Word: khao
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...hundred baht. Take it or leave it," says Wiset Samsee. I've been negotiating with the 28-year-old driver for some time, but Wiset is unmoved. He seems more interested in the procession of jiggling, pierced, backpacker flesh parading down Bangkok's Khao San Road than in tackling the Friday-afternoon rush hour...
...Monkeys may be your only company at Khao Wang. Phetchaburi does not have the grand hotels and great beaches that traditionally attract tourists. Instead, its charm lies in the streets little changed since the 1800s, and a collection of temples that rank among Thailand's most diverse. Murals at Wat Ko Kaeo Sutharam show a Westerner (an early Jesuit missionary most likely) attending an ancient Buddhist ceremony. That may be the only Western face you see in Phetchaburi these days. Which is strange, considering that in its heyday, the hilltop palace complex was the hip place to swing...
GREAT ESCAPE For harried Bangkok residents, serenity awaits a mere half-day drive south at Khao Sam Roi Yot, a marine national park. Despite its proximity to the capital, it harbors isolated coves and a profusion of vegetation-capped, limestone hills (the name means "300 peaks"). Toss in river rafting, and it adds up to Bangkok's best nature getaway...
...rare species like the small leopard cat, colorful purple heron and several types of eagles (white-bellied, spotted and imperial). One species surprisingly not seen in great numbers, though, is the human one. Only a few thousand visitors drop into the park in an average month, leaving much of Khao Sam Roi Yot in a state of splendid wilderness...
...Hotels and travel agents in Hua Hin and nearby Pranburi arrange tours to the park, and local operators offer kayak rental and boat trips. The park station is a good place to start an outing. A rugged trail climbs up craggy Khao Daeng hill to a lofty lookout. It's only half a kilometer, but nearly vertical the entire way. What a view, though: glittering shrimp ponds and lush, green fields skirt conical peaks all the way to the coast. The total seems fewer than 300, but as Khao Sam Roi Yot is such a pleasant break from Bangkok...