Neil Aronson My wife and I just went to Hua Hin finally, after it had been a while. We only had three days, but as always they were packed full of fun, sightseeing and photography. So here is what we did and all the best things we recommend for you on your visit, and a good itinerary idea. It was a windy few days, but that sort of made it feel not so hot. And by the way, we had no itinerary or plans, just enjoy a few relaxing days.
In case your not familiar with it, Hua Hin is a coastal town in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan. It’s around 200 km south of Bangkok, making it a popular weekend retreat for residents of Thailand’s capital city.
Beaches, watersports, historical sites, golf courses, shopping opportunities are a plenty in Hua Hin. The town’s laidback charm is great for families and travelers who want to enjoy a vacation in the tropics. Expect inspiring scenery, diverse dining experiences, and charming hospitality throughout your getaway in Hua Hin.
Getting here is pretty easy, especially if you are around Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Air Asia operates three flights a week between Hua Hin and Chiang Mai bringing you to the northern capital or vice versa just in two hours. This is how we got to Hua Hin, and the fares are very good.
One of the best ways of getting from Bangkok to Hua Hin is by train and there you will see the historic train station, arguably the most beautiful in the whole country. Trains serve the city with Bangkok and take around 5 hours with prices from as low as TB45 to TB260 as it depends on what type of class you prefer.
In the south of the city is the bus station and from there you can go to a number of destinations including: Bangkok’s Sai Tai Mai (3 hrs, THB175), Bangkok Airport (3.5 hours, THB305), Chiang Mai (13 hrs, THB850-1150), Krabi (9 hrs), Phuket (10 hrs), Nakhon Ratchasima (7 hrs, THB600) and Suratthani (7hrs, TB530). There are more destinations available and it’s best to go to the bus station a day earlier than you intend to leave to check out prices and times etc.
Local buses can be flagged down on Sa Song Road and from there you can go to Pranburi (1 hr, THB20), Phrachuap Khiri Khan (1 hr, THB35) and Phetchaburi (1.5 hrs, THB50). There are also tourist mini buses that leave from the city centre on Phetkasem road, which serve many of the island packages like Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.
After Hua Hin we took a private car to Bangkok, for another visit. This is the best way to go, and more expensive of course. However it was not bad, and the key is to shop around. All over town you will see taxi companies with rides to Bangkok, so you need to get multiple prices. We found someone for only 1,700 baht, in a new electric car straight to our hotel in Bangkok. Definitely worth it.
Resources
Agoda is the best place to book cheap affordable hotels in Thailand, especially near national parks. They also book flights as well.
Expedia is my favorite place to book flights, hotels, cars, and more. Their group includes Hotels.com and Vrbo for vacation rentals.
Viator is the top choice for activities. Book everything from a waterfall tour to scuba diving, jungle trekking to cooking classes.
12Go is the top transportation source for Asia. From busses to trains to regional flights.
This page contains links to affiliate partner websites.
Since we were only there a short time, and I left my golf clubs in Chiang Mai, I didn’t play. But if you are looking to play golf, Hua Hin is one of the best destinations in Thailand, especially with all the expats. Read more about Thailand Golf Here.
Arrival
Getting from the airport to the hotel was only about 10 minutes. It is easy to get a taxi at the airport, and it cost us 300 baht, which is a little high, but no time to find something else. We just wanted to get to the Hua Hin Hilton Resort and Spa, which was where we were staying. The location of the Hilton is perfectly situated in the center of town, so you can walk all around. The rooms are very nice, and we had an ocean view room.
Breakfast was included, and maybe the most amazing breakfast spread you will ever see. They probably had 60 items to choose from, and all very good quality. The pool is one of the best in Hua Hin as well. I usually prefer a boutique hotel over a big resort, but I had a deal through a connection, and it was great, highly recommend.
Since we didn’t arrive until the afternoon (only one flight from Chiang Mai), we headed a couple blocks down the street to the entrance of Hua Hin beach (Hua Hin 61 Alley). Here there are local small restaurants along the road, and more importantly, you can sit of the road, have a beer at watch the world go by.
We walked around the town streets for a few hours, having a beer at one of the small stands every block. That night, and every night, is the Night Market, along Dechanuchit Alley.
The area on the south end where we stayed, is great for walking around the small streets (Sois), and exploring the city on foot. There is every kind of food you can want, bars, and even a couple blocks of ‘red light’ district if you want that. Plenty of shopping to be had as well. Narasdamri Road in one of the main streets for bars and restaurants, for tourists.
Night Market
Just a few block away is the night market, every night. There is also another one only on Tuesday nights. It is pretty similar to most other night markets, like in Chiang Mai. Souvenirs and food.
However the restaurants and bars along the night market are popular and crowded. Seafood is king in Hua Hin. We went two nights, and the first night we ate some seafood at KO Seafood.
The second night we went to a very popular Thai Seafood restaurant called Koti. It can be packed with people, but we got there late so most people were gone. This city closed earlier than most in Thailand it seems like. Belle like the food, I thought it was just ok.
Itinerary For A Day
As always I don’t really have any plans. And since we only had a couple days we decided to do things around town. After another amazing breakfast at the Hilton (I would stay there just for that), we walked a couple KM to the old historic train station.
It was built in the reign of King Rama VI, the station is one of Thailand’s oldest railway stations. In addition, it is one of the country’s most beautiful train stations with unique architecture. Its most striking feature is the splendid Royal Waiting Room constructed in the Thai architectural style. Across the tracks is the new one you would use.
This is the new train station:
From the train station it is easy to get a taxi or tuk tuk, as you would assume. So we took a taxi to Wat Takiab temple, on the north end of the beach, up on the top of a hill. You could walk if you really wanted to. Except we made the mistake of having her drop us at the bottom of the hill so we could check out the beach, but then had to walk up the steep hill.
The temple itself is not that impressive, but people come for the views, and the monkeys. Which is why it is called the Monkey Temple. Walking up the hill out of nowhere 20 or so monkeys would be running around you, and they will try to take your stuff! However I was able to get close to them and get good pictures.
Just below the temple, about half way down is an excellent restaurant right on the ocean. From there you can walk back to the beach. There were still some monkeys at the restaurant. It is a large place, called La Mer. Mostly local Thai food and seafood. We definitely recommend it not only for the food but views.
A trail from the restaurant leads you back to the beach. You also end up as a famous spot on this end of the beach, the Big Buddha statue. From here we took a tuk tuk back to the hotel area.
In the evening, like every night we tested some local bars, preferably right on the street. One fun place to people watch is Mai Tai Bar.
Other Places To Eat And Hang Out
Of course the beach is one of the best things to do. High tide was each morning, and near the Hilton the beach disappeared. But all afternoon it was great.
Beside swimming, sunbathing for going for a walk, there are two other very popular activities to do on the beach. One is go for a horseback ride. You can just show up, there are many guides to take you for a ride. The other is sitting at one of the Pop-Up restaurants, that line the beach when the tide is out. Most of these are at the Hua Hin Beach entrance. There you can order beers and food.
Another fun place we hung out for some drinks at in the evening was called the Beer House. Which is actually part of the Hilton, but out front on the main street. Again good for people watching and there was live music with an amazing singer.
On the south end of town you can find several popular seafood restaurants on large piers overlooking the ocean. This is a great area for that, plus several good bars. You can walk there from the Hilton, but most of the other hotels you need to take transportation.
I really wanted to visit one of the National Parks they have nearby, which just didn’t have time this visit. Needed one more day! But nearby is Khao Sam Yoi NP, which we have visited before and is amazing. For more of Hua Hin things to do and where to stay, please read this article:
