Road Trip to Hua Hin, Phetchaburi, Amphwa & Samut Songkhram

For the first of our two consecutive 4-day weekends, we decided to take a family road trip. So, we loaded up our left-hand drive Altima and hit the road for Hua Hin, a resort beach town two hours south that we had yet to visit. After arriving at the hotel and spending our day at the pool, we took a tuk-tuk into town to visit Hua Hin's night market where we enjoyed street food, a seafood dinner, and Japanese ice cream served in balloons.

(our seafood dinner)

The next day, before checkout, was spent at our hotel enjoying the pool, the beach, the buffet breakfast, and the garden maze and enlarged chess set.

(amazing buffet breakfast)

(a clever gambit)

(into the hedge maze)

Next, we headed to the town of Amphwa where we were to spend our second night. However, on the way, we stopped to see Khao Luang (Cave of the King) in Phetchaburi, which is a cave made famous by some Buddha images placed inside by a former King of Thailand.

(long way down)

(natural skylight)

(Eliana considering the shrines)

(Exorcist staircase)

Then, it was onto Amphwa, a town built along a canal with old wooden shophouses, a floating market, and the kind of old school Thai charm that reminds lots of people about the Thailand of old.

(our guesthouse)

(located on the river)

(boat trip into town)

(kids on a motorscooter)

(breakfast!)

(river view)

(in front of old shophouses)

(local kids taking a dip)

(clay pots o' curry)

(Eliana on the drums in a store)

Finally, our last stop on the way home was in Samut Songkhram, where the Maeklong Market is. The Maeklong Market is build atop about a mile's stretch of railroad tracks. When the train comes through 4x a day, the merchants quickly dissemble their goods and displays until the train goes by, at which point they're re-assembled. Unfortunately, due (we think) to the holiday schedule, no trains came through while we were there. Still, it was a lively market to walk through and it was a surreal experience to do it on train tracks.

(rehydration break)