Showing posts with label sport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sport. Show all posts

Saturday, 5 March 2016

Venture Bikes - Jomtien Beach



Venture Bikes is situated on Chaiyapruek 1 Road close to Jomtien Beach Road on the left hand side as you head down Chaiyapruek 1 towards the beach or on the right hand side as you head towards Sukhumvit Road.


The Venture Bike guys are real pros when it comes to bike sales, hire and repairs, with two full time mechanics in addition to the owners, husband and wife team Khun Suwipha and Ben from England who are both lovely.


The shop has a range of on and off-road bikes for rental with prices starting at 50 Baht a day through to 200 Baht a day depending on model and length of hire. This is easily the most civilised way to enjoy Jomtien for visitors. It gives the people who hire bicycles a real feel for the area and a sense of satisfaction at having taken a look around by their own steam. It's just not the same as exploring in a car, by motorbike or on a coach.

Rental Prices

I've never had to purchase or rent a bicycle at Venture Bikes yet, though there are strong reviews on TripAdvisor. My own experiences as a bike enthusiast are quick and inexpensive repairs for silly things like a puncture or a loose pedal. A recent report from a friend who collapsed his front pedal cog and required a new one fitted was very positive and in line with my own customer experience. Quick, friendly and professional.


Naturally there are a range of bikes for sale with selection of models chosen for balance of precision engineering and value for money. There's an online section of the website dealing with sales if you wish to take a look before visiting.


Top Jomtien Destinations - Choke-D Bar & Restaurant


Choke-D Bar Restaurant Sports Club is probably the best destination bar and restaurant on South Jomtien Beach or Naa Jomtien as it is sometimes slightly erroneously called. Situated next door to the 7-Eleven closest to the mouth of Soi 16, Choke D is famous as a Windsurfing and Kitesurfing club during the day with both local and international travellers, but during the evening is a more traditional bar and restaurant with some of the best music playing later in the night as Alek the owner is among other renaissance man skills, a talented DJ too. 



There are more esoteric sports such as horse jumping and cycling playing silently on the two screens in the bar area, though a new wooden, extended platform deck now extends down to the path and provides some of the most relaxing and reinvigorating dining experiences with fresh air, and waves literally lapping the shore from only yards away.


Choke-D has both open air and sheltered seating in the bar and restaurant. The food served is a combination of Thai recipes and international food such as burgers and fries. The business opens at 2pm each day and is invariably open till 2am or till the last customer returns home.

Kite Surfing Equipment




Choke-D is one of those places that is just as fine to take a book and read in a relaxing atmosphere or from time to time turns into the best impromptu party atmosphere later on in the nights and into the early hours of the morning.



Friday, 24 October 2014

Jomtien Beach Running

  



Jomtien Beach is home to many expats who can often be seen jogging or running along the beach road before the sun rises fully in the morning. They're taking advantage of the cooler temperature and quieter traffic although it's rarely too busy to run if avoiding peak times at weekends or bank holidays. 

We prefer to run on the beach where the sand acts as a shock absorber and the feeling of running barefoot next to the waves is more fun and relaxing. It takes a little getting used to as the going is a little slower and harder than the road surface but the softness of the sand is most definitely better in the long run (pun not intended) for the knee and ankle joints. When the tide is out or the sand is baked hard it can still be a jarring surface so it's important to run in a softer manner when conditions are like this.

By coincidence a Thai runner Khun Taweewat Waicharoen uploaded his road running experience only days apart from our video. It makes a nice visual contrast to the beach experience. There's also our bike ride along the beach sand we filmed for those who want a more distanced perspective of Jomtien Beach road from the shore.