Songkhteo from our beach to Ao and then a long word on "n" costs 60 baht, but there were only two of us, so the driver dropped us off at the center of the ponte and demanded an additional payment of 20 baht from the nose for the continuation. They spat and went to buy a ticket for the ferry, if you buy a ticket on the ferry separately, it costs 100 baht, if you take the continuation it will cost 80, the ticket to chanthaburi really cost us 120 baht, I asked three times, it took only an hour to go ...
we got there, a taxi driver caught us at the basstand, that is, a songkhteo, the bargaining was not crowned with success, we did not find other transport options, for 60 baht he drove us to the river guest house on the embankment, in which we were going to settle. This hotel is mentioned in the lonely, and it is really good, more precisely, cozy. For 150 baht doubles without, for 250 with a shower, 400 with a conder. True, the double turned out to be with a one-and-a-half bed, it is not clear why this is a double, but again there are no other options, because everything was forgotten on the occasion of the jewelry bazaar, for the sake of which I turned here too. otherwise very nice rooms with wooden furniture, patio too, tables in front of the hotel, fast internet for 20 baht. This guest house is located right on the right side of the Srichan Road bridge, about a kilometer from the Basstand. they run from chanthaburi to every hour with rare exceptions; at the basstanda they give out a piece of paper with a timetable for ekamai and mochita.
Jewelry bazaar in Chanthaburi
I read on the bourgeois sites that jewelers from Cambodia come here in Chanthaburi on weekends, they bring stones, I thought to look at the beauty.
The bazaar happened to be 1 block away from us, but ... It's professional, not a sale. People are sitting, pouring stones of different colors or counting them in thick bundles. Well, we also looked at the placers of large rubies from south Africawhich were sold from Bangalore.
sat down next to them and let's look. They ask me: what is this? Ruby. Present? She shone her ultraviolet flashlight - amused the traders.
A large ruby \u200b\u200bis quite clean and rich, without inclusions and cracks, but cloudy, about 1.5-2 x 2-2.5 cm in size, I don’t know in carats, about 25-30 probably costs 100 bucks, they offered to buy less for 20. Would be in a ring to wear on your finger ...
As I say in such cases - there is no money, but there is a fotik, I took it off as a keepsake.
Another merchant invited us to look at green sapphires, local Thai, small, probably 3-4 mm in diameter, but very beautiful - they shimmer from dark green to blue-green, said that these stones are 200 baht per carat, beautiful, but why do I need them ...
There are still white people living in our guest house, at dinner they talked about emeralds, I did not understand anything, of course, but apparently they did not come here for an excursion, although there are also excursions, but in the absence of normal beds, we will only spend the night here and move on to Bangkok.
We went to look for food, of course we were looking for a semblance of a restik, but here only local, but so many ... And so different that it is not even clear what it is, so we decided to buy understandable things or from English-speaking sellers.
Couldn't pass by pancake banana (15 baht) and pineapple 10 baht for a half.
We bought grilled chicken fillet on sticks for dinner (20 baht), in a pastry shop we bought a package of small buns filled with lettuce, a tomato and something else (40 baht, 5 pieces per package), small cakes like our custard nuts with pistachio cream (24 b for 6 pcs in a box).
Everything, absolutely everything, turned out to be sweet, even the small burgers, but still delicious. Prices here are lower than in Bangkok and Chang, but drinking water is rare and even cheap water costs 20 baht per 1.5 liters in the store, in the hotel 15 baht per half liter.
On March 13, in the morning, we went to the market again, these are just a few covered areas with tables, at which buyers sit, and sellers go and offer goods, not vice versa.
most of all there are corundums - rubies and sapphires of all colors and sizes and cuts, there are a lot of ruby \u200b\u200bcabochons, although there are relatively few star corundums. Heaps of yellow and orange sapphires were seen several times.
Prices for faceted corundums from 200 to 300 baht per carat for small stones, ask the price of 1 ruby \u200b\u200blarge cabochon - flat in size with 5 baht - 119 carats, 300 baht per carat. One aunt sold us a green tourmaline the size of 1 batman dummy for 4 thousand baht.
i met Pakistanis who know Russian, they said that there are also fakes here, so here the stones are taken on bail and brought for certification, the deal is concluded only after that. If, when checking the stone, it turns out in the future that this is a fake - the office that issued the certificate reimburses the cost of the stone, that is, it actually acts as a guarantor. There are really a lot of shops around where people crowd, apparently it is there that they check the stones.
