It was another usual weekday morning as I was casually looking over my friend’s Insta stories and feed. One was relaxing in Koh Chang. Another, hiking somewhere magical. A few were out exploring some other islands in Thailand.

Why was I still in bed???? Why am I not out there traveling or exploring? I mean we haven’t had any local cases in almost a month.

I quickly got out of bed. Told Kanika to get ready. We’re going on an adventure. That’s when I decided to take a day trip somewhere nearby. 

Nakhon Nayok seemed like a good idea as it’s been on my immediate bucket list (as part of visiting every Thai province) for some time. 

So began our spontaneous journey to Nakhon Nayok, a province known for scenic landscapes, wildlife, waterfalls, and national parks.

Montreux café and farm

By 11 am we were out of the house. It was a bit later than I would have liked but better late than never. After driving for a little more than an hour from Bangkok, we arrived at Montreux café and farm for lunch. We took some pictures, ate our food…and then took some more pictures. I don’t think we stayed longer than 45 minutes.

Montreux café and farm - Nakhon Nayok

Naturally, I ordered Kapao Gai (chicken with basil) and my wife ordered macaroni with seafood. We were just in the mood for comfort food. Our two dishes combined was just 195 Baht. Quite affordable for a place like this.

Montreux café and farm view - Nakhon Nayok
Montreux café and farm - Nakhon Nayok panorama
Montreux café and farm boat ride - Nakhon Nayok

While walking around, I noticed some pottery and painting activities. You can even plant rice or take a boat ride around the farm. I think there is a lot more to see and do here but since we had limited time, we had to move on.

Montreux café and farm - Nakhon Nayok - Dose of Life

After all, we were still just on the outskirts of Nakhon Nayok and we had a lot more to explore.

Bamboo Tree Tunnel

Next up on our itinerary is supposedly another hotspot of Nakhon Nayok. This one is a bamboo tree tunnel, somewhat reminiscent of the one in Japan. Seems like Thailand is good at having their version of famous attractions from around the world.

Bamboo Tree Tunnel Nakhon Nayok

However, I must say it is not as fascinating or impressive as the one in Japan (not that I’ve been) but I guess it is kind of worth of the worth the trip. It’s a nice photo op for Instagram.

You can also pay your respects to the temple here.

Sadly we didn’t get to see or visit many places as planned (due to time constraints and closures because of COVID-19). I would have liked to see Nakhon Nayok’s waterfalls, mountains, and reservoirs. Maybe next time.

Driving around Nakhon Nayok

Now we took some time to decide where to go next. We sat in the car looking at the itinerary, map, and interesting places to visit. Another farm was listed that wasn’t too far away. We thought, why not?

However, en-route, we noticed beautiful mountains on the side. So yet again, we made spontaneous decision and started driving towards the mountains. This detour actually led us to the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School. The way there was quite scenic.

We made our way back to the main road and then just drove around, aimlessly.  We all know that part of travel is to wander and get lost. Without a plan. It’s really exciting!

We were met with more gorgeous scenic views of the fields and mountains. This road started leading us to Khao Yai. Since we have been there many times, we took a U-turn and headed towards the town/city of Nakhon Nayok.

Here again, we just drove around. We tried to find a place to eat or take some pictures. That’s when I came across this little park by the river.

If you’re wondering where – it’s at the end of Sena Phinit 1 Alley.

Early dinner at Rimnam Riverside Nakhon Nayok

Not far from the park, we found a restaurant called Rimnam Riverside Nakhon Nayok. A great place for dinner.  The staff was extremely friendly (spoke perfect English too), the food was delicious and the restaurant had a pretty nice view.

These 3 dishes + water only cost us about 500 Baht. Not bad considering includes a whole fried fish!

By the time we finished our dinner, it was getting dark. It was time to head back to Bangkok. 

Sadly we didn’t get to see or visit many places as planned (due to time constraints and COVID-forced closures). I would have liked to see some of the waterfalls, viewpoints, and reservoirs of the province. 

Maybe next time.