Hua Hin - Thailand
WRITTEN BY VI HUGHES, JULY 2019
If you have been to the main tourist areas of Thailand such as Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui or any of the other well known Thai destinations, you may want to consider Hua Hin as an alternative.
Hua Hin is a two and a half hour taxi ride from Bangkok airport and costs around 1800 Thai Baht which is just over $80 Australian.
Hua Hin is a quieter destination and perfect to relax and enjoy the friendly, traditional Thai culture without the hustle and bustle and crowds of tourists. It is also doesn't have a reputation as a 'party' destination.
The King of Thailand, who is very respected and loved by the Thai people spends much of his time in Hua Hin, which has been a royal holiday destination for many years.
The beaches are beautiful, very clean with wide sand and you will often see horses galloping along offering rides to tourists.
Some parts of the beach have umbrellas and deck chairs and people can pay a small amount of money compared with opther countries to book a spot on the beach for the day.
If you have been to the main tourist areas of Thailand such as Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui or any of the other well known Thai destinations, you may want to consider Hua Hin as an alternative.
Hua Hin is a two and a half hour taxi ride from Bangkok airport and costs around 1800 Thai Baht which is just over $80 Australian.
Hua Hin is a quieter destination and perfect to relax and enjoy the friendly, traditional Thai culture without the hustle and bustle and crowds of tourists. It is also doesn't have a reputation as a 'party' destination.
The King of Thailand, who is very respected and loved by the Thai people spends much of his time in Hua Hin, which has been a royal holiday destination for many years.
The beaches are beautiful, very clean with wide sand and you will often see horses galloping along offering rides to tourists.
Some parts of the beach have umbrellas and deck chairs and people can pay a small amount of money compared with opther countries to book a spot on the beach for the day.
The Beach Club
.We found a fabulous spot to spend the day, called Le Colonial Beach Club which is right on the beachfront not far from the Market Village. It was so nice I chose this location above many others to have a relaxing day and celebrate my birthday.
Le Colonial Beach Club has a great pool with recliner beach chairs, day beds, bar and restaurant in a beautiful setting. There are also umbrellas chairs and tables in front of the club, directly on the sand.
The day beds and recliners by the pool are basically FREE; while they actually cost only 500THB and 300THB per person respectively, you have that amount of credit to spend on food and drinks, which are really cheap anyway as well as being really tasty. It is certainly not expensive when you consider you have this facility for the whole day.
The Beach Club supplies free beach towels and provides beautifully appointed and clean facilities with both inside and outside showers. The pool is an infinity pool that looks directly over the beach and is a perfect temperature. What an amazing, perfect place to spend the day.
Le Colonial Beach Club has a great pool with recliner beach chairs, day beds, bar and restaurant in a beautiful setting. There are also umbrellas chairs and tables in front of the club, directly on the sand.
The day beds and recliners by the pool are basically FREE; while they actually cost only 500THB and 300THB per person respectively, you have that amount of credit to spend on food and drinks, which are really cheap anyway as well as being really tasty. It is certainly not expensive when you consider you have this facility for the whole day.
The Beach Club supplies free beach towels and provides beautifully appointed and clean facilities with both inside and outside showers. The pool is an infinity pool that looks directly over the beach and is a perfect temperature. What an amazing, perfect place to spend the day.
Accommodation in Hua Hin
Like most tourist destinations in Thailand you will find some of the leading hotel chains such as Hilton, Sheraton, Intercontinental, Ibis etc as well as lots of smaller local resorts in Hua Hin. There is a huge variety to choose from to suit any budget or preference.
Although these larger Western style hotels are spectacular and usually have prime positions on the beach, they will set you back quite a lot when it comes to paying the bill. Also, they may not offer you the same cultural experience that you are looking for.
We chose to stay at the Hua Hin Resort and Mall which was only one block back from the beach but in a great position to walk to most areas and best of all was very moderately priced.
The hotel was great, with spacious, well appointed and clean rooms. We had one of the pool access rooms which had its own spa and daybed that led down a few steps to the main pool area from our balcony. It was beautiful just relaxing with a cocktail overlooking the pool or taking a little dip in our spa.
The bar and restaurant overlooking the pool had some great food options and we had dinner there a couple of nights during our stay. Happy hour was from 4-6 each day which meant cocktails were about $10 AUD for two. Needless to say, we had quite a few....
The Market Village was only a 10 minute walk from the hotel and had 4 levels of amazing shopping with a combination of shops and market stalls, restaurants and a huge food court that sold an wonderful selection of different foods. Prices were very affordable and you could find everything you needed in this centre.
