Hi everyone! If we talk about Chanthaburi Province, what would come up into your mind?

Chanthaburi has been chosen by The Tourism Authority of Thailand to be one of the provinces that you shouldn't miss to travel to this year in the concept of "Tropical Fruit Paradise".

Chanthaburi is located at the Eastern coastal line of Thailand. It is not only the tropical fruit paradise but also natural beauty paradise including mountains, sea, and mangrove forest, as well as the seafood paradise.

This trip is to escape from the bustling Bangkok to enjoy the slow life at Chaolao Beach, Chanthaburi. The area is calm and not crowded plus the relaxing atmosphere.

We are going to stay at Sand Dunes Chaolao Beach Resort which is located right by Chaolao Beach.

Sand Dunes Chaolao Beach Resort was just opened in July and the resort is not 100% completed.

If you are ready, let's go to this tropical fruit paradise, Chanthaburi together!

We drive to Chanthaburi by taking Burapha Withi Expressway heading to Chonburi direction and take highway no. 361 Bypass/ Pattaya/ Rayong.

Then we turn left to highway no. 344 heading to Klaeng District, Rayong.

We turn left once again at the big T-junction to highway no. 3 before seeing the sign to Chaolao Beach and turn right to highway no. 3399.

We turn left at Sea cow, Chaolao Beach roundabout to highway no. 4002.

It is only about 5 minutes from the roundabout to Sand Dunes Chaolao Beach Resort which is on the right-hand side.

Sand Dunes Chaolao Beach Resort is about 60 kilometers from Downtown Chanthaburi.

Before coming here, we have done some researches on this resort through Google and Pantip.com and found out that there are not many information available.

One of the reason must be that the resort hasn't long been opened. You can see the photo above that I have from Google Map for reference.

Sand Dunes Chaolao Beach Resort is right by Chaolao Beach and it is about 3-hour drive from Bangkok.

We have arrived the resort in the evening and not hesitated to provide needed document to do the check in right away.

The check in process doesn't take long and then we are ready to go to our room.

Our room type is a Pool Access Room.

The Pool Access Room has a private pool at the back of the room that we can access the pool directly.

Fruit punch, some snacks, fresh fruit, and key-chain are well prepared in the room as a welcome amenity.

It is also including the welcome card written our name, this is totally touching.

The room comes with the air conditioner, cable TV, hairdryer, tea and coffee set,

refrigerator, water heater, and Wi-Fi.

Let's take a look at the bathroom!

The bathroom comes with shower, toiletries, and fresh towels.

The toilet is with a hose spray which I prefer it this way.

There is even a TV which can entertain you while using the bathroom.

I guess this is enough for today because we have arrived pretty late and we will show you around tomorrow once again.

This is how the back of the Pool Access Room looks like.

We can even see the main pool and sea view from here.

And now let's walk around the resort! The first spot would be this reception area and the parking lot.

The check in time is at 2 PM and the check out time is at 12 PM.

This is the private pool at the back of the Pool Access Rooms.

There is a lawn where it is used to be a venue for activity for a group, company, or seminar.

It happens to be tonight as well that there is a company coming in and have an activity for its employees like outing.

The main pool is perfect for a total relaxation because it is right by the beach.

You can walk to the beach directly from the pool and the main pool is one of the most beautiful spots in the resort that you can view the stunning sunset scene.

After a good walk, it's time for breakfast now.

The restaurant is well designed and decorated. I would say it is pretty nice.

The breakfast is served from 6 AM to 10 AM and there are various kinds of food for you to choose from.

There are Thai food, Chinese food, and European food.

Thai food is not that spicy as it is supposed to be in order to be able for all to enjoy.

We are done having breakfast so let's go and continue the walk!

There are 2 swimming pools at Sand Dunes Chaolao Beach Resort which are the main pool including kids pool in it and the private pool.

The private pool is connected with all Pool Access Rooms.

After the resort is completely built, there will be 192 rooms in total.

There are 7 conference rooms, and 3 outdoor halls that can accommodate up to 1,000 people.

These function rooms are for those tour group and company outing.

Let's see different types of guestrooms the resort offers!

Let's start with the Deluxe Corner Room!

The Deluxe Corner Room is at the corner of the building and the interior is pretty much the same as other rooms.

The only difference would be the picture at the headboard and the view it offers. I would say you can have the most beautiful sea view from this type of room.

The room comes with air conditioner, cable TV, hairdryer, tea and coffee set,

refrigerator, water heater, and Wi-Fi.

The room is in white color tone so it looks clean and spacious which give you the relaxing feeling too.

The Deluxe Corner Room is pretty big, therefore; it is perfect for a family or a small group of people.

This type of room also comes with the bathtub.

Let's move on and have a look at this Deluxe Room!

Everything looks the same as other rooms.

The feature and amenities are also the same except it is a bit smaller than the Deluxe Corner Room.

And I guess this type of room is perfect for a couple.

