Journey though the land of smiles: Hat Yai and Songkhla
July 28th to July 30th, 2017
Sawadikap !!
I've been a bit lazy of late, been travelling a fair bit but not putting pen to paper, maybe it's time to get back on track. So, on a whim, I decided to visit Hatyai. I took the 10pm flight from Kuala Lumpur via Airasia and landed in Hatyai at 10:15pm. Amazing, I just lost 15 minutes.
Took a cab and stayed at Wungnoy Hotel in downtown Hatyai which took about 30 minutes @250 baht per ride. Wungnoy Hotel is a boutique style hotel costing 1300 baht for a decent single Queen bedroom. Recommend the rooms on the inside where traffic noise is less with the car park below. Wifi is inclusive.
I met up with my PIC and settled in for the night. The next day, we had a local breakfast at the open air market, "tau ewe bak" (soya sauce pork)
Tau Ewe Bak
Whilst wondering through the streets, my PIC suggested that we make a day trip to #Songkhla to visit the #Heritage sites and #Buddhist temples. Had the pickup fueled and was on our way.
Songkla (Thai: สงขลา, pronounced [sǒŋ.kʰlǎː]; Malay: Singgora) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. In contrast, to most other provinces, the capital Songkla is not the largest city in the province.The much newer city of Hatyai with a population of 359,813, is considerably larger, with twice the population of Songkla (163,072). This often leads to the misconception that Hat Yai is the provincial capital (source:wikipedia)
The drive to Songkhla takes about 44 mins (30.8km). On the way, we stopped by the wet market at the outskirts of Hat Yai and purchased some dried salty fish. The drive was a breeze with tantalising views and traffic was a trickle.
Our entry into Songkhla was greeted by Reclining Buddha at Wat Phranon Laem Pho, Ko Yo, Songkhla, an amazing sight. We stopped and wondered around for a bit. The local sampans (small fishing boats) and kelongs (fish estuaries) were a delightful sight.
coconut ice cream
After a brief stop for photographs, we headed towards the town centre where the heritage area was situated
A trip to Songkhla without visiting Samila Beach is akin to having whisky without a cigar. Like any other tropical beaches, it is scorching and filled with people, locals and tourists alike. Met up with some local friends, who had already set up a picnic tent by the beach. Sampled some freshly prepared delicious Thai noodles
Heat is a major factor here with the scorching sun and after about a couple of hours or so, we decided to head back to Hatyai, before weekend traffic started building up.
An hour later, we finally arrived at the Phra Standing Buddha Mongkol Maharat Temple at top of Kor Hong Hill, Hat Yai.
Soon day turn to night and then it was time to head back to hotel and we ended the night with a sumptous dinner at the #Chong Khao Seafood Restaurant. It is situated right smack in the city centre with open air dining as well as covered dining.
The seafood is excellent, fresh, bordering on cheap. However, recommend to get there early as the fresh seafood sells out fast. Only warning: mosquitoes at large
The next day, it was time to leave Hat Yai. but not after having a delicious beef noodle soup, down the road from the hotel.
I am indeed delighted that even for a 3 day trip, I was able to pack in so much travel and eat to my heart's content. This trip is made even more special, for I think I may have found my calling here 💕.
So, no worries Hat Yai, I will be back in a jiffy and many times more.
Till then, take care
Kobkhunkap
