see and do throughout the country. They want to spread the benefits of tourism to other less developed areas while easing the pressure on the popular places. This was one of the purposes of our trip to Trat.
PATTAYA AREA ATTRACTIONS
Before heading to Suvarnabhumi for our flight we visited two local attractions. We turned off the main highway towards the low mountains to the north where Silverlake Vineyard and Khao Chee Chan Buddha Image can be found adjacent to one another.
Tim, our delightful female guide who became more animated as the trip went on, told us the history of Buddha Mountain. The mountain had been mined for U.S. military projects at Utapao Airport during the Vietnam War. The mining continued for several years after the Americans departed, leaving the sheer face of the mountain we see today. In 1995, Somdet Phra Yannasangwon, then the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, came up with the idea to carve a giant Buddha image on the mountain. In 1996 carving began. It was designed on a computer before being etched into the mountain with lasers. Once done, the entire image was filled in with gold leaf.
MADE FOR INSTAGRAM
There is a park in front of the mountain that you can wander through looking for the best place to take pictures from. It is a very popular place as is Silverlake Vineyard. The garden section was made for the Instagram age. Not for people into gardening. There are, of course, lots of colourful flowers along with the Dutch windmill, and various animal and bird characters designed to be photogenic.
The vineyards, naturally, are also picture
pretty, as are the buildings with their Mediterranean flavour. We enjoyed a tasting of their wines and, in my opinion, it was the best of the Thailand made wines – of which I’ve sampled wines from three other vineyards.
Lunch was at Preecha Seafood Restaurant where we were served much the same sea life and vegetables as we had in the previous lunches, but here their choice of flavours made the dishes different taste sensations.
PROPS FOR TRAT
When we reached Suvarnabhumi Mr Nitikorn Komkris (Teddy), Country Manager – Singapore & Malaysia Bangkok Airways joined us for the rest of the trip. It was on Bangkok Airways that we took the one-hour flight to Trat. The airport is in the wilderness and was swathed in mist and rain as we landed at twilight. Once we’d collected our luggage it was an interesting half hour drive, past rubber tree plantations, scattered homes and businesses to the city. There was a festival happening and along the highway at the Night Market the bright lights, music and shoppers created a festive atmosphere.
At the thoroughly modern looking Seng Fah Restaurant, along with heaps of white rice, we enjoyed their fresh seafood, but just as it was here and places to come, each restaurant had their own way of preparing each dish. The modernity was a bit of a surprise as Trat architecture tends towards the rustic – windows to the past.
TOURISM CHALLENGES
Dinner conversation was interesting as Mr Kajorndet Apichartrakul (Johnny) Director, Singapore & the Philippines, told me he would soon be leaving Singapore to come to Trat. Tasked with increasing the tourist numbers to this area he’ll face challenges. “I will have to coordinate the various interests and groups because they don’t work together,” he stated.
We crossed the road to the covered market that we explored as the rain pounded down. The stalls were filled mostly with goods for the local market, not souvenirs for tourists. The trays of insects and grubs were interesting, but none in our group gave them a try.
We checked into the Trat City Hotel with its small clean and comfortable rooms about 10:30pm and checked out at 8:30am. I had a window over the semi-rural residences and was serenaded by dogs, roosters and chickens.
HEAVY ON HISTORY
I wished I had more space to give a more extensive history of this interesting area, which TAT’S William Low and Tim were able to fill me in on. Being on the border with Cambodia it has had influxes of people invading, fleeing war or just looking for a better life. People of Vietnamese extraction live in Trat, along with Cambodian Muslim, Chong, Mon Khmer and Chinese – all of whom have had their influence on local life.
People lived here from prehistoric times and a glimpse into these days is provided at the Trat Museum. The mahogany and teak building from Rama VI’S time, houses exhibits with pictures and dioramas, ancient and new artefacts, videos and words. Depending on your level of interest, an hour is sufficient here.
PRIDE IN THE PAST
Two things stood out for me, and that was that Rama V (King Chulalongkorn – who was portrayed in the King and I) is still revered here, having visited 12 times.
I was intrigued by the naval Battle of Ko
Chang that took place in 1941 during the Francothai War. A larger flotilla of French warships attacked a smaller force of the Royal Thai navy. While it was a victory by the French, the Thais fought valiantly, giving the French a bloody nose. From Saigon the French broadcast news about the battle acknowledging the skill and bravery of the Thais. Within a month, the French and Thais negotiated a peace ending the war.
A BRIDGE NOT FAR
The Trat River was a short walk from where the bus dropped us. Over the we crossed a high arching bridge and took the path along the river to Ban Nam Chieo Homestay. The bridge is high
because the colourful fishing boats need to pass beneath it.
Long tailed boats took us to the river mouth and the Gulf of Thailand We passed a mangrove forest, that is the largest in eastern Thailand. In the Gulf we enjoyed the delightful scene of a group of young Europeans frolicking in the shallow water – covered in mud. So shallow even boats became grounded. They were having a great time. I would love to return as it was not an option for us to get so muddy. We had stops and distance to travel before we would arrive at our hotel. Along the highway there are signs for spas that use black sand as part of their treatment.