It cost 100THB in a little tuk tuk or taxi to go further up to the central area or a little more to go all the way to the port if you wanted to explore further. It was interesting to explore the original fishing village and observe how the local fishermen are trying to protect their old way of life from further development.
Our FAVOURITE place in the Market Village Shopping Centre would have to be the Massage & Spa called LET'S RELAX.
This was absolutely amazing! Unlike the street and beach massages that are everywhere in Thailand, this was a professional company with fully trained therapists.
For more information read about LET'S RELAX
Although these larger Western style hotels are spectacular and usually have prime positions on the beach, they will set you back quite a lot when it comes to paying the bill. Also, they may not offer you the same cultural experience that you are looking for.
We chose to stay at the Hua Hin Resort and Mall which was only one block back from the beach but in a great position to walk to most areas and best of all was very moderately priced.
The hotel was great, with spacious, well appointed and clean rooms. We had one of the pool access rooms which had its own spa and daybed that led down a few steps to the main pool area from our balcony. It was beautiful just relaxing with a cocktail overlooking the pool or taking a little dip in our spa.
The bar and restaurant overlooking the pool had some great food options and we had dinner there a couple of nights during our stay. Happy hour was from 4-6 each day which meant cocktails were about $10 AUD for two. Needless to say, we had quite a few....
The Market Village was only a 10 minute walk from the hotel and had 4 levels of amazing shopping with a combination of shops and market stalls, restaurants and a huge food court that sold an wonderful selection of different foods. Prices were very affordable and you could find everything you needed in this centre.
It cost 100THB in a little tuk tuk or taxi to go further up to the central area or a little more to go all the way to the port if you wanted to explore further. It was interesting to explore the original fishing village and observe how the local fishermen are trying to protect their old way of life from further development.
Our FAVOURITE place in the Market Village Shopping Centre would have to be the Massage & Spa called LET'S RELAX.
This was absolutely amazing! Unlike the street and beach massages that are everywhere in Thailand, this was a professional company with fully trained therapists.
For more information read about LET'S RELAX
Elephants
There is much more to see in Hua Hin however if you want to connect with elephants you need to make sure you are taken to the correct place.
If you love elephants as I do, you may like to visit the elephant foundation. This is where you will need to be particularly careful that the taxi driver takes you to the correct place. There are two main elephant attractions - the Elephant Village and the Elephant Foundation. The Elephant Village offer rides to tourists however many people who have been there are relly disappointed and often dismayed, reporting that the elephants are not treated well and are very restricted. Reviews suggest not to go to this one.
The Elephant Foundation is completely different and takes elephant care very seriously. There are several experiences that you can book, including walking with the elephants, washing the elephants and bare back riding with the elephants to avoid them wearing a cage. I rode on an elephant the last time I was in Thailand and it is a more memorable experience.
My advice is to do your research before you go and make sure your driver takes you to the correct place.
If you love elephants as I do, you may like to visit the elephant foundation. This is where you will need to be particularly careful that the taxi driver takes you to the correct place. There are two main elephant attractions - the Elephant Village and the Elephant Foundation. The Elephant Village offer rides to tourists however many people who have been there are relly disappointed and often dismayed, reporting that the elephants are not treated well and are very restricted. Reviews suggest not to go to this one.
The Elephant Foundation is completely different and takes elephant care very seriously. There are several experiences that you can book, including walking with the elephants, washing the elephants and bare back riding with the elephants to avoid them wearing a cage. I rode on an elephant the last time I was in Thailand and it is a more memorable experience.
My advice is to do your research before you go and make sure your driver takes you to the correct place.
Horse Riding on the Beach
Whether you are and experienced horse rider or have never ridden before there is no shortage of horses if you would love to ride along the beach. And they are not skinny, poorly cared for horses that you find at many beach rides; they are beautiful and range from smaller more placid horses for children to the larger more frisky horses for the more adventurous adults. The horses all seem to be well cared for and in good condition.
Hua Hin is perfect for this activity as it isn't as crowded as some other Thai holiday destinations.
Hua Hin is perfect for this activity as it isn't as crowded as some other Thai holiday destinations.
Night Markets
If you are interested in experiencing the culinary delights of Thailand you will probably want to visit the famous night markets. This is definitely the place to experiment with all types of street food. You will also find a wide range of other stalls with a mixture of clothing, souvenirs and electrical goods. A great night to wander and take in the atmosphere.
Other Attraction
All hotels and resorts will offer a wide range of things to do while in Hua Hin from cooking classes to organised tours. There is something for everyone.