The first trip of 2018 has arrived. With the cold weather at the beginning of the year, many people may be heading north to the mountains. However, we decided to head south this time, as we had already explored the north extensively last year. We had also missed out on diving in Chumphon during our trip to Ranong in the middle of last year. We had planned to go diving, but a storm hit and we had to cancel. This time, we decided to reschedule the trip for the beginning of the year. However, before we could go, there were more storms and rain. We checked the weather forecast every day for a week before the trip, and we were very worried. In the end, the weather cooperated and the trip was a success.

Tentative trip schedule: Departing on January 5-7, 2561 (2018).

Day 1: Departing on Thursday night and arriving in Chumphon early in the morning, we will witness the sunrise at Khao Matree. After paying respects to the shrine of Prince Chumphon, we will go diving around the Chumphon archipelago, including Ngaam Noi Island, Ngaam Yai Island, Khao Khao Island, and Thalu Island.

Day two: Take photos at Sa Phli Beach, Tung Wua Laen Beach, Khao Din So Viewpoint, Saphan Mai Kiem, and watch elephants in Kui Buri (The original plan was to stay at Haad Nok Beach and dive at Koh Chang, but the officers said the boat was being repaired, so I missed it again). Tonight, I will stay at a hotel in Hua Hin.

Day three: Visit the Khao Hin Lek Fai viewpoint and Pa La-U waterfall, and conclude the day at Wat Huai Mongkol.

The provided text is in Thai and describes a travel experience. Here's the translation:

You can watch the video before viewing the photos. All photos were taken with a Nikon D7200 kit 18-140, a fixed 35mm lens, a Tamron 70-300mm VC lens, and a GoPro 4 Silver. Also, thanks to Liaem for joining the trip.

Please note:

• The link to Facebook page "Liaem for joining the trip" is translated as "เหลี่ยมพาเที่ยว" which is the Thai name of the page.
• The specific details about the camera equipment are kept as they are technical terms.
• The informal tone of the original text is maintained in the translation.

The seven-member team embarked on their journey in a 4x4 Big Vigo pickup truck. The passengers in the back only paid half the fuel cost. Just kidding! The friends enjoy sleeping in the back of the pickup truck, and it's already crowded with six people inside. Using two vehicles would be wasteful, so this is a cost-effective solution.

The moon is big and beautiful today, just a few days after the full moon.

Arriving in Chumphon around 2:00 AM, we stopped to sleep at a PTT gas station near Khao Matsee. We will hike up Khao Matsee in the morning.

The moon was up just after 5:00 AM when we woke up, brushed our teeth, and headed to Khao Matree.

This morning, the weather is pleasant in Chumphon. In the evening, mist will cover the entire area.

Let's enjoy the morning atmosphere on Khao Matthur.

The day I went to Chumphon, the fog was thick all day, but luckily I was still able to go scuba diving.

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The sun is out.

Departing from Khao Matthee, we paid our respects to Prince Chumporn Khet Udomsak for good luck. May the skies be clear and the sun shine throughout our journey.

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After grabbing breakfast from a local street vendor, we drove to the pier where we would be diving for the day. We went with Siam Catamaran, which offered free parking and a price of 1400 baht per person. The boat was large and included a buffet lunch. However, with a promotion of 6 people for the price of 5, the cost was reduced to 1200 baht per person. Prices among different operators were similar, with the main difference being the size of the boat. I prefer larger boats to speedboats, as I have had several experiences with seasickness on the latter.

9:00 AM, it's time to board the boat. Today, there are very few people, only 7 of us and 5 foreigners. It's like a private tour. As soon as we arrive, we are served snacks on the boat.

After that, they taught us how to use the equipment. One thing I really liked was that they offered free frog fins, which saved me some money. It was my first time trying frog fins, and they made swimming so much easier and less tiring.

As mentioned, today the fog is thick throughout Chumphon.

Fortunately, the water was relatively calm and the waves were not strong. This made it another trip where swimming was very easy. I should mention that I don't know how to swim, so I always have to wear a life jacket. However, this time, even with the life jacket on, I didn't get tired easily and was able to swim to all the islands.

This trip program includes 4 islands: Ko Ngam Noi, Ko Ngam Yai, Ko Khao Lo, and Ko Thalu.

The following is a translation of the Thai sentence "ระหว่างทาง จะผ่านเกาะรูปฝ่ามือครับ" into English:

On the way, you will pass the Palm Island.

Let's go see the pictures of Koh Ngam Noi and Koh Ngam Yai. I'm not sure which is which, haha. Both underwater and above water are beautiful, I guarantee it.

Let's continue exploring the underwater world. Today, the water isn't as clear as it could be, but it's still manageable, and the waves are calm, making for an easy dive.

