They say that people who go to the sea are either escaping the heat or escaping love.

.. But not for us ..

We escaped the hustle and bustle of the capital to live a peaceful life, to be with ourselves on ordinary days.

Like today, at Khao Laem Ya.

Khao Laem Ya National Park, or its full name, Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park... If you ask what's interesting to visit in Rayong, many people would think of the same thing, which is 'Koh Samet'... Perhaps this is another reason why Khao Laem Ya remains a beautiful, peaceful place with unspoiled nature...

We choose ... to travel alone.
We choose ... to travel on weekdays.
We choose ... to travel to this place.

Isn't it strange? .. For a woman to carry a backpack and go solo .. This trip is our first trip where we decided to go solo on a weekday, just a morning and evening trip. Why? The reason is simple: I wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, the way of life of a salaryman .. I had some vacation days left, so this trip was born!!!

As we journeyed towards our first destination, Victory Monument, we scanned the cityscape, observing the hurried pace of life. The streets were choked with traffic, horns blaring incessantly, while public transportation was packed like sardines. People from the provinces yearned to come to Bangkok, while Bangkokians longed to escape to the countryside. I, myself, am a salaryman who leaves home for work before dawn, taking the bus and then the train, only to return home after dark. It's the same routine every day, and it's getting pretty monotonous.

We left home at 6:30 AM, half an hour later than planned. We had intended to leave at 6:00 AM, but oh well. We arrived at Victory Monument at 7:15 AM and rushed to buy a ticket for the BH Rayong-Ban Phe-Ko Samet van, which is located next to Century. The van departs every 40 minutes and costs 200 baht. Tell the driver to drop you off at "Khao Laem Ya" (and don't forget to ask for their phone number so you can call them to pick you up at the park entrance).

Dialogue during ticket purchase

Van driver A: How many people are going?

We: I'm going alone.

Van driver A: Aren't you scared to go alone?

We: (smiles) .. Not afraid.

Van driver B: The kid will be scared when you ask him, haha... Come on! You can get in the car now.

The van we boarded departed from the Victory Monument station at 8:00 AM. I slept the entire way, with one stop for a bathroom break near Khao Mai Kaew. The journey continued until we arrived at the park entrance, taking a total of 3 hours. We arrived at the park entrance at exactly 11:00 AM. We purchased tickets at the entrance for 20 baht. There is currently a promotion offering a 50% discount on park entry fees for Thai citizens on weekdays until the end of the year.

For those who have a National Park Passport book to get stamped, it is recommended to get it stamped at the park office. Do not stamp it at the ticket booth, or you will end up like this. 😭

So we solved the problem by asking the park to stamp the seal on a separate piece of paper and then cut and paste it. At least it's better than the original, right? ^^

For those who want to stay overnight in the park, the park has houses and tents available. You can contact the park office for more information. Or you can bring your own tent and pay a location fee of only 30 baht/night. ...

The park office area is quite shady, but when we walked in, the sun was blazing hot, so we sat down and talked to the staff. It's good to be alone like this, I can take my time and rest when I'm tired. When the staff found out that I was alone, they suggested some places I should visit in the park, and I also asked about accommodation for my friends.

The park has 4 accommodation zones, including:

Zone 1 is located on the coast of Khao Laem Ya.

Zone 2 is located on Koh Samet (Ao Luk Yon area)

Zone 3 is located on Koh Samet (in Ao Phrao area, not on the beach)

**Zone 4** is located on Ko Kut Island.

Here is the translation:

Rough map saved directly from the park's website. http://www.dnp.go.th

Let's talk about the accommodation on Khao Laem Ya. If you have any questions, you can contact us at 085-812-9366 (8:30 AM - 4:30 PM). There are two sets of accommodation on Khao Laem Ya. If you stay between Monday and Thursday, which are weekdays and not public holidays, you will receive a 30% discount.

House 1 Baan Koh Kaew Price 4,800 baht, sleeps 11 people, divided into rooms as follows:

- Koh Kaew 1 Price 2,000 baht/night Sleeps 4 people Has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 living room (fan, refrigerator, hot water pot)

• Koh Kaew 2 Price 2,800 baht/night for 7 people, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (fan, refrigerator, hot water pot)

House 2 Baan Sinsamut (twin house) 2 houses, price 2,000 baht/night, sleeps 5 people, has 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom (fan, refrigerator, hot water pot)

Camping: If you plan to camp, it is recommended to call and inquire beforehand. Because the park will be closed during the rainy season.