There is a large jewelry store next to our guest house, there is a little jewelry and a lot of stones, the owner speaks English, we went there. Andrey chose the mystic topaz, they are 60 baht per carat, a stone about 1 cm in size and 200 baht long. The frame can be made in 2 days, or you can pick up a ready-made one if there is a tedious diameter, for example, the ring cost 270 baht, I don’t presume to judge how much silver there is.
then we went to look for a Chinese jewelry quarter, the locals do not know about this and vaguely waved their hand into the distance. crossed the bridge, reached the grand hotel, next to a hefty jewelry store. The prices are doubled, but the stones are certified, besides it is written where they are from. The seller said that 90% of the stones in chanthaburi are from South Africa, there are some Indian ones, and blue, green and yellow sapphires are mined in chanthaburi, in the store they cost 500-1000 baht per carat. I asked about yellow sapphires from chanthaburi - are there any non-ennobled, that is, in English - untreated - antrited, the saleswoman was surprised and said that it was sooooo expensive, I nodded, I just looked ... she pointed to the rows of boxes - ol trited , and for 1 box with 2 large almost square stones 1.5-2 cm wide, I did not ask the price.
For those who are not in the know, in 2 words, there is such a concept "fencing of semi-precious stones". This means that if a rock is found interspersed with precious minerals, and it turns out that the stones are good, but not very good, for example, cloudy, with cracks, interspersed with the wrong - such stones are treated by irradiation, heating, boiling in oil, etc. As a result, such stones become cleaner, more transparent and more beautiful, but they are naturally lower than those of initially high-quality precious stones. Healed stones lose some of their qualities as a result of processing, for example, in Ayurveda and Jyotish as upayas, they can no longer be used, but for jewelry it is.
In Russia, in a store they never know from which deposit the stone came from - they lie, for example, from Yakutia, for example, because they know that good diamonds are mined in Akutia, and they also lie about treatment. And they do not give certificates, and here around the market there are shops where you can check all this, so the sellers do not hide it.
At the market, merchants pour stones out of bags, on which the price of a carat is written, in the store the characteristics, origin and weight of stones are written on the boxes, we were the only visitors in the store, jewelry stores have a rest on market day, although you can also buy items here - rings, earrings and chic necklaces, I saw 1 set of necklaces and earrings in the window - large rubies surrounded by diamonds in a classic style.
In general, if you need to buy good jewelry, then you should fly to Bangkok, probably, especially since chanthaburi is not far from Bangkok, saving on expensive jewelry will pay off all transportation costs, and if you buy stones and make them according to your own design, it probably will not be expensive at all compared to Moscow. For example, I will say that I saw gold rings with rubies of about 2 carats in Moscow for about $ 500, but here you can buy such a stone for 15 bucks.
The only and serious BUT, I read in the bourgeois that the Thai police without uniforms catch buyers of stones, the purchase of several pieces is already considered as, and this is prohibited on a tourist visa, so the stones are confiscated, and the owner is sent to prison and then to the visa blacklist.
At the reception, they called us a taxi for 50 baht, the buses run constantly, the only thing they could not figure out where to ekamai or wet us, we went to ekamai by bus, which left 45 minutes earlier than Mochitovo, the price is 187 baht, the second cost 193, it is newer we went on this yesterday. Well, okay, anyway, from the Basstand somehow to get to the station, andrei wants to immediately leave for Chiang Mai today, I'm not sure it's a good idea, but it will be seen there.
Khao Kitchakut National Park is the smallest nature reserve Thailand.
The park is spread out at the foot of the ridge and stretches over a thousand meters above sea level.
This reserve is an impenetrable tropical forest in places. It mainly grows vegetation of dry and humid evergreen forests.
The park is home to elephants, bears, wild boars and many other animal species. A huge number of birds nest in the trees.
Also in the park there are mountain rivers, waterfalls and lakes with crystal clear water and a lot of fish.