As the boat was sparsely populated, mainly with foreigners who were already adept at diving, the guide devoted his attention to the two of us throughout the trip. He led us to scenic spots, assisted us with our dives, and even took our camera to capture underwater footage at deeper depths, as I am unable to swim.

Despite the blurry lens of my old GoPro camera, I managed to capture some close-up shots of the coral. However, it's tempting to upgrade to a newer model for better clarity.

The abundance of large anemones at the first dive site surpasses that of many islands in the Andaman Sea. The marine life is incredibly diverse and the beauty is breathtaking.

After completing the first dive site, we had been on the boat for over an hour. By the time we finished the first dive, it was noon, so we had lunch before preparing to go to the second site.

Let's continue exploring underwater. Some of these photos are screenshots from videos, so they might be a bit blurry.

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Truly beautiful, I guarantee you must try it. If you don't want to travel far south, try Chumphon first.

The island will eventually break through in many places, including a heart-shaped hole.

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Let's gather the members together.

Multicolored coral

There is a school of fish.

The stingrays are here.

Sea urchin village

The service was excellent, and we had a fantastic time. We highly recommend Siam Catamamaran. They are tireless and dedicated to providing an exceptional experience. We were thoroughly impressed and would definitely recommend them to others.

While returning on the boat, I took pictures of the scenery along the way.

After leaving the pier, we headed to our accommodation for the night. We found another amazing budget-friendly place with a stunning atmosphere: C House. This accommodation is located on Sa Phli Beach, right on the beachfront. The beach is not well-known, so it's uncrowded and very peaceful. It's also close to Tung Wua Laen. The price is only 450 baht.

There are only 5 rooms, I think. Our group of 4 has already booked them. Today, it's just us. There are seats in front of the beach with a great atmosphere.

The room is generally standard, with clean and satisfactory equipment, cool air conditioning, and a comfortable bed. It is good value for money.

The beach in front of the accommodation in the evening

After showering, I went looking for food. Less than a kilometer away, I found Krua Tweetharot, a restaurant with delicious and affordable food. The owner was incredibly kind and even told me I could buy beer from outside to save money. Truly outstanding!

The order was quite large for 7 people, including a mixer. Drinks were purchased separately for a total of 1300 baht. This is a great deal, and I highly recommend this restaurant.

After gossiping in front of the stone horse stable, they admired the moonlight before retiring for the night, exhausted from the day's activities.

In the morning, we took photos in front of the beach near our accommodation before continuing our journey.

The atmosphere is truly wonderful.

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Three young men, three perspectives.

The group unconsciously maintained a soft tone.

After leaving the accommodation, you can have breakfast across the street. There are both noodle shops and made-to-order dishes for 4-50 baht per person.

A short drive brought us to Tung Wua Laen Beach, which had a similar atmosphere but with more beautiful pine trees.

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The majestic tree, may I take a picture?

Chumphon is very peaceful and quiet. There are not many cars.

Let's continue. Every trip must involve climbing a mountain or visiting a scenic viewpoint. Haha, I always find a way to challenge myself. This trip was no exception, and I went on a light hike to Khao Dinso.

This is a sanctuary for over 100,000 falcons. However, they typically arrive between September and November. While there are none to see at the moment, we can still enjoy the scenic views from above.

The trail is quite long, depending on your physical condition, but it is not difficult. However, it is very hot and dry due to the sea breeze.

It took us about 35 minutes to walk to the top of the viewpoint.

The view is panoramic, but today there is still some fog, although it is lighter than yesterday.

And then, as if by magic, a natural wonder appeared just as the sign had promised. Out of nowhere, a flock of thousands of unidentified birds flew into view.

I thought it was a hawk at first.

Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the large flock of birds were actually open-billed storks.

Zoom in to 300mm, all the way.

I've never seen so many open-billed storks before.

The timing was perfect. In a flash, it flew far away, disappearing into the distance.

Continue enjoying the view.

The other side also has a view of the sea. I'm sure it's Sa Phli Beach and Thung Wua Laen, where we were just now.

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Nature is truly full of surprises.

It's time to move on.

Alternatively, you could rest before continuing. The breezy courtyard below is an inviting place to lie down.

Next stop: Saphan Mai Khieo Bridge

The teak bridge, a long wooden bridge leading to a large reservoir, is made of teak wood and is part of the Nong Yai Development Project, following the royal initiative. It is divided into development areas and experimental areas covering approximately 600 rai.

Cool breeze, pleasant atmosphere

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However, the bridge is currently closed for repairs.

A stylish and modern wooden bridge stretches out.

