Suggestions to One-day-tours from Pattaya ??

Hi guys.
As a somewhat veteran to Pattaya ( I have been coming annually since 1997 and with my BF since 2003) we have always been horrible at sightseeing.
Before I meet my beautiful BF at home, I've only done a few one-day-tours, when holidaying in Pattaya, but we are desperate to get some tips or suggestions for some "hire-a-driver-and-car-for-a-day"- sightseeing-tours or maybe some guided tours.

Any suggestions as to what to see ?

I went to Phliew waterfalls many years ago, and can highly recommend it, and I have seen the Crocodile farm, and most of the nearby attractions in Pattaya.

Are there anything you guys would rate as "must-see" within 1-4 hours drive from Pattaya ?
If there are any gay-tours or even remotely gay-related you know about, please please post it..

I hate to ask, because as a yearly guest for the last 15 years, I'm expected to know it all, but I really don't, hence the request..

Hoping for some great tips..

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[pong]

To start with the bad news: the areas around PTY do not shine full of many attractions. Mildly interesting is my idea of most.
Start with simply going into any of the 1000s of tr-agents and ask for some brochures. These are the tipical bustours-but they all tend to go the places that tourists look at as 'mustsee''.
Indeed a hire car opnes up more whithin a 3-4 hr range (but note that you also have to come back then-8 hr drinving in 1 leasure day?) and then I rec Chantaburi province. Both the town- with a Vietnamese twist and famous for its many and varied fruits as several attractions around: beachside Mae ((xx>), again some waterfalls, a Buddha footprint, and some commercial coean/dolfin or so seapark.
Along the bangpakong river -up from beyond Cholburi town-toward Chachoengsao-are several famous among Thai wats-but only go when there is some fair going on, old style wooden riverside markets (labelled as floating-you can do boattrips) and very, very rarely the sight of some sweetwater dolfins. These are on the bangkok-daytrips.listing ,as its slightly closer to BKK here as PTY. From PTY youll have to cross Cholburi and a horriblke industrial estate to get there.
Beach side: old style Thai resort of Bang Saen/Sri racha-and the short trip to a small island nearby.

[colmx]

If you don't want to travel too far Buddha Mountain is 20-30 minutes south of Pattaya/Jomtien and is worth a visit:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract..._Province.html

Just down the road from Buddha Mountain is the Silver Lake Vineyard... also worth a visit:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract..._Province.html

If you feel like being a bit cultured Wat Yansangwararam is also in the same area and is quite impressive... its under the Kings Patronage:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract..._Province.html

Lots of lovely beaches not far from there too

Try Sai Keaw Beach (White Sands Beach) its located very close to the navy base at Sattahip... so has lots of nice eye candy about!
http://teakdoor.com/thailands-beache...nds-beach.html

This is an interesting report on it here... The Song Taew ride can be a bit hairy!
http://teakdoor.com/thailands-beache...-sattahip.html



You might evern catch a glimpse of Thailand Aircraft carrier there:
http://teakdoor.com/thailands-beache...-the-port.html

[joe552]

Some great suggestions for a day out - thanks, Colmx.

[RonanTheBarbarian]

Some good ideas there colmx - I noticed before that the TeakDoor site seems to have some guys who know how to write a decent trip report, with plenty of photos

If manmarkman wants to take his guest to somewhere up in the Bangkok area, this website has a lot on lesser-known attractions:

http://www.bangkok-daytrips.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[francois]

Have you visited the Kaho Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi? Very nice and easy to go by car. Most drivers would know where to go.

[newalaan]

hate to ask, because as a yearly guest for the last 15 years, I'm expected to know it all, but I really don't, hence the request..

Never 'hate to ask' here manmarkman, it's what the forum is all about, any ideas thrown up will prove very useful to others too. Don't pay too much attention to Pong's 'bad news' about places to visit, there are stacks of places 1-4 hours drive around Pattaya, and i fully agree with him on the Chantaburi suggestion. It is worth an overnight visit at one of the waterfall resorts there. There have already been some great suggestions. The main thing about getting to places around Pattaya is obviously the transprtation, especially to the one hour plus places. If you could consider hiring a car then there are many places from Pattaya to as far as Chantaburi to visit. But you don't mention the possibility of car rent. You could probably get a car or pick up with full insurance cover for about Bt1500 per day. Rayong itself has about 5 beaches, that's where we normally head instead of Jomtien visits, Sattahip as Colmx mentions has a lovely beach/beaches. Bangsaen on the way to Chonburi is nice too.

I don't know if Smiles's 'better-half' spends time in and around Pattaya with his 'hire-a-driver-and-car-for-a-day' tour business, but he would be ideal as a guide with transport and with a gay-related element. Maybe a PM to smiles might throw up some ideas.

As I say if you were to consider car hire, i would be happy to suggest a few places we have been to. If you go for driver with car as guide, it's maybe best left up to his experience and suggestions of places to go.

[Dodger]

manmarkman...

You may want to consider a visit to Nong Nooch Garden Paradise (link below) which is a short drive from Pattaya and has lots to offer. They boast the largest botanical garden in SE Asia and it's really something...and I'm not even a flower guy. They offer short elephant rides, muay Thai matches, traditional dance shows, an animal zoo with rare birds which appear as if they stepped off a Steven Speilberg set, and plenty of places to eat. Plenty of two-legged eye candy to keep you busy too if the strange birds turn you off.

Enjoy your one day visit wherever it leads you.

http://nongnoochgarden.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;