Area and Activities
You find many open-air seafood restaurants at the beach
Dive right into the beach scene's many watersport
Sunset over the sea
Lunch time at the crocodile farm
The famous Nong Nooch Park
A vacation at Thailand Dream Village gives you plenty of time to enjoy the sun, the sea and the shopping, but also lets you take in all the sights that this magical country has.
Thailand is much more than just sun, sea and shopping. It has a rich culture with fine temples, magnificent scenery, great beaches, mountains, lush tropical forests, rice paddies plus a warm, friendly people, making Thailand an ideal place to visit.
Tourists and locals both enjoy a variety of activities in the area, including fishing, swimming, golfing, biking, beachcombing, or just relaxing and enjoying the sunset.
Ban Phe
Ban Phe is a charming and cozy fishing village which lies about 2 hours south of Bangkok. It is a place many people from Bangkok and all Thailand like to visit for a vacation or a relaxing weekend trip. Here you'll find the real Thailand in all its simplicity, far away from the crowded tourist centers. The people here are friendly, caring and helpful. They take everything with a smile, allowing you to forget the stress of the city life.
...There are plenty of restaurants, ranging from small, pleasant places where food is both cheap and delicious, up to more exclusive restaurants such as The Classic Forrest. A unique place with all its waterfalls, black swans and exotic plants and woodden seats, occasionally frequented by the Thai Royal Family.
The markets are full, every day you can buy, among many other things, fruit and vegetables, and fish delicacies, a pride of the residents of Ban Phe! Even Tesco Lotus, a large supermarket chain, has now opened a store here.
Alongside the Thailand Dream Villages is the coast with its beautiful beaches. Why not start the day with a beach walk?
Another Paradise, Ko Samed, is located 10 minutes by speadboat (about 30 minutes with the local ferryboat) outside Ban Phe. Here you can enjoy clean beaches, sunbathing, forget everything you left behind, and never want to go home! Maybe you enjoy staying in one of the island's resorts for a night? There are many beautiful islands to explore. You can rent a boat for a day with a driver who takes you around wherever you want, for snorkeling, or deep sea fishing or just to find your own beach.
If you want to go on longer trips, there is much to choose from! For example a tiger safari, swimming with dolphins, or riding through the jungle on an elephant, feeding crocodiles, taking a shower in a waterfall, not to mention all the impressive temples. For those who want a full day at the spa, we can recommend Rayong Resort. In a fantastic environment with first class masseurs, you'll rejuvenate from head to toe.
The nearest city, Rayong, is located about 10 minutes west of Ban Phe. There is a wider range of stores (many good furniture stores), but for a "real" shopping you better go to Pattaya, about 45 minutes north of Ban Phe. There waits for you a glorious blend of shopping, party and tourist attractions, in the city that never sleeps! After that, when you had enough, waits tranquility and harmony for you in the Thailand Dream Village in Ban Phe.
Pattaya
Thailand's fast-growing city, Pattaya, is now de facto Thailand's second largest city. It is 150 km south-east of Bangkok. Pattaya is by nature not entirely dissimilar to Patong in Phuket, but has a more international style, a bit like Acapulco.
The nightlife in Pattaya is known for the large number of bars and impressive shows, such as Tiffany and thaiboxing. Here are also many parks, with the best example in the amazing Nong Nooch Garden, the most beautiful of all the parks. There is also a Tiger Zoo, a Crocodile Farm and an Elephant village.
During the day the beach is full of banana-boats, para-sails, jet-skis, and motorboats. Diving at the nearby islands is also a popular activity.
The beaches of Naklua in the north and Jomtien in the south are quieter and more family-oriented than the glamorous beach of Pattaya.
Pattaya has a large selection of restaurants from all corners of the world. Shopping opportunities are also very good with several large shopping centers. Along Pattaya Beach Road you find crowded shops of all kinds. The town has a large number of hotels with excellent cuisine, and the prices in Pattaya are usually lower than in Phuket.
Shopping
If it's shopping you want, it's shopping we've got. Thailand's shopping can fill your adventurous appetite. Eastern Thailand has every kind of shopping you can think of - malls, outlets, antiques, crafts, and much more. Take a day or two to peruse Pattaya's shops for great merchandise at even greater prices.
Koh Samed
Popular destinations include Koh Samed. Koh Samed is a beautiful island not far from the Thailand Dream Villages, and can be reached in only 30 minutes.