Siamese cultural park
Siam Cultural Park contains a Museum natural history, Art Gallery and Wax Exhibition.
It was founded in 1997 as a place where the sights of the artistic and historical significance Thailand.
There are several Thai houses in the park, inside of which are the main exhibitions of the park. In the park, you can trace the main historical periods of Thailand. The wax figures, which are the main part of the exhibition, will help those who come.
Some figures are made in the spirit of Buddhist mythology. Among them there are even those that reproduce religious scenes. In addition, there are antiques, bronze Buddha figurines, and modern art in the park.
Siam Cultural Park is located eighty kilometers from Bangkok. You can get here by train, train or bus.
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Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is Thailand's largest Roman Catholic church and one of the city's most prominent landmarks.
A representative dark-colored Gothic building with white trim looks very impressive - strict, noble, but elegant in its own way and even a little toy. The pseudo-Gothic building is decorated with stained glass windows and frescoes and is truly beautiful.
The first church building appeared in the place now occupied by the cathedral, in 1711. Since that time, it has undergone at least four reconstructions. The present cathedral appeared in 1909 and has expanded over time thanks to the influx of Vietnamese Christians. In front of the cathedral there is a statue of the Virgin Mary, which the locals constantly decorate with flowers. The cathedral is active, but is open for visits only during services.
Initially, the cathedral was decorated with pointed spiers on two symmetrically located towers. They were removed during the Second World War. Without them, the cathedral looks heavier, but no less beautiful.
National Park "Namtok Phlio" is a forest area declared in 1975 a protected area. A distinctive feature of the park is the presence of water streams that do not freeze throughout the year.
Namtok Flio covers an area of \u200b\u200babout 134.5 square kilometers. In addition to forests, there are hills up to 924 meters above sea level and several rivers with fast flowing, which truly adorn this area, forming beautiful cascading waterfalls. The park is easily accessible and is therefore very popular with locals as a vacation spot.
The main ecosystem of this park is rainforest with a corresponding set of flora and fauna that can be seen with the naked eye. Also in the park there is a small stupa and a small chendi temple, which contains the ashes of the deceased wife of King Rama V.
Khung Kraben Bay Royal Science Center
Royal science Center Khung Kraben Bay is dedicated to the study and conservation of flora and fauna in mangrove forests. The outskirts of the center have the status of a national reserve.
The Khung Kraben Bay Center was founded by the King of Thailand in 1981. The researchers set their task to protect the rare mangrove forest and study the mechanisms of its regeneration.
Mangrove forests are an array of evergreen tropical trees and shrubs that grow in the intertidal zone. It is a very delicate ecosystem that is extremely sensitive to external influences.
In the reserve, fish catching is monitored, the level of runoff is monitored, and educational work is carried out with the local population. Thanks to the activities of the center, a significant area of \u200b\u200bthe mangrove forest has been preserved and the population of king prawns and Asian oysters has been increased.
Hikers can take a walk inland along a special ecological trail.
Namtokphlio National Park
National park reserve Namtokphlio, which is located in the province of Chanthaburi near the border with Cambodia. This park is popular with both tourists and locals. They come here with their children to relax and enjoy communication with nature
Dolphinarium Oasis Sea World in Chanthaburi
The Oasis Sea World Dolphinarium in Chanthaburi is the largest dolphinarium in Thailand. It is located on sandy beach Laem Singh Peninsula.
Enchanting shows are held here, in which you can see interesting tricks performed by dolphins and other marine mammals. Those who wish can swim with dolphins and ride them. A swimming session with dolphins lasts about 45 minutes, after which it is allowed to feed the dolphins with fish.
In addition to the shows, you can also see dolphin training. The Dolphinarium is open to visitors every day.
Chanthaburi Fruit Farm
Chanthaburi Fruit Farm is an area where fruit plantations are located and exotic fruits are grown.
Rambutans, pineapples, pomelos, watermelons and many other fruits grow here.
At the entrance to the farm, there is a sculptural composition depicting the famous Thai fruit delicacy - rambutan, around which there are figures of no less interesting fruits - mangosteen.
The guides at the farm tell you in detail about the composition and usefulness of each fruit.
