Santorini Park

Cha-am, an area of gorgeous natural beauty, has never been short of attractions; nonetheless, last week saw the opening of yet another unique and fascinating place to visit: Santorini Park. With its lovely blue and white buildings modeled on the Greek island of the same name, it is also home to both great amusement and serious shopping opportunities.

This 500-million-baht venture is the brainchild of the Pena Group one of Thailand top fashion houses and manufacturers and is Cha-am first themed shopping complex cum amusement park. Santorini Park is a logical extension of Pena outlet malls and high-end outlets that the company operates in several of Thailand largest cities.

Pena Group Managing Director Nasvera Tantichirasakul felt the time was right to open such an attraction in the Cha-am area, given the increased popularity of Phetchaburi Province among tourists, particularly the two gems of Cha-am and Hua Hin. After surveying the tourist scene, it became clear that an amusement park would be the perfect complement to the existing attractions.

Thus Santorini Park thus came into being on 60 rai of land off Phetchkasem Road, about 4 kilometers from the junction to Cha-am heading south from Bangkok, around KM marker 198. It s hard to miss: you ll see the huge, new Ferris wheel on the horizon as you approach. 120 Baht will buy you 3 huge circuits on the giant wheel, safely ensconced in your little cabin.

For the same fee, you can experience the thrill of the G-Max Reverse Bungee, or the beautifully rendered carousel, a vital element in any proper amusement park. The same rate applies to 40 minutes for the kids on the fun and quirky pony cycles, small cycles in the shape of ponies propelled along by the limitless energy of your precious little ones.

Although these special amusements come with a charge, the park is free to enter Mondays through Thursdays, and is open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; there is a 50 Baht entrance fee Fridays through Sundays, when the park receives many visitors, both foreign and domestic.

Furthermore, the park offers much more than these rides: Pena Group spent some 50 million baht to flesh out the park and enhance the visitors experience and enjoyment. This includes all manner of park decorations and special features, including manmade waterfalls, climbing walls, a giant swing, dancing fountains, modern art sculptures, as well as a wide range of restaurants, coffee shops, a concert zone, a weekend mart, souvenir shops, and the company s trademark outlet shops.

This creative, new park adds a light-hearted touch to the already substantial regional tourist offerings, and follows on the heels of the new floating markets opened in the area. Now there is something else for Mommy and the kids to do while Daddy is out golfing one of the many world-class courses in the area. A good time will surely be had by all.

For more information, visit http://www.santoriniparkchaam.com.