Hua Hin-The Resort of the King

Hua Hin has a great advantage. It is only 2 hours by car from Bangkok, which means you can escape the cacophony of Bangkok and find yourself at a nice resort in no time.

This small sea town benefits from a 5km sandy beach and plentiful accommodation for any budget. You are spoiled for choice when it comes to food and restaurants, and there is no lack of bars, clubs, and other outlets for entertainment. Massage (proper relaxing and otherwise) is better and cheaper than in Bangkok, and you will not get bored with the shopping opportunities in Hua Hin.

Real estate is flourishing in Hua Hin, and there is a sizeable expat community running various business or retired at one of the thousands apartments, flats, condos, houses, or villas for sale in Hua Hin.

Quick Tips:

Hua Hin is very commercial, but the large expatriate element gives an element of familiarity at the resort. It is a perfect escape for 2 or 3 days, but unless you wish to settle for business or retire there, there is not a lot of challenge in Hua Hin if you are a wandering or adventurous traveller.

There is a free English local newspaper if you wish to read about "what's on" in Hua Hin, and there are a lot of advertisements for property for sale in it. Do not miss the weekly evening market for the locals of Hua Hin for bargain shopping for clothes and other everyday items. There is a second daily market too, but it is geared towards tourists and, naturally, far more expensive

Best Way To Get Around:

Most of the developed area of Hua Hin is about 1 square kilometer, so it's very easily explorable on foot. Hua Hin has good surface connection with Bangkok (about 4 hours by train), but the slightly more expensive option of an air-conditioned van cuts this time in half. It is easier to haggle and get a bargain price for an air-conditioned van from Hua Hin to Bangkok compared to BKK-Hua Hin

The whole structure of this FANTASTIC small guesthouse is wooden. The rooms are lined in two rows, parallel to each other, and they form a pier above the rocky part of the beach of Hua Hin.

If you look through the grooves between the planks of the wooden floor of your bedroom, you can see the sea water below.

At night time, the sound of the waves is the best relaxing music you could ask for and creates the most naturally romantic atmosphere.

Each room has a small wooden balcony with enough room for a small table and a couple or three chairs. The balconies are next to each other and the balconies of the left row face the balconies of the right row, each being only 10-15 yards apart. In the middle is the breakfast table. Each room has WC and shower and either fan or air-conditioning.

The smart arrangement of the rooms and the balconies inevitably leads to (almost compulsory) social engagement with your neighbours and occasional development of holiday friendships (and more)—something that does not happen so easily in other hotel units. Some of the residents are Farang who spend several months at Hua Hin, and others are travellers who come only for a few days.

Staff is VERY friendly and efficient, and the kitchen of this small unit takes top marks for cleanliness. Rumor had it that a large multinational hotel unit nearby (less than 500 meters away) is planning to expand to where the Bird is (and other small, family-owned local businesses). I sincerely hope these rumours remain just that and this unique (family-owned) Thai guesthouse maintains each character and nature for the years to come.