Hua Hin has been a holiday destination for many years, made popular by King Rama VI in the nineteen twenties. Having rail links from Bangkok, it developed from a small fishing village into a thriving tourist centre attracting Thai visitors as well as foreign tourists. It is a traditional resort where even today the summer palace is used as a royal residence. Hua Hin has eight kilometres of palm fringed beaches and its waters provide a variety of water sports. Golfers have a superb eighteen hole golf course where the standard of maintenance and service are high but the green fees are very low. Hotels and apartments provide a range of accommodation to suit most budgets. Hua Hin’s restaurants serve a variety of food from traditional Thai to international cuisine which caters for all tastes. Shopping is a popular pastime in Thailand and there are many boutiques, specialist stores and market stalls. Nightlife here can be as lively or as relaxed as you wish as there are venues to suit every mood. There are a number of tourist attractions in the area which include such diverse activities as visits to temples and palaces, to elephant reserves and to butterfly Farms.
If you wish to experience Thai mainland culture rather than an island retreat, a Hua Hin holiday would be a good choice. Located two hundred kilometres from Bangkok it offers good beaches, great golfing and a range of leisure pursuits to satisfy the whole family.
Hua Hin is popular with the native population as well as visitors from overseas looking for sunshine, a pleasant beach and an interesting area. It is very popular with golfers as there are several excellent courses in the vicinity and the course fees are remarkably low.
Boasting a tropical climate that has consistent high temperatures year round, Hua Hin weather falls into three main seasons; a hot and dry springtime, a wet season from June to October and dry cooler weather which lasts from November to February. Daytime temperatures rarely drop below 30c at any time of the year and indeed can reach a sweltering 35c during spring.
Hua Hin is a traditional resort two hundred kilometres from Bangkok, whose future as a holiday resort was given a kick start by the royal endorsement of King Rama VI in the early twentieth century. Where the king goes others follow and it wasn’t long before the nobility and the wealthy arrived. It remains a pleasant fishing town with a splendid palace and some fine buildings. Several sandy beaches in the area are dotted with swaying palms which give welcome shade in the heat of the day. The beach is lapped by warm clear water that offers safe conditions for children and less confident swimmers. It is recommended that all swimmers swim parallel to the beach as these long coastlines can have hazardous off shore currents. A wide variety of water sports are available from the beach including sailing, fishing, surfing, jet skiing, diving and water skiing. On land, Hua Hin’s main boast is the golf course in the town and five others in the vicinity. Green fees here are said to be the cheapest in the world.
Hua Hin has accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from first class luxury to budget rooms. Its restaurants serve an eclectic menu catering for all tastes and its nightlife is generally low-key. Shops and markets are everywhere so it is easy to find holiday gifts and mementoes.
Hua Hin offers a choice of leisure pursuits from strolling through beautiful parks, to visiting palaces and temples; from exploring caves and waterfalls to visiting an elephant village and a butterfly farm. A Hua Hin holiday has something for everyone.
Hua Hin nightlife is fairly reserved when compared with some of the island resorts. There are however several lively bars and a couple of discos. Nevertheless Hua Hin is not a resort that parties through the night.
Hua Hin shopping is ideal for those whose holiday is incomplete without a little retail therapy. There are so many opportunities with shops and boutiques, markets and pavement stalls. The atmospheric night market in the centre of town is very popular and the ideal place to go to buy gifts and souvenirs. Popular purchases include cotton and silk products, hand crafted jewellery and wood carvings.
Hua Hin has a large number of restaurants, cafes and street vendors serve a variety of food from traditional Thai to international dishes from the four corners of the world. Thai food has been influenced by neighbouring countries of China, India and Malaysia and is a delicious blend of herbs and spices. Some dishes can be very hot but on the whole Thai food is deliciously aromatic.
