"Hua Hin" Hua Hin by johnaalex

When I first went to Hua Hin over 10 years I thought it was a little too quiet when compared to my favourite place in Thailand which is Patong on the island of Phuket.

However after hearing some interesting reports from other travellers I thought it was a good idea to check out Hua Hin again. So while spending a week in Bangkok I hired a car and took the three hour drive to Thailand’s “oldest resort”.
Although it is possible to fly from Bangkok to Hua Hin, it is relative expensive as there is only one small air line flying the route using 11 seat Cessna Grand Caravans. Once you are out of Bangkok the drive is not very interesting. About the most notable site is the temple Wat Maha Samanaram which is set high on a hill in Petchburi.

I stayed at the Hua Hin Marriott which is about a 10 minutes walk from the centre of Hua Hin. Without doubt the town is much busier than it was when I first visited. There seemed to be a considerable number of “new” restaurants and most of them seemed busy. The night market also seemed bigger and busier than my first visit. Of course it is still nothing like Patong or Pattaya, but it is busier than you may think with some big hotels (Dusit, Sofitel, Hilton and Marriott to name but four) and plenty of restaurants with something to suit all tastes and budgets.

The beach at Hua Hin itself is not the best in Thailand, but if you travel a few kilometres to the south of the town there are some nice places to visit.

• Pros:Quieter than the other major resorts
• Cons:Quieter than the other major resorts
• In a nutshell:Not too sleepy and some nice hotels