We have walked for a while and it is a lunch time now.

We have decided to have lunch at the restaurant in the resort and of course since we are here, we will mainly have seafood.

Let's see today's menu!

Sand Dunes Salad.

Stir-Fry Broccoli Butter with Crispy Bacon.

Fried Shrimp with Tamarind Sauce

Steamed Grouper Fish with Soy Sauce.

Steam Squid with Spicy Chili and Lemon Sauce.

Stir Fried Crab with Black Pepper.

All menus are delicious but the most outstanding one would be the Steamed Grouper Fish with Soy Sauce. The fish is super fresh and it goes so well with the soy sauce.

After lunch, we are going to some tourist attractions nearby the resort.

"Ao Khung Kraben Mangrove Forest"

"Ao Khung Kraben Mangrove Forest" is located in Ao Khung Kraben Development Study Center under the advice of His Majesty the King.

It is considered as one of the most beautiful and plentiful mangrove forests in Chanthaburi.

There are more than 30 kinds of the mangroves trees and shrubs such as cork tree, mangrove tree, and so on.

Ao Khung Kraben Mangrove Forest is a good place to learn the nature and mangrove forest.

It is opened every day from 6.30 AM to 6 PM.

We learn that it can be pretty hot to come and visit this place in the afternoon.

But thanks to this refreshing surroundings that cool us down a little bit.

However, I would recommend you to come in the morning or the late afternoon because the weather should be nicer.

“The Chalerm Burapha Chonlathit scenic road"

“Chalerm Burapha Chonlathit Road or Chon - Chan Road" is a scenic coastal road.

It is considered as the most beautiful scenic coastal road in Thailand.

There is also a bike lane so bike lover can enjoy this beautiful landscape without any worries.

Whenever you are in Chanthaburi, you shouldn't miss to come and see this beautiful Chon - Chan Road. It is totally beautiful as its reputation.

I think the best time to come would be before sunset because apart from the road, you will also be able to see the beautiful sunset.

There is even a love lock point as same as the one at N Seoul Tower in South Korea. I wonder who would have started this.

Well, let's go back to the resort and we will see the sunset right from Chaolao Beach!

There is a bar by the pool as well so you can enjoy your favorite drink while relaxing at the pool.

You can even have a dinner here while enjoying the sunset view. It is totally romantic.

Let's see how beautiful it is, the resort at night!

It has been a long day and we are so ready for our dinner.

Fried fish with garlic.

Fried Sea Bass with Sweet & Spicy Sauce.

Calamari.

Stir-Fried Asparagus with Oyster Sauce.

Crab Omelet.

And the most delicious menu goes to Fried Sea Bass with Sweet & Spicy Sauce. It is perfectly sweet and sour, and the fish is very fresh.

Other menus are also good. We are totally full now, let's go back to our room and get some good rest!

The new day has come, I don't feel like going back home at all.

So let's take a deep breathe of a refreshing pure air as well as the positive energy for the last time before going back!

It's time to go back and I would like to end this trip with this below photo which I think it explains this trip the best.

To sum up,

Chanthaburi is pretty attractive. There are many interesting tourist attractions even though we have been to only a few places this time.

If I ever have a chance, I would definitely come back to visit this city.

Moreover, we should never under-estimate Chanthaburi because it is plentiful with its natural beauty including mountains, waterfalls, sea, and so on.

In other words, you can experience different kinds of things at one place.

And this is what I have experienced at Sand Dunes Chaolao Beach Resort.

Pros

- The atmosphere is nice since it is located right by Chaolao Beach and you can walk along the beach directly.

- The guestroom is new and clean. It is beautifully designed and decorated so it is perfect for a total relaxation.

- The staff are all friendly and helpful. What I am impressed the most would be that I lost my swimming suit and I have got it back.

Cons

- There is no clear sign to get to the resort maybe because the resort is not completely built 100%.

- There is no power socket by the bed.

Sand Dunes Chaolao Beach Resort

Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +66(0)95 458 7888
Website : http://www.sandduneschaolao.com

Sand Dunes Chaolao Beach Resort
73 Moo. 5, Chaleomburaphachonlathit Rd,
Khlong Khut, Thamai, Chanthaburi 22120 Thailand

Bangkok Office
1620 Soi Udom Kiat, Sutthisan Winijchai Rd,
Huaikwang, Huaikwang, Bangkok 10310 Thailand

Lastly, I would like to thanks to all of you who have supported and read through this review. If there is any mistake, I would like to use this space to apologize as well.

I hope this travel review is useful in one way or another.

Every single journey has always opened up a new experience. Therefore, I always think that I am a beginner when it comes to a new journey in this big world.

If you ever have sometimes off, don't forget to start your journey to reward yourself. You will find that the happiness can be gained everywhere throughout your journey.

You can also be updated about me or even have a conversation and exchange opinions with me through http://www.facebook.com/travel.rookie

Thank you and goodbye.