You can also try and buy your favorite fruits here at a very inexpensive price.
Rock layers rich in rubies and sapphires lie in stripes in the hills of Eastern Thailand and for more than five hundred years have attracted prospectors and traders of all nationalities to this provincial town Chanthaburi, located 80 kilometers from Banphe. Many of the optimistic prospectors settled in the city for permanent residence, especially the Shan Burmese, Chinese and Cambodians.
Chanthaburi still has a reputation for being a center for gemstones, although the rocks are now nearly depleted. The city today remains an important center for the jewelry trade (most of the precious stones are imported from Sri Lanka and other places). This is not least because Chanthaburi is as well-known for cutting gemstones as, and Thai cutters are considered the most skilled, not to mention the cheapest craftsmen in the world.
The largest ethnic group inhabiting Chanthaburi is the Catholic refugees from Vietnam, the vast majority of whom came here after periodic spikes in religious persecution that occurred from the 18th century to the late 1970s. The French also left their mark here. During the occupation of Chanthaburi from 1893 to 1905, they seized the city to prevent the signing of a territorial agreement for lao border and carried out the restoration and expansion of the city's Christian church. This cultural heterogeneity makes Chanthaburi interesting placedespite not having enough iconic locals for even a day trip.
Arrival and transport to Chanthaburi
Even if you don't plan on visiting Chanthaburi, you can get stuck here for a couple of hours between buses, as it is a major interchange point for the East Coast routes (including most Rayong buses) and a convenient terminal for buses going northeast and back. Every day, 8 times a day, buses make a 6-hour scenic drive along the Chanthaburi-Sa Khao-Khorat route and vice versa.
In Sa Kaew, it is convenient to take buses to Aranyaprathet and the Cambodian border. Buses to and from all of these locations, as well as Bangkok's Ekamai and Mo Chit Bus Stations, arrive at the Chanthaburi Bus Station on Thanon Saritidet Street, about 750 meters northwest of the city center and market. There are several banks with ATMs on Thanon Khwang Street, and Internet centers can be found on Thanon Tetsabarn 2 Street and Thanon Saritidet.
The best hotels are located by the river. Regular or air-conditioned rooms are offered by The River Guest House, with good view to the river, which is located at 3 / 5-8 Thanon Sri Chan; also very good food and there is internet access. The main hotel in the area is Kasemsan 1, which is less than 10 minutes' walk from the bus station at 98/1 Thanon Benchama-Rachutit. There is a choice between large, clean rooms with fan and bathroom on the noisy street side and similar but more expensive air-conditioned rooms in the quiet section.
The most traveler-oriented restaurant in the area is Chanthom Prochana, just north of the intersection of Thanon Saritidet and Thanon Benchama-Rachutit Streets. There is a menu on english language with a delicious selection of spicy yam salads, curries and vegetables fried in boiling oil. The restaurant also has a good vegetarian section and serves the local Chateau de Klaeng wine. You can also visit the food stalls in the market and along the coastal street, and try Vietnamese stuffed pancakes (cha gio) served with sweet sauce, as well as noodles made from local Chanthaburi rice (kwai tiau Chanthaburi).
Chanthaburi attractions
Built on the winding western bank of the Maenam Chanthaburi River, the city fan out several kilometers to the west. The most interesting places for tourists are near the river, in the area where Vietnamese families live. Here on Thanon Rim Nam, a narrow road that runs parallel to the river, the city is a mixture of pastel-colored colonial-style houses and traditional wooden houses with shops, many of which are decorated with magnificent carved trellises.
If you go further south along this road, you will find yourself at the footbridge, on the other side of which there is the most big temple in Thailand, Church of the Immaculate Conception. It is believed that the church has stood on this site since the arrival of the first Christians in the city, although the building that we see now was renovated in the French style at the end of the 19th century. West of the bridge is the jewelers' quarter, in the center of which are Trok Kachang and Thanon Sri Chan streets (the latter is signed in English as "Gem Street"). This quarter is filled with dozens of jewelry stores, most of which are empty on weekdays but come alive on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.
