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It is easy to see why Thailand's beloved king chooses to spend his twilight years residing in Hua Hin. The tranquil beachside community is only a three-hour drive from Bangkok, yet it is a veritable world away from the congested confines of the Thai capital.
Unlike the raucous nightlife found elsewhere in the country Hua Hin is instead old Thai money and a quiet family retreat. Increasingly, it has also taken on a northern European flavor in recent years with an influx of well-heeled German and Scandinavian pensioners, ignoring the UV warnings and basking in the ample sunshine.
The attraction of the area to both locals and newcomers alike is understandable as between Hua Hin and neighboring Cha-Am about 20 kilometers to the north, there is nothing but low-lying hills, white sandy beach and the crystal blue water of the Gulf of Thailand. The weather is always warm, albeit a bit wet at certain times of the year.
Hua Hin's association with royalty dates back nearly 90 years when King Rama VII discovered the sleepy fishing village. He liked the place so much that he decided to build his summer palace there, aptly naming it Klai Kangworn or "far from worries."
With the construction of the Southern Railway in the early 1920s, the area soon became a popular destination for affluent Thais and the premier resort in the country.
The former Railway Hotel, now the Sofitel Central Hua Hin Resort, is worth a visit to experience the refined luxury of the era. While the hotel guards will ask if you are a guest of the premises, just tell them you are eating in one of its many restaurants and have a scope around.
Water, understandably, dominates the local culture as the town's many cheap restaurants built on piers jutting out into the gulf provide an excellent vantage point to relax, enjoy a cool drink or a meal, and watch the numerous fishing boat coming in to unload their daily haul. For those more active, there is also numerous beach activities in parasailing, kiteboarding, swimming, diving, snorkeling, fishing, horseback riding and getting towed behind a boat on one of those banana-torpedo things.
There is also plenty to see and do away from the beach. Elephants are a "living symbol" of Thailand and many can be found at the Hua Hin Elephant Village. While the beasts were impressive, the one-hour 800 baht (US$24) jungle ride was a rip-off as the mahout guided the poor pachyderm through an uninspiring hillside jungle area strewn with litter. Being hit up to buy the ubiquitous photo at the end of the ride seemed fitting at this clip joint.
Much better was a trip to Sam Roi Yod National Park, 63 kilometers south of the town. The country's first marine park features strange limestone outcroppings and an unspoiled fishing village. The Pa La-u Waterfall was another good day trip to take in the wildlife in the jungle close to the Burmese border. Eco-tours are in abundance here.
Closer to town, a hike down the beach to Khao Taikap at the end of the main beach promised a chance to see a Buddhist temple and monkeys.
While the temple offerings highlighted by a giant statue of a Chinese goddess were impressive, only one lonely, mangy gibbon was spotted wandering around dazed in the torrid heat.
Chopstick Beach on the southern side of Khao Taikip provided a welcome retreat after the temple visit. With only a couple of small hotels at the entrance of the beach, this remote place is Hua Hin of yesteryear and a good place to kick back and enjoy a cool beverage as the sun disappeared for the day.
Golf is a major attraction of the Hua Hin Cha-Am area with eight courses in the vicinity. Royal Hua Hin, just beside the train station, was the country's first course built in 1924. Others include Palm Hills, Majestic Creek, Imperial Lakeview and the Jack Nicklaus-designed Springfield Village Golf and Spa. Black Mountain, the first new course in the area in a decade, opened in April and will undoubtedly be a contender for top new course in Asia. The 18-hole layout features an up-down terrain with greens and tee boxes tucked right into the base of the mountain. The club is currently offering an introductory round promotion for the first couple of months for 2,250 baht with a caddie.
If four hours of swinging a club in the blazing sun is not your thing, spas are another big attraction of Hua Hin with some of the most famous names in the business. Chiva-Som is headquartered here and has won a host of awards as the world's best spa destination since opening its doors in 1995. It was here where Posh and Becks came to chill for a few day in 2003 when the football superstar visited the country, undoubtedly indulging in a few of the 120 treatments that the luxury resort offers.
Among the competition is the Mandara Spa at Anatara Resort and Spa with 200 rooms set over 5.66 hectares of jungle along the gulf, and the Evason Resort and Spa in Pranburi.
There are also numerous other smaller spas to be found and nearly every five-star hotel will offer a similar service. While such spas are expensive, traditional Thai massage, a favorite of contortionists and masochists everywhere, is offered at cheap price both on the beach and around town.
As the sun goes down, Hua Hin cools down slightly as the nightlife heats up with an abundance of restaurant offerings and the outdoor night market on Dechanuchit Road.
Eating requires a major decision here as there is an abundance of food styles to choose from in Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, German and Scandinavian favorites from Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark, among others.
The Thai dishes are light and spicy with Tom Yam Kung (spicy shrimp soup), Phad Thai (Thai fried noodles) and Kaeng Phet Pet Yang (roast duck curry) among the popular choices. Seafood is understandably also in abundance and visitors can choose from a fresh bounty that includes sea bass, grouper, king fish, cotton fish, red and white snapper, shrimp, crab and lobster, among many others.
With an exotic mix of ingredients in basil, garlic, onion, lemon grass, mint, ginger, basil and lime, coupled with liberal use of chilies, Thai food is never bland and will instantly awaken the tastebuds from the first bite.
If spicy food gets you overheated - and the local definition of "not too spicy" is often understated - most restaurants will offer a tamed-down version of Thai favorites upon request.
The German food is wunderbar in Hua Hin with such traditional items as schnitzel, sausage, pork knuckle and mixed grills on offer.
Most of the restaurants also serve a menu that includes Thai food.
After a huge meal, a good way to digest is with a walk down the two-block-long night market on Dechanuchit Road. The various vendors offer Thai handicrafts, both of the carved and woven variety, as well as the latest football shirts, sunglasses and beachwear. This is also a good place to eat inexpensively among the many stalls.
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