Finding Peace in Bangkok
Waking up in a Far East Asian beach resort is not just fun, it is an exhilarating experience as I found out. Being in Bangkok was another experience but the unmistakable crowds in the streets were no less different from the ones in New York. People hurrying back home from work, stopping on the way to pick groceries and buy fish and cacophony of sounds. I flew all the way from US to relax in peace and soak up some sun, but Bangkok, even with its urban charm, seemed far from the place to relax. My cab driver told me that I should hit the beach if I needed peace and tranquility. Where would the beach be? Talking to some local travel agents and cabbies revealed this marvelous beach side, about 90 odd kms from Bangkok. It is the Bangasaen beach in Chonburi. I said to myself, finally, I am going to get some peace. I was surprised when I reached the Bangasaen beach as it was teeming with hundreds and thousands of people who had come with their families and partners to find their own piece of the peace pie! This was not where I wanted to be.
A Thai family, who were visiting the Bangasaen beach, provided directions for another beach. So I noted down the directions and headed for the Pattaya beach, which is on the same coastline as the Bangasaen but a little bit cleaner. It is almost 150 minutes or nearly 2hrs from Bangkok, unless you happen to be stuck in a traffic jam, which may seem like an endless wait. As I walked to the Pattaya beach, it did not remind me of the tropical paradise that I so desperately wanted and my dream of finding a nice and secluded beach was becoming more difficult. There were more people like me and it suddenly seemed like I was in Florida especially with all the English signboards. Yet again I was disappointed.
Locals advised that a visit to the Cha-am and Hua Hin beach resorts that lie on the opposite coastline. According to them, Cha-am is not more than a 3hrs run from Bangkok Central and is a popular destination for the Thai people. It is not advisable to visit on a long weekend because instead of the miles of sand, you will get to see a few thousand pairs of feet. The beach at Cha-am is definitely beautiful and at night, it oozes charm but unfortunately, it did not hold me spellbound because I was looking for a secluded beach. Perhaps I need to look further away from Bangkok. So my search is on…