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Chumphon,
also named the Golden Gate to the South, is located in the
bottleneck of Thailand, where the border with Myanmar (Burma)
comes the closest, At the moment it is mainly known as a
hub for travellers going to or coming from Koh Tao, but
it has a lot more to offer than that.
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The
province has one of the best preserved national parks in
the South of Thailand.
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Chumphon itself is a
quiet little town, easy to explore, with its main source of income
by fishery. This will become clear once you're leaving (or arriving)
through the river that leads into the Gulf of Siam. The sight of
hundreds of colourful, wooden boats of all sizes will keep you breathless
(as will the fish odour). City Hotels and Guest Houses, as well
as plenty of excellent restaurants, invite you, also with their
very moderate prices. The main road leading to the railway station
changes at dusk into a long food market, offering plenty of delicacies.
If you want to meet your fellow traveller, fancy some English pub
grub or like watching the footie, head for the newly opened Safety
Stop Pub, next to Ocean department store. Professional travel agents
provide with all kinds of transfers, accommodation and tours, so
no one has to be afraid of being lost or stuck. Tourism is picking
up and many exclusive resorts, located on beautiful, empty beaches
and stunning offshore islands, aim at nature lovers and divers.
All in all, event if you cannot extend your holiday to explore the
surrounding national parks, temples & caves, it is well worth
staying for one or two days to prepare yourself for the big city
ahead of you. Even in that short period you will be easily able
to visit quite a few interesting sites, including the shrine of
the Prince of Chumphon, shaped like a ship. Mini busses, VIP busses
and trains are leaving every day to every destination and several
visa trip services to the Burmese border run daily or can be chartered...
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