Great places to go to enjoy good food, relax and enjoy the natural surroundings, especially during the rainy season
- Published: 18/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Brunch
Within only 70 or so kilometres of Bangkok there are many places that are perfect for some out-of-town relaxation, each having its own special setting. On the Eastern Seaboard there is Chon Buri. To the west is Jao Samran Beach and Phetchaburi. And Ayutthaya, with its many historical sites and ancient ruins, is to the north, although during the beginning of the rainy season it can get quite wet.
PLENTIFUL: A view along the road from Amphoe Wihan Daeng to Nakhon Nayok.
However, there are some areas that become all the more inviting when the rainy season gets under way. Nakhon Nayok and Prachin Buri become refreshing havens as the water level begins to rise in the canals and rivers, the foliage turns to a brilliant green and, more importantly, an abundant variety of fruit start to appear.
Fruit lovers can enjoy their favourite fruit straight from the hands of the grower with fine flavours at low prices. Besides the fruit, there are some local cooking traditions quite different from that of Bangkok to be explored along the way, as well. Since the dishes change from season to season, there are new eating experiences to enjoy all year round.
‘AROI’: ‘Chuchee pla nuea awn’, top, and ‘pla phat prik’ dishes served at the Mangkhon Thong restaurant.
To get to Nakhon Nayok you have to pass through Rangsit. And if you get there in time for lunch, there are some great dishes available not to be missed. The Jay Buay food shop is right at the corner of the entrance to the road leading to Amphoe Thanyaburi, a little passed Khlong 6.
The menu at this particular shop offers only a few dishes, including haw mok pla chon (snakehead fish meat and herbs steamed in a spicy curried coconut custard-like sauce), tom yum pla chon (spicy-sour soup made from the same fish), dtap moo thod kratiem prik Thai (pork liver fried with garlic and pepper), and khai jiew koong (omelette with shrimp).
Regular customers know that none of these dishes will ever disappoint. Day in and day out the Jay Buay shop serves up flawless versions of excellent original dishes, especially their haw mok - a gold-medal champ that can't be matched.
The route to Nakhon Nayok passes through a series of numbered canals, going all the way to Khlong 15. There are many sellers of ornamental plants near Khlong 15, offering both large plants and flowering annuals.
On holidays many Bangkok residents drive there to buy plants for their garden or to simply walk around and be marvelled by the beautiful array of plants, which feels like you're at a giant flower festival.
If you don't go as far as Khlong 15 and turn off at Khlong 14, there are still some interesting things to see. The road is a good one that runs along the edge of a canal for quite a distance. The people who live along this road have a lifestyle so rural that it is hard to believe a place so close to Bangkok can be so similar to the provincial countryside with banana orchards and rice fields.
The road reaches all the way to Amphoe Wihan Daeng in Saraburi, an area where straw mushroom farms thrive. And the road from Hehan Daeng goes through to Amphoe Ban Na in Nakhon Nayok.
The canal that runs alongside it frequently sees locals paddling boats and spraying fertiliser on the pak boong (morning glory) vines that grow in the water.
The local people plant the vines along the banks of the canal and allow them to spread out over the surface of the water. And they look beautiful when the fertiliser produces new shoots and fresh leaves. The farmers claim that the quality of the water does not suffer because the fertiliser produces no residue, and the canal water circulates constantly.
Ban Na district is close to two temples: Wat Charoen Tham and Wat Tha Sai. There are numerous places worth visiting in Nakhon Nayok, though most people opt to visit the waterfalls, Sarika and Nang Rong.
But there is even more to be seen in Prachin Buri province.
Both sides of the road to Prachin Buri are so deeply shaded by big, overhanging trees that it feels like you're moving through a long tunnel of vegetation. Local people bring bamboo shoots, custard apples and santols to sell at food stalls set up alongside the road. This is a year-round feature because whenever different kinds of fruit come into season, they, too, find their way onto the shelves of the food stalls.
Prachin Buri farmers like to grow many kinds of fruit on the same plot of land like bamboo, mango, durian, santol, custard apple, betel nut, tamarind and papaya. Growing them all together this way is much better than just growing the one kind; the same way durian is grown in some provinces because the mixture creates an ecological balance with different plants contributing to a system that benefits them all. Some absorb water and store it, for example, while others attract red ants that control pests like aphids.
The eucalyptus trees that grow on the earthen dykes separating the fields may not look especially beautiful, but they bring the farmers extra income because there are many paper mills in the area that are always ready to buy the wood.
Prachin Buri is a very small province, but in the provincial centre there are many types of buildings, from concrete structures to wooden shophouses. Many visitors like to go to the Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital because of the great variety of Thai herbal products sold there. The hospital is reviving the use of traditional Thai-style medical treatments of every kind, including the growing of medicinal herbs and the use of them in treating diseases. It can be seen as a model facility for traditional Thai medicine. The hospital also has a museum housed in an old building that once belonged to Phya Abhaibhubejhr, who was an important government official during the reign of King Rama V.
No one who visits Prachin Buri should miss trying the local dishes. One favourite dish is khao tom krapoh moo (rice soup with pork tripe), which was once served at many food shops, all of them good. But today there is only one shop left - Nai Tue - located next to the municipal market in front of the dam on the Prachin Buri River that still offers it.
It is a very old shop that offers various dishes to be eaten with rice soup. Among them are the pork tripe and seasoned, ground pork that is shaped into balls like the look chin served with noodles. The rice soup itself is made by first cooking the rice, then cooking it briefly again in hot water, then serving it into bowls. Some of the side dishes are spooned into the rice soup with a few vegetables added, and then it's ready to enjoy. Though a long process, the end result is delicious. Nai Tue is open daily from 5pm until late.
There's another old restaurant named Mangkon Thong (Golden Dragon), which is more upmarket, with all the dishes listed on the menus. It's a family operated business; the father doing most of the cooking, while his wife and children take orders and serve the food to customers.
There are many tasty dishes available, including chu chee pla mae nam Prachin Buri (freshwater fish from the Prachin Buri River in thick coconut cream curry sauce). On some days, the blade-like pla neua awn is used, and on other days it will be with another type of local fish like pla khao or pla trakhoak. Also on the menu is tom yum pla (spicy-sour fish soup) with the choice of fish left up to the customer, pad phet pla (spicy stir-fried fish), and pla siew thod krawb (crispy fried local fish). Kangkon Thong is open for a late lunch and supper at 5pm.
This is a sample of what you might find in Prachin Buri. So plan a trip to discover more, but be sure to go during the rainy season when the weather is cooler.
About the author
- Writer: Suthon Sukphisit
- Position: Writer
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