Jomtien Beach

Jomtien Beach stretching out towards the city of Pattaya

Jomtien Beach is a 6.5km long sandy beach located about 150km to the southeast of Bangkok, reachable by a two-hour drive from the capital. What’s that? Yes, you are very perceptive! This is roughly the same description Tiger and Bird gave for Pattaya Beach! And for good reason- the beaches are located within several kilometers of each other but might as well be worlds apart.

The local Thai people find Jomtien to be far more attractive than the more-famous (infamous?) Pattaya beach. The beach is sandy and stretches of the adjacent road have large trees that throw some shade across the parking areas. In many areas, the much-loved and very-affordable umbrella and lounge chair cities spring up. Food vendors proffer coffee, drinks, snacks, and food by the main road, but without the aggressiveness of the touts one would typically find lining Pattaya beach.

Thailand: Skylanterns and Jomtien Beach!!

Sky lantern launch by some college students beside the Gulf of Thailand

What is a sky lantern? Well, for a start these are sometimes also referred to as "Chinese" lanterns and were featured very prominently in Disney's "Tangled," the story of the long, blond-haired princess Rapunzel. Click here to see one of the clips from the film!! A sky lantern is simply a paper lantern with a candle inside. When lit, the lantern acts similarly to a hot-air balloon and can rise up until, like a star, it twinkles brightly in the distance. Releasing these lanterns is often-times seen as good luck, and they can be seen all year-round in Thailand. Once a year, however, in the mountains area of northern Thailand and during the Yi Peng festival, thousands of paper lanterns are lit simultaneously, unleashing a myriad of shining stars into the heavens. In the late night hours, the crowds vanish and left on the beach are the locals, students and residents, enjoying the cool of the night and the light breeze from the ocean. Sabai sabai (Sabai is a Thai word that can be roughly translated to mean, relax, take it easy... a hakuna matata sort of mood). Nightfall found us lounging on Jomtien beach, talking and lazily watching a group of students light and launch sky lanterns from further down the beach. A link to a video of the historic event - my first sighting of a sky lantern launch - can be found at the end of this entry!!! But the question is how did we end up here?

Thailand: Pattaya, Jomtien, and Private Beaches

Royal Cliff Hotel and Resorts in Pattaya, Thailand

My trip to Pattaya was peaceful, relaxing, quiet, and undisturbed.... the Thai word that sums these feelings up would be "sabai, sabai." Roughly equivalent to the "Lion King's" Swahili phrase "hakuna matata." I was able to spend the day at the beach along the ocean, and at night go for a relaxing swim in one of many pools. The general mood? Tranquil. The food? Exquisite. The atmosphere? Wonderful (can't beat dining literally at ocean's edge!!!). I love giving this description of my vacation, because people familiar with the area typically stare at me in confusion and bewilderment.