After spending a leisurely morning, it was approaching noon. The original plan was to camp at Nuan Nok Beach and go diving at Koh Chang the next morning. However, after checking, we found out that diving was unavailable due to boat repairs. This forced us to change our plans. Instead of staying at Nuan Nok Beach, we decided to spend the night at a relative's house in Hua Hin. As a result, we are now heading to Kui Buri National Park to see the wild elephants.

Let's stop by Khun Ton's restaurant for lunch.

The restaurant is very large and impressive, with a clean and modern atmosphere. The food is of average quality.

The bathroom is impressive and spacious.

We then continued to hurry to see the park ranger, but we had done little homework. There are many points in Kui Buri where you have to go to another point to see the park ranger, not just follow the GPS to the park. It will not be the point where you go to see the elephants, which are quite far apart. We arrived at the park almost 5 pm. In conclusion, we didn't have time to see the elephants. Even if we had gone the right way, we probably wouldn't have made it because we had to take a chartered car from the officials to get there. We should have arrived by 2 pm, but we had to drive deeper into the park.

Here is a map from Google. This is what it looks like.

I made a mistake by going to the Green Tree Park office below, but to see the elephants, I should have gone to the Green Tree Park at the top.

The officers suggested driving to the Samoh Rong unit, where the central tree in the picture is located. This spot is suitable for camping and offers scenic views. Following the officers' directions, we proceeded to the location.

The journey took approximately 20 minutes, passing through beautiful forests with scenic views.

As the sun nears the horizon, casting its golden rays.

The entrance to the unit is a beautiful tree tunnel.

The off-road path is a bit rough, but a sedan can slowly make its way through.

And then we arrived at the top. The group that had set up their tents also came to watch the elephants and made the same mistake as us, haha. But they stayed to sleep there.

In the distance, the Yang Chum rubber reservoir.

After taking a few photos, I drove away.

The trees in the distance resemble those seen in Western films, appearing large and far away in a rural setting.

A vast expanse of grassland unfolds before you, where workers are diligently mowing the tall grass. You pull over to capture the scene with your camera.

Big Wigo as a presenter.

Driving a pickup truck has its advantages. You can go off-road without worrying about damaging the vehicle, and you have a better view of your surroundings. This allows you to see more of the world and experience new things.

The day ended at the Yang Chum Reservoir, a stopover on the way into the park, just as the light was fading.

We drove straight to Hua Hin and arrived at our relative's house a little after 8 pm. After showering, we continued partying and enjoyed free accommodation. It was a long night, and we didn't get to sleep until very late.

On the third morning, there was nothing to do, so we left around noon. We stopped by Khao Hin Lek Fai, which was near our accommodation.

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Enjoy the view of Hua Hin city.

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Next, we continued to Pa La-U Waterfall. This plan was made on the spot because we didn't know where else to go. So we decided to go there.

Entering, you encounter a pig. Let's see what awaits you on the way out.

The entrance to Wat Huai Mongkol is over 40 kilometers deep.

The scenery along the way is beautiful and natural.

And then we come to

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This waterfall has nearly 20 levels, but visitors are only allowed to explore the first five levels independently. Access to deeper levels requires a guide.

The first three tiers are small waterfalls.

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The translation of the Thai sentence "มีชั้น 4 ครับที่ใหญ่ สวย แต่หน้านี้น้ำน่าจะน้อยหน่อย" is:

"There is a large and beautiful 4th floor, but the water level on this side seems to be a bit low."

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And the 5th waterfall, please.

After spending more than four hours at the waterfall, it was time to head back.

On the way back, I met the real big brother.

The handsome young elephant is definitely not a white elephant, but rather a mischievous one.

Covered in mud, but still looking handsome and majestic.

And to end the day, as January 7th is actually my birthday, I stopped by Wat Huay Mongkol to make merit before heading back.

After finishing the prayer, it was almost dark, so we stopped for another meal on the side of the road. Then we drove straight to Bangkok. We arrived home at 9 pm. This trip was a quick one, and it was nice to travel like this. We moved around a lot, but in the end, we weren't too far from Bangkok. We arrived home without being tired. 555

The first trip of 2018 ended beautifully. Chumphon is another province that is very charming. Many people, I think, would have passed by like me, who was going to dive in the south, went to Krabi and Phuket. Every time I passed by, I never really got to visit. There must be a next time for sure. There are interesting islands, duck shops, and chicken shops. I'll be back again.

Summary of expenses

1200 km of oil, 3400 baht for 7 liters

The cost of the submarine is 1200 per person.

Accommodation costs 450 baht per night per room.

The remaining expenses were mainly for food and drinks, which varied in cost depending on the meal. Overall, the trip cost approximately 2,500-2,800 baht per person for 3 days and 2 nights.

See you on the next trip, where will we go? Hello everyone!