We can make it a 2D1N #homestay at #PakNamPrasae in #Rayong which is only 3 hrs.away from Bangkok but full of fun in this #eco trip.
☀Day 1
Rafting, Red-hawk watching and Swimming in #Prasae River.
🕑 2 PM : Checking-in at Baan ChanSamut Homestay
Leaving Bangkok around 10.30 AM, using a motorway to #Rayong in the East, we stopped by Motorway Service Center where many chain cafes and restaurants such as Starbucks, KFC, Burger King, MC Donald's including various local food and snacks are too much choices for lunch. However, toilets are provided in most chain stores if you don't want to queue up at a public WC.
After taking about 2 hrs.snap in the car, my son wakes up right at the time we arrive at Pak Nam Prasae community in Rayong. Most houses having their backyards open to Prasae river and fishery warehouses have been renovated into homestays for travellers including Baan ChanSamut, our accomm tonight. Actually, I intended to stay at MahahSamut Boutique Homestay, a newbie after Baan ChanSamut under the same owner but Baan ChanSamut might be a good mistake from earlier reservation as Baan Chansamut is more suitable for a family group, I think, in terms of price, ambiance and the convenience for tour activities hosted by the homestay when everyone must get into a boat at Baan ChanSamut pier.
🕓 4 PM : Bamboo Rafting begins in #Prasae River.
Kids are ready in swimming suits. Life jackets are enough and fit for every kids and adults. The owner of this #homestay, an old hi-profile fisherman in tuna catching, is our boat captain along with his professional local staffs who take care of us on a big bamboo raft for about 25 people. The boat drags the raft along Prasae River. Little wave keeps splashing into the raft as if we are surfing. Kids at front are having so much fun with this aqua adventure. The boat is heading to the end of the river where it meets the sea of Thailand's Gulf when the captain stops for red hawk watching and free swimming in the river for almost an hour. Then we continue to watch the beautiful sunset at the mouth of the Gulf. After swimming, we can move from the raft onto the boat so we won't get too cold with the wind and kids can get changed into dry clothes up here.
🕕 6 PM : Back to homestay.
After taking a shower, we go for seafood dinner. Our host recommends two well-known restaurants in PakNamPrasae community area which are Che Nong Zab Ver and Krua Prasae with better river view. We choose the latter and really confirm its good taste and price.
Tonight, as it's Thai's long weekend, the homestay's neighbor seems sleepless enjoying Karaoke until late night. It's a bit noisy but luckily, my kids seem too tired from swimming in Prasae river to stay up late and easily fall asleep even with their songs.
☀Day 2
Golden Mangrove Field, Thung Prong Thong, and the warship HTMS Prasae
We are woken up by sound and odour of cooking in the kitchen. Our host serves coffee/tea/ovaltine with toast and deep-fried dough stick since 7 AM. Then at 8 AM., main breakfast which is seasoned boiled rice with fresh blanched seafood 🐟🦐🦑 keeps coming for everyone. My kids also have minced pork. I'm not sure this might be special for kids from our kind homestay owner. We're having easy but yummy breakfast while enjoying the view of Prasae river ahead, also kids love watching Tiger fish swimming in the water down below the house.
If we had had more time, we would have spent longer morning. After breakfast, we check out and hurry to the mangrove forest. Actually, there are two entrances reaching to each other. If you enter at Samae-Poo jetty, the highlight of golden mangrove field will be reached in 200 metres and if you continue walking for another kilo and a half approximately, you will find HTMS Prasae, the giant warship memorial, at the end which is the other way round to enter and explore the mangrove forest.
For us, we choose to enter at Samae-Poo jetty, after parking and taking a motor sidecar (5 THB each), then taking a motor boat (50 BTH each) to closely observe the animals in their habitation, the mangrove forest. Unfortunately, the ride is hide as we arrive late after 7 am.I think, we can see only few crabs, no any mudskippers. The boat trip takes only 15 minutes and most people will walk back to Thung Prong Thong, the golden mangrove field. Contrarily, my two kids insist to keep walking for another an hour to HTMS Prasae and that offers them a more adventurous experience. Along the wooden boardwalk, they meet a giant Samae tree which people must take photos with. Some parts of the boardwalk go through the exposed area opening to the sea. Especially more swampy and broken boardwalk at some point kids must challenge themselves to pass through.
HTMS Prasae is a frigate 412 warship used to serve in Korean war, measuring 92.8 meters in length, and required 216 sailors to man the ship. More story about it you can read here from thetrippacker.com. What impress the children should be the a barrage of weapons equipped up there, including guns and cannons, also the Bridge post where kids can act as the Captain and we can get the best view of the sea and the surrounding area of Prasae.
Then, we take a sidecar taxi again from the warship back to Samae-Poo jetty as the highlight of Prasae's mangrove forest here hasn't been checked in yet. Thung Prong Thong is the outermost golden #mangrove field. It must be true to come here early since the opening at 6 AM. or in the evening when the sunrise and sunset light up this field more beautifully golden than in the afternoon when there's more sunlight sparkling in your eyes.
Almost 2 PM, we leave the golden #mangrove field. We have spent about 3 hrs including boat trip, walk path to the warship and enjoying Thung Prong Thong. If you have less time, skip the walking journey except that your kids want some adventure. However, I suggest to start walking from the warship entrance to Thung Prong Thong, then take a sidecar from Samae-Poo jetty back to your car at the warship parking lot because it seems that the sidecar taxis have their own route allowance. When we take the sidecar from the warship and run into the small lane to Samae-Poo jetty, ours is honked from other sidecars in that lane without any reason and I notice that the drivers are wearing different colors of vests.
We stopped by having lunch at Aou Khai near Laem Mae Pim. Its beach is so private and serene that it could be a happy night stay before heading back to Bangkok. There's Centara Q Resort whose booking rate is very friendly compared to other hotels in the same chain. Maybe next #Rayong trip.
PS. HTMS Prasae Warship Memorial and the #mangrove forest is free entry and open from 6 AM to 6 PM. During late rainy season to early winter (October-early December), recommended to take a night boat to observe fireflies in the mangrove forest.
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