Troopie's VirtualTourist Home Page

My new hometown, Hua Hin, is a seaside resort located about 225km south of Bangkok. In fact, this was Thailand's first seaside resort, discovered by a recent ancestor of Thailand's deservedly much-respected monarch, His Majesty King Bhumibol. The town was 'discovered' in the early 1920s by King Rama VII (left) as an ideal place to escape the heat and stress of the capital. To underline this, the palace that he built here was named 'Klai Kang Won', or 'Far From Worries'. To enable him and his family to reach here without too much trouble, a railway was built to link Hua Hin with the capital. In honour of this, a charming colonial-style hotel (see below-left) was built with the unimaginative name of 'the Station Hotel'. It is still here, the town's most expensive hotel, now owned by Sofitel who matched the original builder's lack of imagination by renaming it 'The Sofitel Central'.

Anyway, Hua Hin's royal connection has saved it from becoming the open sewer that is Pattaya, and also has allowed the town to retain more of its Thai character than Phuket. This seems likely to continue for some time, as His Majesty now spends almost the whole year in the 'Far From Worries' Palace (shown right). I pass that Palace regularly (it's on the main Bangkok-Hua Hin road) and although it is guarded by elite combat troops, it is typical of this monarchs character that its outer gardens are available to local citizens as a sort of upmarket park!

Being a seaside town, most visitors naturally head for the beach. Now although Hua Hin's 5 kilometre long white sand beach may not be world class, it is very nice, pretty clean and pretty safe. Once again, the royal connection helps, with at least three warships stationed permanently offshore!

Hua Hin also has some very nice restaurants, mostly seafood (this is still a working fishing port) but including other cuisines, both Thai and foreign. OK, I freely admit that we don't have any Michelin level places, but how many do you find in other seaside resorts? An haute cuisine restaurant, complete with dress requirements and telephone number prices, would be as out of place here as a salt beef bar in Riyadh!

A major attraction for many visitors is cheap and uncrowded golf. There are several golf courses in the vicinity of Hua Hin, including The Royal Hua Hin, Thailand’s 1st golf course, originally designed by a Scottish railway engineer by the name of O. A. Robins back in 1924. There is also the Springfield Royal Country Club (designed by Jack Nicklaus), and many others. Another sport that often brings visitors to this increasingly popular town is the annual King's Cup Elephant Polo tournament, held in a local army camp each September. OK, it does attract the Thai version of 'Sloane Rangers', all 4WD and designer labels, but think of them as part of the show!

If you feel like getting out of Hua Hin occasionally, then there are some interesting places nearby that are worth a visit. If you're seeking a less well know, more secluded beach, then many local residents recommend such lesser known places as:
Haad Sai Noi. Located about 20 minutes (by car) south of Hua Hin, this can get busy at weekends but might be more peaceful if you are able to visit during the week.
Khao Kalok. I used to pass near this on my way to work, as it is located near the town of Pranburi. Getting there is a bit tricky, involving a less than straight 40 minute drive, but you'll be rewarded with a nice long beach with quite a few good restaurants. It says a lot that this place is very popular with the Thais!
Ao Manao. This is quite a journey, being located on the far side of the provincial capital, Prachuab. After passing through this unremarkable city, look for the signs that will take you to a beach with water the colour of a tourist poster. Another one that's popular with Thais!

Away from the beaches, there are other places of interest, such as:
Khao Takiab. This mountain can be seen from most parts of Hua Hin's beaches and is situated on the southern boundary of the town. From the temple atop this peak, you can get a very nice view of my home town.
Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park: Located near the school I used to teach at, this park covers more than 24,500 hectares and includes some great scenery, such as high limestone escarpments, coastal marshes and mountains overlooking the many scattered islands just off the coast.
Kaeng Krachan National Park: The largest national park in Thailand, this is located about 50km northwest of Hua Hin's quieter neighbour, Cha Am, and stretches inland almost to the surprisingly close Burmese border. The park includes scenic forested hills and mountains, plus some spectacular waterfalls.
Pala U Waterfall: This is the region's most scenic waterfall, located about 60km inland from the town. It is a beautiful place but be warned -- the path leading to it might deter some and shouldn't be tried with very young children.