These days, local merchants arrive and carefully select goods from a pile of colored stones, examine them under a microscope and classify them for resale to hundreds of buyers who come from Bangkok. Besides precious stones, Chanthaburi is famous for its fruits, especially durians, rambutans and mangosteen. All of them are grown in the gardens of the city, and are sold every day in the market, a couple of blocks northwest of the jewelry quarter. It is also good to buy wicker cane here, made mainly by Vietnamese.
To the west of the market and the jewelry quarter is the picturesque Taksin Park, an urban recreation area and a memorial to the King of Tonburi - Thaksin, a general who re-united in 1767-1782 after being destroyed by the Burmese. Chanthaburi was the last Burmese bastion in East coasttherefore, when Thaksin took the city, he gained complete control over the entire country. The bronze statue of Thaksin standing in the park is depicted on the back of the 20 baht note.
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In 2018, you can book an individual sightseeing tour to Chanthaburi from Koh Chang with us!
Chanthaburi province is the most fruity part of Thailand. But what do tourists really know about the city they pass by on the way to Koh Chang? The only thing is that it is here, in fruit stalls scattered along the main highway, that you can buy kilograms of delicious and inexpensive fruit to fly back home. Meanwhile, the city is interesting not only for its agricultural achievements! The distance between the city and Koh Chang is 70 km. On the map of Thailand, it is located in the central-eastern part. Pliu waterfall and many others coastline, lovely local kitchen, and the fabulous old Chanthaburi waterfront area, where many cultures have left their mark - Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and French - you will see all this, stopping here for just a few hours! The city of Chanthaburi, which the locals call "Chan", is located along the river of the same name, 20 kilometers from the Gulf of Thailand. The symbol of the city is the rabbit, hundreds of figures of which are located on lampposts everywhere. Believe me, it's especially good here old quarter, which stretches along the Chantabun embankment - old, sleepy wooden houses of streets and alleys beckon with their sophistication. The central street of the old quarter consists of old two-story houses in the Chinese style, and the houses on stilts with windows and balconies overlook the river. The balconies and shutters are a trace of the French colonial style, when the province fell under French control for 12 years after the Franco-Siamese War of 1893. The Chinese have been building their houses for several centuries. There are many of their temples and shrines, and all sights are located in the central part of the city and within walking distance of the hotel of your choice, for example, the most famous Maneechan resort. 
Lovers beach holiday will find peace and solitude on Laem Sing and Chao Lao - two of the most famous local beaches... Don't even hope to see foreign tourists here - the resort is known only among Thais, who flood the coast during weekends and national holidays. After the Vietnam War, in the 70s of the last century, the Vietnamese diaspora in Chanthaburi was renewed, because people fled from the communist regime. They built a Gothic-style Catholic cathedral which is the largest in Thailand. The church still receives its parishioners, mainly Vietnamese Catholics. The church is the main place to see, as is the gem market! 
To get a taste of Chanthaburi, take a walk in the streets, try pad sen chan buu - fried rice noodles with fresh local crabs, guava-flavored ice cream, coffee in a cafe overlooking the river, and then go shopping with jewels. Chanthaburi is considered the gem capital of Thailand. Until recently, rubies, sapphires and other semi-precious stones were mined in the province. The city stone market is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays; sellers and buyers from neighboring countries come here. 
Another significant and sacred place for many Thai residents, it is located slightly north of the old quarter - this is the Memorial in honor of the Siamese general Thaksin, he was half Chinese by blood. After the fall of the ancient capital Ayutthaya, he rallied thousands of people from Chanthaburi and won a victory in the war with Burma in 1767, later becoming King of Siam. A stupa temple, built in the shape of a hat that Thaksin wore, and inside the building is his seated statue. 
But travelers leave most of the rave reviews about Chanthaburi after visiting the Oasis Sea World Dolphinarium, which is the largest in Thailand. It is home to pink and blunt-nosed dolphins with which you can swim in the pool and watch a show of trained dolphins. Contact us and we will organize a trip from Pattaya or Koh Chang! 