- Small dome, sleeps 2-3 people, 150 baht/night

- Sleeping bag 30 baht/night

• Mattress 20 baht/night
  

- Pillow 20 baht/night

There are 3 camping areas on Khao Laem Ya: 1) Lan Krang Ratchawong 60 Pi (under the tamarind tree), 2) Tha Ruea Uthayan (park pier), and 3) Akar 80 Pansa (80th anniversary building). All areas have restrooms available.

After we rested and recovered from our fatigue, we walked along the path that the officer told us. Don't worry about getting lost, there are signs all the way. No matter which way you turn, the paths will eventually converge. .. So as not to waste time, we will start the first activity right away .. Walking to study the nature trail ..

Nature Trail .. We will have to walk up for about 1.4 kilometers, chill for a slender woman like us .. This route has 9 stations. You can walk from station 1 or start from station 9 as you like. But let's start from the beginning. Let's see how tough the road is ... Oh! I forgot to tell you that this route is what will make us discover what Khao Laem Ya has to offer. 'Travel in one place, complete with forest - mountains - sea' .. Let's go! Station 1 Dry evergreen forest on the sea side

Station 2: Classification of treetop layers

Station 3 Forest Tunnel

And just before we exited the forest tunnel, what made us exclaim 'WOW' at the sight before us was simply indescribable... The vast expanse of the sea stretched as far as the eye could see, the azure waters meeting the sky in a breathtaking embrace... However, from this point onwards, before reaching Station 4, we had to wade through a field of tall grass, descending to the promontory jutting out into the sea below (if we had come during another season, the grass would have been short, but we came after the rainy season, and the grass was growing thick and lush)... Ahem, my shoes were ready for the challenge, but I happened to be wearing shorts, so it was quite itchy. But hey, we were already here, so no need to be afraid! We just plunged right in!

Station 4 Khao Laem Ya We spent quite a while here, and I was all alone under the blazing sun. But the view in front of me made me forget the heat. It would have been a shame not to take a selfie at this point, so I went for it (whether it's beautiful or not, I don't know, but the owner of the post thinks it is, haha). I'm a little narcissistic... If I could watch the sunset at this point, it would be so romantic, but unfortunately, we day-trippers don't have the privilege of seeing it. -"-

Station 5 Traces from the volcanic crater

From here, we will walk along the cliff, following the sea to the next stations. There will be wooden bridges in some sections, and in some sections without, please walk carefully as it is easy to twist your ankle. I twisted mine, but luckily it wasn't serious. ... Station 6: The Origin ... Koh Samet (the legendary Koh Kaew Pisut).

Station 7: Seawater and the phenomenon of high and low tides

Station 8 Intertidal Ecosystem

Station 9 is the end of the literary park trail.

We spent about 2 hours walking and exploring the nature trail. We arrived at the old pier, where there is a tourist information center, restaurants, and the landmark of this place, the white tower. Before we go take pictures with the tower, let's take a break. We've been walking in the sun for almost an hour, so let's grab something to eat. We had lunch at a restaurant in the park called 'Krua Sivika'. The food prices start at 50 baht. Since we're at the sea, we ordered a simple dish of minced pork with basil and a fried egg, along with a bottle of Coke. The total cost was 75 baht. The food was delicious, or maybe I was just hungry. Haha, at this point, anything will do as long as I'm full.

Okay! I'm feeling energized, let's continue… Next, we're heading to the White Tower. Everyone who comes here has to take a picture at this spot. But on the day we went, there was a pre-wedding photoshoot happening. Wow, so sweet, I'm a little jealous. >///

Finally... 1 day, 1 person, 1 journey has come to an end. We walked back to the park entrance as before, called a van to pick us up, and stepped out with a soft 'thank you' to the place in our hearts... 'Alone'... Thank you, really.

For this trip, we didn't plan much. We just needed to know how to get there and back.

Summary of expenses for this trip ...

- The cost of the van to go is 200 baht

- The return van fare is 200 baht.

- Park entrance fee 20 baht

- Park food fee 75 baht

A total of 495 baht

P.S. Thank you SONY A6000 for giving us beautiful pictures throughout this trip (all pictures are not edited at all, I want the pictures to come out as real as possible, according to the quality of the camera)

If you ask me if I'm lonely,

I'd say 'very much'.

Experience is outside, if you don't go out, you won't find it.

A friend once told me and made me dare to travel alone.

The journey takes us to our destination. Some people have someone waiting for them at their destination.

But for some people, the destination is to go to new places, places they don't know.

But no matter what, it will always become a valuable memory.