Hua Hin Hotels

The small resort community of Hua Hin is situated on a picturesque curving bay of the Gulf of Thailand, and has been a favourite of Thai tourists for decades. Although its popularity with western tourists has increased by the year, it’s still frequented more by Thai nationals than foreigners. The main reason for this is that Hua Hin has long been a popular holiday destination for members of Thailand’s royal family.

Beaches
Hua Hin’s main beach stretches for around two and a half miles (four kilometres) from the centre of town to Khao Takiab. The sunrises here are spectacular and the beach never becomes overcrowded. Its white sand makes this one of the finest lengths of beach on the Gulf of Thailand. The name Hua Hin was derived from the rocky formations found on the beach at the Sofitel Central Hotel. This is also a place at which you can hire beach umbrellas, chairs and sun loungers for a reasonable hourly fee. Farther south, behind Khao Takiab, you’ll find Suan Son beach, named after the numerous pine trees lining the beach. Suan Son is more popular with Thais than foreigners.

New Year’s Day: on 1 January there’s a range of activities on offer to welcome in the New Year from the uniquely Thai traditional festivities to typically Western traditions. As the sun comes up, Buddhist monks welcome the dawn and the faithful make merit by giving alms to monks.

Khao Chong Krachok
Also known as ‘Mirror Mount,’ this monastery is reached by a trail up a hill in the northern part of the city. There are 395 steps to the top, and although a bit of a climb, the effort is well-rewarded. At the top is a highly-revered monastery, a small pagoda and lots of mischievous monkeys. It’s recommended that you avoid feeding the monkeys as they can be aggressive. The views of the surrounding coastline and sea are spectacular.

Hua Hin’s airport is located just three miles (five kilometres) north of the city. Four flights per day are operated by SGA Aero from Bangkok to Hua Hin, with a flight time of just over 30 minutes. The Hua Hin Airport is also conveniently located for tourists heading to Cha Am resorts. Flights are competitively priced in comparison to other forms of transportation.

Most visitors to Thailand have a trouble-free holiday. It’s also a good idea to keep your passport, credit cards, cash, expensive jewellery and any important travel documents carefully concealed or locked in a hotel safe, however. Scam artists occasionally target tourists, offering to sell them gems that turn out to be worthless.