phetchaburi is a small city like chon buri, and just like hua hin, it is across the gulf. it is known for caves and temples that are scattered within the city limits, and a beach only 17km away. 

sarah and i essentially followed our same traveling route as last weekend. we took a minibus to bangkok and another minibus to a main road that bordered the city. we had a motorbike taxi bring us to a small little hostel along the river that runs through the city. 

the next morning we rented a motorbike from our hostel and set off to explore khao luang cave. Upon arriving, we were greeted by dozens of monkeys who littered the parking lot of banana peels and stolen snacks from unsuspecting tourists.

khao luang cave was incredible. a steep concrete set of stairs led us down one of the openings into the cave. natural light and unattractive fluorescent tube lights helped us descend into the silence. the base of the stairs was lined with buddhist statues. as we continued down and around another small set of steps we were welcomed by this sight:

i literally stood and stared for several minutes as i tried to digest how tranquil the scene was. it was something about the combination of natural sunlight and giant golden statues. it was peace. 

we spent the next hour or so exploring further and further into the cave. hallways led to more “rooms” and eventually to a closed-off stairway leading back above ground. luckily for us we had perfect timing. we arrived before the noisy tourists and left right when they entered.

after some more sightseeing, we decided to take our relaxation to the beach. Had Chao Samran beach was a slightly rainy motorbike ride away, but was well worth it. it turned out to be a secluded beach where we were the only foreigners in sight. While naked Thai children splashed in the small waves and engagement photo shoots played on in front of us, we kicked off our shoes and laid down. sarah was instantly asleep by the time i took out my book.

phetchaburi turned out to be one of our most relaxing trips to date. i would consider it a little hidden gem, and hopefully it stays that way in the years to come. i hope i didn’t jinx it.