Chumphon has never been a top tourist destination. Most never take the exit off the 222 km of highway (Petchakasem Road) running through it from North to South. What have those on the fast-lane been missing? Numerous tranquil beaches with white powdery sands and clear waters. Chumphon is six hours away, and getting to said beaches is often tricky because many are surrounded by private property. But Arunothai Beach, in Pak Tako, is easily accessible and also offers a tranquil fishing village and smart eco-tourism options.

Get to know the locals

Pak Tako subdistrict is very small. If you can recall Arthit Asarat’s award-winning film Wonderful Town, this is even smaller—you can easily walk down its two parallel rows of wooden shophouses on Ratpiboon Road in fifteen minutes. Get there early in the morning (9am), when locals are busying themselves with the night’s catch. Surely it’s about time you learn how to gut a squid yourself? This is a real fishing village, though, and it’s not on hipsters’ maps, so don’t expect a cute coffee shop for a pick-me-up.

Arunothai Beach is 6km-long. The sand might not be as powdery as Samed’s Sai Kaew or Samui’s Chaweng but the only people here are locals. As the name implies, Arunothai is at its most beautiful in the morning, when the sun rises over the horizon.

Bike around town

The municipal office encourages visitors to produce less carbon. Resort all have bicycles available to check out nearby sites (most about two-hour rides roundtrip).

Start your itinerary around 4pm when the heat is starting to drop and head to Pak Tako Mangrove Reserve, located in the Prince of Chumphon Fishery College. The mangrove reserve project was started a few years ago to preserve the local environment as well as exhibiting local flora and fauna for the next generation. Though not yet 100% complete, a long wooden walkway leads you into the forest and through blocks where different kinds of animals are shown in captivity. The whole trip is 5 km roundtrip and takes around an hour or more.

On the way back to the beach, you will pass a bridge famous for its scenic sunset views. If there is no rain, there are a few stalls selling snacks, food and coffee right on the bridge. Pa Paew (Aunt Paew) sells yam (spicy salads) every day from around 5-8 or 9pm. Her knowledge of the area is on par with her culinary skills so make sure you also get some local tips from her.

Hop around the islands

Though surrounded by several beautiful islands, most of them are nesting sanctuaries where humans are forbidden to set foot. If you just want to see them from the (dis)comfort of a boat, one-day trips cost around B1,200-1,300, depending on how many people go (try arranging them through Tusita Resort and Spa, 07-579-151). The nearest one is Koh Pitak, which is only 1km from the mainland and is also one of Thailand’s very first homestays, started decades ago. Koh Pitak’s homes all share roughly the same rates: from boat shuttles (B50 per trip) to a one-night stay (B600-800). During Jun-Aug when the tide is low, you can even walk for a kilometer from the mainland to the island. Further to the east are Koh Rang Bantad and Koh Ma Prao, which offer some great diving spots.

Taste the South

Among the restaurants here (Rim Nam, Lego, Krua Tonson, Krua Isaan-Tai Seafood and Pak Tako Seafood), Pak Tako Seafood (259/9 Pak Tako, 077-579-044) is the most popular. Though it lacks a beachfront location, it serves fresh seafood (as the fishing village is only 500 meters away) and Southern-style dishes. Apart from grilled crabs, shrimps and fish, don’t forget to try the kaeng som pla kapong yod maprao (southern-style fish curry with young coconut) and the pak mieng pad khai (a local vegetable stir-fried with eggs). As pak mieng is its signature vegetable, the locals try to adapt it into new dishes like deep fried pak mieng or even baked pak mieng with cheese—but we suggest you just stick to the traditional options.

Essentials

Getting there

Car: Arunothai Beach is 538km from Bangkok. Use Rama 2 Road (the same road you use to get to Hua Hin) to reach Petchakasem Road. Then turn left onto Road No. 4096 in Chumphon and continue for around nine kilometers to find the beach.
Plane: Can’t face a six hour drive? Fly. Get Nok Air (from B3,494 roundtrip; 1318, www.nokair.com), Air Asia (from B2,580 roundtrip; 02-515-9999, www.airasia.com) or THAI Airways (from B5,760 roundtrip; 1566, www.thaiairways.com) to Surat Thani and rent a car at the airport. Or fly Solar Air (B2,900 one way; 02-535-2455/-6, www.solarair.co.th) to Chumphon. From both airports it’s another one-hour drive on the Petchakasem Road—so you’ll need a car anyway.

Where to stay

Tusita Resort and Spa (259/9 Moo 1, Pak Tako, 077-579-151, www.tusitaresort.com). Its villas are decked out in British-Indian style made from kiam, a local wood as strong as teak. Rooms range from B3,700-5,300 during the low season (until Oct 30)
Tusita @ The Beach is Tusita’s younger sister (and we like her better), a Mediterranean-style mansion sitting on Arunothai Beach beachfront. The five rooms decked out mainly in wood and pastel color details promising stunning views of the sunrise. B8,200-11,200 till Oct 30.
For something more local, 117 @ Sea Home Stay (17 Moo 5, Pak Tako, 07-757-9151 ) offers two twin wooden villas built on the water in the middle of the fisherman’s village. B7,000 gets you both villas per night (B4,500 for single villa) but if you don’t want to find your food, a B10,000 package will also get you all meals cooked fresh at your terrace.