Must-see in the province national park Namtok Pliu, which is named after the waterfall, where dozens of carps are found in the bowl and in the crystal clear water of which you can swim. The park has a stupa-chedi, erected in memory of the deceased wife of King Rama V. 30 kilometers north of the city is the Khao Kitchakut National Park. Thirteen-level waterfalls flow from Khao Phra Bat Mountain, which is also the source of the Chanthaburi River. Locals believe that the streams of the waterfall have purifying power and make pilgrimages here. Nearby is the very famous active monastery of Wat Khao Sukim, which is located on high mountain... A large beautiful staircase leads to the temple. For those who cannot climb this staircase, a funicular is provided. Inside the temple there are about twenty wax figures of monks known in the Thai Buddhist world. The veranda of the temple offers a magnificent view of the surroundings.
Wat Khao Sukim is one of the most unusual Buddhist temples in Thailand. The most interesting thing is that it was built on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by magnificent nature. In this temple, meditation techniques are taught. According to Buddhist teachings, meditation helps to achieve inner satisfaction and purify the mind. The temple is a typical Buddhist building. The interior of the temple is magnificent. Its walls are decorated with Chinese painting, which gives the temple a special grandeur. However, getting into such a magnificent temple is not very easy, since everyone must overcome at least 300 steps on the way to it. Those who cannot withstand such a long journey can take advantage of the rail car ride.
Temple of Wat Khao Sukim
Chanthaburi Fruit Farm
Thailand, ChanthaburiChanthaburi Fruit Farm is an area where fruit plantations are located and exotic fruits are grown. Rambutans, pineapples, pomelos, watermelons and many other fruits grow here. At the entrance to the farm, there is a sculptural composition depicting the famous Thai fruit delicacy - rambutan, around which there are figures of no less interesting fruits - mangosteen. The guides at the farm tell you in detail about the composition and usefulness of each fruit. You can also try and buy your favorite fruits here at a very inexpensive price.
Chanthaburi Fruit Farm
Chanthaburi cave temple
Thailand, ChanthaburiThe Chanthaburi Cave Temple is a large Buddhist temple complex located in a rock cave. Thousands of years ago, the rock was part of the seabed, over time the water receded and a cave with amazing grottoes and bizarre stalactites remained in this place. The wandering monks settled in it and formed a temple here. There are many Buddha statues and sculptures in this temple. The entire territory of the temple is decorated with flowers and ribbons. On a stone staircase covered with moss, you can climb to the top of the cliff and see there a majestic statue of a walking Buddha. This place is also notable for the fact that a large number of wild monkeys live here.
Chanthaburi cave temple
Namtokflio National Park
Thailand, ChanthaburiNamtokflio National Park is a large-scale park that is home to many species of flora and fauna. The reserve covers an area of \u200b\u200bover 134 square kilometers. Animals such as wild boars, mongooses, Himalayan bears, gibbons live here. Also on the territory of the park there are reservoirs in which many species of fish, characteristic of the waters of the Gulf of Thailand, live. Among other things, this park has very beautiful waterfalls... Namtokflio National Park is under the protection of the ministry natural resources and environment Thailand.
Namtokflio National Park
Siamese cultural park
Thailand, ChanthaburiThe Siam Cultural Park contains the Natural History Museum, the Art Gallery and the Wax Exhibition. It was founded in 1997 as a collection of artistic and historical landmarks in Thailand. There are several Thai houses in the park, inside of which are the main exhibitions of the park. In the park, you can trace the main historical periods of Thailand. The wax figures, which are the main part of the exhibition, will help those who come. Some figures are made in the spirit of Buddhist mythology. Among them there are even those that reproduce religious scenes. In addition, there are antiques, bronze Buddha figurines, and modern art in the park. Siam Cultural Park is located eighty kilometers from Bangkok. You can get here by train, train or bus.
Between January and March, people go to Khao Heichahut Natinal Park to worship the Buddha's footprint. It is a popular pilgrimage site for Thai Buddhists. There they train their patience and temper their minds.
If you want to get to a place where it is fresh and cool, head to Pliev Waterfall. It is a waterfall with a pool and cool, clear water. You will be able to feed the cave fish. Trok Nong Falls - beautiful waterfall with the river that flows all year round... Adventure seekers can go rock climbing.
The eastern province of Chanthaburi is a mining center known for its abundance of tropical fruits, green forests and picturesque waterfalls.
