When the summer weather is hot, most would say it’s time to find the air conditioning, or hope for some cooling breezes at the beach; although the ocean waters may not be as refreshing as you want prefer.
A water park may also be considered but with a large family in tow, that may not be a low cost day.The Phetchaburi River, especially at Kaeng Krachan, is another way to escape the heat, especially during the school holidays or weekends. Many riverside resorts offer families a way to enjoy the cooling river waters.
We visited the Fueng fah sangmanee Resort where perhaps the region’s lowest cost water park was providing a hot weather refuge. Sure the ‘water park’ is not the most sophisticated or elaborate but with a 4 storey slide catapulting squealing riders out into the river, smaller slides for smaller kids, multiple swimming pools ashore and multiple floating devices tethered to the river bank; the entry cost of 30 THB may be unbeatable value.
There’s also a small charge for a compulsory life jacket for swimmers and wandering ‘life-savers’ keeping their eye on river safety. The river flows steadily away from the nearby Kaeng Krachan dam with a regular parade of passing inflatable rafts or life jacked ‘floaters’ just drifting past with many river resorts providing all the necessary equipment and a pick-up and return service down river. These resorts provide accommodation of all varieties if a weekend excursion is preferred to just a day trip.
Thai families are the main customers; and I was the only visible falang on this trip but everyone is welcomed and there was no suggestion of a ‘foreigner surcharge’. Thirty THB apart from some market priced food and drink was a great deal.
WHERE: O n the road approaching Kaeng Krachan Dam, turn left down a side road just before the dam wall become visible. There are many other choices of riverside resorts with their own version of this water playground. Just making an internet search for ‘kaeng krachan river resorts’ will provide m ore information from any one of the booking websites. -Royal Coast Review
