Take the time to explore Trat

Posted by Party Pete on August 13th, 2010 filed in Daytripping

Trat is a small province to the very east of Thailand near the Cambodian border and can be reached in just a couple of hours from Pattaya. Many travellers stop in the province capital town of Trat on their way to one of the surrounding islands and beaches. Indeed, Trat Province contains over fifty islands of various sizes and popularity, all of them featuring long, white sandy beaches and amazingly colourful coral.

There are regular buses to Trat from many parts of Thailand, and a direct journey from Bangkok should take 5-6 hours.

Particularly of interest to visitors is the immensely beautiful island of Ko Chang, part of the Mu Chang Marine National Park and the smaller but no less attractive Ko Kood. There are both regular ferry and speedboat services to the surrounding islands, and both Ko Chang and Ko Kood can be reached in an hour or less.

The smaller and less visited islands of Ko Kham, Ko Mak and Ko Phi can also be found in Trat Province. These islands are all exceptionally beautiful, although somewhat less developed, and make a good option for those who want to slow down a pace or two and simply relax on the beach.

But the town of Trat itself, although often neglected by travellers, has many interesting features and is definitely worth a second look. Trat is most famous for its gemstone mining and trading, and many a good bargain can be picked up at one of the town’s gem stores. There are also some excellent restaurants in the town, serving fresh seafood expertly cooked in a range of Thai and Western styles.

Trat’s vibrant night market is a good place to pick up a bargain and get a good, cheap meal cooked in the local style, and whilst in the town you can pay a visit to the pretty temple of Wat Plai Khlong.