Chumphon - Thung Wua Laen

Starting from Chumphon town, first drive east along Highway 4001 to Tha Yang Bridge which runs across a river teeming with tour boats that ply between Chumphon and Ko Tao. Once you're on the bridge, you're already on another road, the 4119. (The "minor road" on the left-hand side just before the bridge was actually the 4001 veering east. Unless you check the kilometre markers you might have the impression that you're still on the same road.)

Anyway, after a few kilometres along the 4119, you'll find yourself at an intersection where it meets the 4098. Take the 4098 and then the Rural Highway 4017 and you'll reach the headquarters of Moo Ko Chumphon National Park. (There're direction signs along the way, so it's pretty easy.)

From the park, continues along the Rural Highway 4017 to Ban Thung Makham and Had Sai Ree. Khao Chao Muang, today's Point B, stands just before the Sai Ree Beach . Oh, and the distance between the national park and this beach is about eight kilometres.

The shrine of the revered Kromluang Chumphon stands on a hill at the northern end of the beach. Now you can take Highway 4098 (yes, from the point where you turned off onto the Rural Highway 4017, the 4098 continues to Had Sai Ree) back to the 4119 and the Tha Yang Bridge . Along the way, you'll pass the Paradornphab Beach .

After you cross the bridge, turn right onto the eastward section of the 4001. Go on for two kilometres and you'll see Highway 4008 on the left-hand side. Follow the 4008 along the coastline to Ban Phanang Tak and Laem Kho Kwang. Four and a half kilometres from Laem Kho Kwang, you'll find a T-intersection. Turn right. From there Thung Wua Laen Beach is just seven kilometres and a half away.

From Thung Wua Laen, there are backroads that can take you along the shoreline to Bang Saphan Noi, Bang Saphan and Ban Krud of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. But let's save them for later.