LOCAL DISHES
We returned to Ban Nam Chieo Homestay where the ladies demonstrated how to make local delicacies. A two day one night package is offered for stays at member homes in the area. During the stay you will enjoy three seafood meals and take part in a number of activities – though frolicking in the mud wasn’t specifically mentioned. We had the opportunity to make Ya Nha – crispy rice and Tang Mae – sticky burnt sugar. Delicious!
Trat Laem Ngop Pier was a raging collection of tourists and tour buses making their way to and from Ko Mak. This is where the speedboats depart from. Before boarding we indulged in lunch at Rim Talay Seafood Restaurant. Every restaurant I’ve mentioned I would have no trouble recommending.
TROPICAL IDYLLIC
It was an hour over choppy water before we reached Ko Mak. I was not expecting the quality of Mira Montra, Beach Front Resort. Situated on the sandy stretch of Ao Pra,
Mira Montra presents the tropical idyll you see in brochures. It succeeded in its goal to create an ambiance of tranquillity and relaxation. Each villa has simple rustic furnishings, outdoor showers and wooden terraces where you can gaze off at the sea and sunset.
Everyone agreed that our cycling trip was an excellent experience. I particularly enjoyed it when we got off the road and cycled through the rubber tree plantation. Other highlights were the quick visit to Ko Mak Temple with its golden statues facing the sea. We were given a cooking demonstration at the Ko Mak Resort Organic Garden.
Papaya Salad and a refreshing drink made from Blue Butterfly Pea Flowers were made for us.
COCO CAPE
Then we pedalled off to see the sunset at Coco Cape Pier that is at the bottom of a steep hill. We walked down, leaving our bikes at the top. Despite the lack of sunset, it is a beautiful location and must be stunning in good weather. The wooden pier stretches far out into the water where there is a bar to help you enjoy the sunset with a sundowner.
To our delight the bikes had been returned to the rental company and we were driven back to the Resort. Koh Mak Seafood Restaurant presented its best for our dinner.
ISLAND HOPING
The weather was clear when we took the speed boat to the small cluster of islands, Rang, Yak Yai and Yak Lek for a morning of snorkelling around Antler Reef. This is one of the most impressive places I’ve snorkelled. It had the colourful coral, plants and sea life, but what set it apart for me was the incredible school (really, it was a university) of sardines. “It is as big as a whale” gushed one of our group. Indeed it was. I wished I’d swam into it to see what it would’ve done. Maybe I would’ve been the seafood lunch.
We enjoyed a catered lunch on San Jhao Beach, Rang Island by the hard working team from Koh Mak Seafood Restaurant. Upon returning to Mira Montra we had time to ourselves before dinner. Some did stand up paddle boarding while I went for a run to Coco Cape. The cool drizzly afternoon was a welcome change from the heat and humidity of Singapore. Table Tales Restaurant & Bar was the dinner venue.
MORNING DEPARTURE
Before catching the speedboat back to Trat we took a short walk on the 500m Cinnamon Scenic Board Walk, one more of the many beautiful sites to enjoy on Ko Mak.
Alighting at Trat we departed for Ban Tha Ranae, an eco-tourism community. “We are going to see a Steven Spielberg movie,” people said before we boarded boats for a trip into the mangrove. Travelling along Khon Phan Canal we passed through three primeval
forests to Miracle Lan Taboon. From the boats we walked into the forest, which is indeed like a movie set. For a distance there were walkways, but then we trod on the gnarled roots spread throughout the area, which meant paying close attention to where you stepped as you took in this unusual scene.
LONG LIFE
Emerging from the forest we were given Roi
Roo herbal tea. The local Chinese believe it has properties to prolong life. Our last stop in Trat was Kon Plad Tin Restaurant that has a large fishpond. From the terrace we watched red hawks swoop over the water catching their own lunch.
We felt sorry for a hawk that was chained to a post – until we heard its story. It wasn’t being kept as a pet, but for its own protection. The restaurant owner had found it with a broken wing and had kept it as it wouldn’t have been able to survive in the wild. During lunch Teddy mentioned that he liked to draw and so I badgered him to doing this drawing for me.
BANGKOK’S RIVERSIDE
My Facebook page got lots of likes and comments when I posted pictures of Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok. After countless meals of seafood our group was pleased to be set free in its extensive quality buffet. Our gracious host, Vachiravit Thiti wattanajirakit, Sales Manager – Travel Trade, even encouraged us to have red wine, a treat after five days of beer and juice at meals.
Our flight was early evening the following day giving us time to visit King Power Mahanakhon Skywalk and Icon Siam, but I will refer you the February – March 2019 issue of Asian Journeys and the article Always Something New to do in Bangkok, where they are given coverage.
THE HIGHEST
It was a pleasure to catch up with Krittiyawadee Pongpanich, Director of Public Relations for King Power Mahanakhon who filled me in on what is happening there. She pointed out that the beanbag chairs have been replaced with more comfortable chairs and that Mahanakhon Bangkok Skybar, Thailand’s highest restaurant and bar, is now open. Located in the heart of Sathorn and directly connected to Chong Nonsi BTS station, the new dining venue is situated on the 76th and 77th floor of the iconic pixelated building.
Yes, it is a little difficult to get to Trat and Ko Mak, you don’t simply step off a flight from Singapore and take a taxi to your hotel. However, the unspoilt beauty of the area makes the journey worthwhile. The scenery is different than what you will find elsewhere in Thailand and you can easily enjoy the ‘slow life’ as Tim liked to put it. You will simply have to make the effort.