With work pilling up and a lot less time to get out and about, it has been difficult to find time to take trips, or much of anything for that matter. Finding quiet and somewhat remote offroad locations to explore usually means we need to head up north but this time, with limited availability, we started to question the local mountains seen from our top window.
Living on the outskirts of Thailand's most popular seaside city, Pattaya, we had never really considered the locals hills to be of much potential when it came to offroading. City sprawl and local farmland is widespread in this area and nothing really seems 'untouched' but as we researched the largest local mountain we soon realised that there might be some 4x4 trails and a viewpoint.
Khao Phai stands tall overlooking the city of Pattaya. At just 249 meters, it isn't really that big but with the sea and city bay out in front and nothing in between, the views were to be pretty spectacular.
Local roads soon led to farm tracks that in turn led to the foot of Khao Phai mountain. Sandy tracks soon turned rocky as they gained height while climbing the mountain ridge. Knowing that we were in fact following the ridge we weren't expecting anything too steep and assumed a gentle incline would lead us to the viewpoint.
Source: Google Maps
The trail we wanted to follow was not recognised on Google Maps but it was easy enough to work out where the track started, how to get there and which direction to follow.
As we left the open farmland, we entered a small rubber tree plantation before getting into the real forest.
We rolled over a few of the first rocks and ruts and started to hear some squeaks from the front suspension that just sounded off! We have been in lots of awkward positions and suspension flexes in the past and have always heard sounds from underneath so therefore try to make it a habit to regularly check the underside in hope of catching problems before they get worse or parts break.
It also helps to spot wear and tear or any rubbing when the vehicle is on uneven ground, exaggerating the problem.
Unfortunately this time the squeaks were likely coming from the front shocks as they seemed to be leaking oil from the main piston shaft! Dust and dirt had stuck to the wet oil making it obvious but at least it was still minimal. Knowing that we were due for a service and just how many kilometers had been put on the shocks we wondered if it was even worth taking them to repair or to buy new, 170,000km and counting!
Regardless of a slight shock leak, we still had a mini adventure to complete and knew there was still plenty of life in them, so we carried on.
To our surprise the track was well defined and by looking at the dry tyre marks left in the dirt, lots of 4x4s used it on a regular basis.
After checking a few Facebook groups later that evening we soon found out that it was a weekend hotspot for 4x4 groups to come and have fun.
Some of the final sections of the track were steep and had plenty of loose rocks. We changed down to 4LOW and crawled up with no issues.
Once we reached the peak, there wasn't much to see and instead the track leveled out before gently dropping down along a sandy track towards the west. After another 150 meters we had arrived at the west facing viewpoint looking out across the sea and city, perfect for beautiful sunsets.
We found the perfect parking spot for the roof top tent, levelled the truck and set up camp for the night. Directly in front of us we could see all of Pattaya and Jomtien and all the islands around and including Koh Larn.
It looked as if the top of Khao Phai was a popular camp spot as there were a couple of old fire circles and scattered rubbish in the bushes! If only 'leave no trace' was followed by everyone!
The sun starting to set and the shadows were getting long and we wanted to cook and eat before dark. While we were busy prepping food and getting dinner ready, our dog was patiently waiting for her serving, probably wondering how much longer it was going to take!
No doubt her eyes were glued to us because she knew ham and bacon was on the menu!
Sitting over a small camp stove looking out with the sea in the distance and sun setting was a nice ending to a busy week. However it did feel as if we were miles away up in the mountains of North Thailand and not just 15 mins from home.
Even though the ham and bacon was to share between the 3 of us, I think our dog finished most of it and since we had other food to cook we let her fill herself up.
We continued cooking and started to fry some burger patties. Something we have always been concerned about while camping is how to store and keep meat. Processed meats like hotdogs and ham can be bought in sealed packs and is usually ok for a couple of days but fresh meat isn't and can spoil very quickly in the tropical heat.
To overcome the worry of spoiled meat, we now usually camp with 'no-meat' burgers. They taste great, feel meaty, fill you up, can't be undercooked, don't attract bugs and last much longer in the heat.
For once, we hadn't rushed the cooking or meal and still had time to watch as the sun touched the horizon and dropped below the Gulf of Thailand.
Many of our previous camps have taught us that as the sun sets, the bugs come alive. We searched for fire wood and made use of an existing fire pit. Luckily for us there was a slight cross wind which would carry the smoke away and not directly into us and the tent.
West was a few degrees to our right but the views were still perfect and the colours of the sunset were as good as they could have been.
A nearby branch offered the perfect hang for a lantern and cast just the right amount of light over our camp. The wafting smoke also kept the bugs away and it wasn't until we walked away from camp into the dark that we realised just how effective it was.
The city lights lit the sky and it was like watching a miniature world just go about their evening as cars drove, billboards flickered and fishing trawlers glowed green out at sea.
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All content is original: the photos (unless stated), the writing and the adventure!