Cha Am Holiday Guide

You'll fly into the international airport at Bangkok, 105 miles from Cha Am. From here you can easily make the 2.5 hour transfer by car, bus, train, taxi or internal flight to nearby Hua Hin.

Cha Am is basically a two-road town and it's very easy to get around on foot. There are some motorbike taxis around or alternatively you could hire a bike.

The beach is sandy with warm gentle water and perfect for swimming. While not quite the picture postcard tropical paradise you might usually associate with Thailand, it offers a lot of rural and local charm for those purists.

The southern part of Cha Am beach is quieter than the northern part, particularly at weekends when busloads of Thais arrive from Bangkok.

Chao Samran Beach, 31 miles from Cha Am, used to be a royal favourite, with King Naresuan the Great and King Eka Thotsarot making frequent visits.

As the town remains quaint and relatively untouched by tourism, most visitors find themselves attracted to the beach, Cha Am's laid-back charm and its royal heritage in the region, as it was once the summer retreat of kings.Sam Roi Yot National Park covers an area of more than 24,000 acres. Here you'll find limestone mountains, Thailand's largest freshwater marshes, caves, a huge variety of plants and trees, and a number of wild animals.

Snorkelling at Bang Saphan is a must for anyone who wants to see coral reefs and tropical fish.

Petchburi is a charming historic town, home to a number of interesting temples. King Rama IV also had a summer palace built here in the 1850s. Or visit the floating market at Damnoen Saduak, or the notorious Bridge on the River Kwai at Kanchanburi.

Seafood features heavily in Cha Am and it's easy to see why as its some of the freshest seafood you're ever likely to taste.

Jumbo shrimp, chili crab, fried fish and crab-fried rice are just some of the specialities you can look forward to.

Dine in open-air beach restaurants, the more traditional can be found dotted around the resort or perched on stilts over the water.

Cha Am is not known for its buzzing  nightlife, but many of the bars and restaurants spill out onto the beach, where you can relax and enjoy a candlelit cocktail under the stars.

Hua Hin is only 15 miles away and you'll find a variety of nightlife choices on offer, including the buzzing Night Bazaar, or an evening kick-boxing tournament. Cha Am also has its own smaller night market.

Many of the shops in Cha Am sell beautiful items made out of shells, including lamps, jewellery and ornaments.

Woven cloth, known as khomapha', is famous throughout the region and can be found in some of the shops around the resort. If you can't find it here, try Hua Hin.

Don't forget to haggle with shops and street vendors. The asking price will often come down by half, or less, depending on how good you are.

Beach-based activities include jet skiing, a hair-raising ride on the banana boat or horse riding along the sand.

You'll also see people riding around on tricycles, which you can hire in town.

At the north end of Cha Am you'll find no more roads along the beach, just untouched sand dunes which are great for exploring.