Salt flats were not the first thing I expected in Thailand. I mean, Thailand is known for its beaches, the lime stone cliffs and of course Bangkok. But when I saw a picture of Phetchaburi, I knew: I have to go there. Phetchaburi is located about two hours from Bangkok and a perfect getaway from the bustling city. This blog will tell you all about visiting the salt flats of Phetchaburi and some other things to do too!
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How to get to Phetchaburi?
You can head to Phetchaburi from multiple directions. Usually you’ll get there from either north or south, let’s say from Bangkok or the Chumphon/Surat Thani area. This makes Phetchaburi the perfect stop between the tropical islands of Ko Tao, Ko Phanghan and Ko Samui and the busy city life of Bangkok.
The best way to get to Phetchaburi is by train. Multiple trains a day stop in Phetchaburi and the train station is close to most accommodations in town. I personally use 12go.Asia for finding train times, but I book them at the counter. It will take you about 3 hours from Bangkok, 6 hours from Chumphon or 9 hours from Surat Thani. There are night trains with beds available as well!
Where to stay in Phetchaburi?
Before booking your accommodation, it’s important to check how far your hotel is from the train station. Phetchaburi is a city, but a province as well. You might have a cheap find that turns out to be 20 kilometers out of town. You don’t want that! The city of Phetchaburi isn’t very big, so once you got the city narrowed down, it doesn’t really matter where you stay.
To get around, it’s super convenient to rent a motorbike. Please keep in mind that driving takes practice. If you’re an experienced driver, practice first! The bikes are powerful and it’s dangerous without any experience. Once you manage to get around safely, it’s a convenient way of transportation!
How to get to the salt flats?
Many people visit Phetchaburi for the temples, the national park or the city. My number one reason was: visiting the salt flats of Phetchaburi! When I visited, I just got my new drone and I was just too excited to fly it above the colourful patterns. It did not disappoint!
To get to the salt flats, navigate to this location. Along the way, you’ll probably see salt farmers working and beautiful patterns all around.
When you have your own motorbike, it shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes to get to the salt flats. If you rent a taxi, try to rent it for the full day or trip. You won’t see lots of tourists or taxis around the salt flats and I can imagine that you want to get back to the city when the night kicks in.
Photography tips for the Salt Flats of Phetchaburi
To capture the salt flats I have to warn you, the colours look way stronger from the sky than from the ground. So if you don’t have a drone, don’t be disappointed about the colours. If you have a drone, you’ll realise how strong the colours actually are!
With a camera – or your phone – it’s great to capture local life. If you see some farmers, ask if you can take a photo of their work. Never take photos without permission, as it’s not a zoo. These people live with little money, working hard to sustain their lifestyles. They work in incredibly hard conditions, so the last thing you want is to make them feel uncomfortable capturing them.
With a drone, you can get a bit more creative. Don’t fly too low on the people without permission. Try to capture the unique patterns and all the colours around. It’s incredible to see and looks like it’s Gods paint palette to give colour to our beautiful earth!
Other things to do in Phetchaburi
Of course there’s more to do than just visiting the salt flats. One of the most beautiful other places I visited was the Tham Khao Luang cave. The sun hitting this cave is something that’s amazing to capture! You’ll get there by navigating to this spot. From the parking you take a small shuttle bus to get to the entrance point of the cave. The cave isn’t too deep, but make sure you’re in good physical condition to get down and up again.
If you’re up for a hike, consider Wat Khao Wang. This temple offers great views over the area and is one of the must visits of Phetchaburi! You can find it by navigating here.
Macaque Monkeys of Phetchaburi
Wherever you go, there’s one thing to keep in mind. There are lots of Macaque monkeys in Phetchaburi. They might look cute, but these monkeys can get aggressive when they feel threatened. With the floods of tourists coming over, they also know exactly where you store your snacks. If you consider visiting one of the sights, bring a closed backpack for your snacks and drinks. Don’t take plastic bags with you and stay on a safe distance, especially if they’re feeding their babies. The photo above has been taken with a 200mm zoom lens, to make sure I had a safe distance.
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