15 nice things to do in Hua Hin

Living in a second home in Thailands oldest resort for some years: Here are 15 very nice things to do in this wonderful town. 

1. Sea food.

The seafood down by the pier and seaside is still first class. Find a nice restaurant and a table by the sea.  Don’t necessarily look for nice teak furniture and white tablecloths, The best food is normally where thai people go. Eat the way thai people do: Buy several dishes to choose from. My favourite: Grilled lobster with cheese and som spicy dip.

2. Hua Hin beach.

Hin Beach is not the most exotic or idyllic in Thailand – far from it. But it is still my favourite beach. Find a nice place, enjoy a cold drink and just relax. Watch people kiting, sunbathing, jogging and walking. Watch them horseriding, swimming, buying fruit or having a salad. I’ve found a perfect place for this – The terrace on The Veranda Lodge, about 30 minutes walk from Hilton. When I’m in Norway and the winter is dark and cold as ice and the autumn storms keep me awake in the nights – I dream of this place.

 

3. Downtown Hua Hin.

Hua Hin has a unique charm. It’s diffucult to define, but once you are there, you can feel it. Have a quiet walk in the afternoon, in the back streets. Watch the artists finish their paintings, thai families preparing their dinners, busy office menn enjoying a cup of coffee after work. Or just sit down by a  coffee table, like these two men, and just watch people walking by. Then you know what I mean.

4. The harbour.

The fishing industri in Hua Hin is declining, and the fishing vessels prefer Cha-am. But near Hua Hin pier and harbour you still can find fishermen delivering their fish to the local restaurants. And you will also find old Hua Hin and old Thailand, poor people living in sheds. Some of them have next to nothing, but they stillinvite you inside for some spicy fish soup. The picture shows an old fisherman mending his fishing net.

5. The hotel with the park.

The Railway hotel alias Sofitel alias Grand Centara is  Hua Hins first hotell. Built in the twenties in colony style, its still got its charm. The hotel  stands on 16 hectares of beachfront land. The tropical garden is famous. Have an afternoon tea in the garden, or a dinner in the afternoon, where the food is prepared for you at your table by the sea.

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6. The Palace.

The king and queen of Thailand now live in Hua Hin in their private palace. The royal family owns about 15 residences in og near Hua Hin. One of them is open for the public.  Maruekatayawan, a summer palace that was designed by Rama VI in 1923, is a good example of classical thai arcitecture from that period. The palace is well worth a visit, and feel the cool «airconditioned» breeze inside, created by a very clever architect.

 

7. The night marked.

A tourist trap, of course, but still a compulsory visit. Hectic, a lot of sweaty people, good food – and a bargain is still possible. . Watch out for copies, though. A price that is too good to be true, is normally just that.

 

8. Monkey mountain and Kao Takiab.

By the south end of the beach there is a hill and a temple. It’s fascination to wasch the monkeys dive into the sea. But don’t throw stones at them. The monkeys might get angry and throw stones back at you. By the foot of the Monkey mountain  there iss a nice, pittoresque fishing village, Kao Takiab (bildet). This is now a trendy district in Hua Hin, trendy because of its charm. Nice to have lunch here, with your feet in the sand.

 

9. Khao Tao.

Behind the Monkey mountain there is another very nice beach, about six kilometers long. This ends up in beautiful Khao Tao, an idyllic village with a large temple with a very nice view.

 

10. World Class golf.

I don’t play golf myself, but I have a lot of friends in Hua Hin who do. Hua Hin They don’t like me telling, because there already are a lot of golf tourists coming to Hua Hin, and golf tourism is big business. Hua Hin has been voted as 2014’s Golf Destination of the Year for Asia & Australia in the prestigious annual awards held by the global golf tourism organization, IAGTO (International Association of golf Tour Operators). Golfers can enjoy all year round at world class golf courses. There are 11 golf courses in og around Hua Hin, four of them are world class.

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11.  The Railway station.

The Hua Hin Railway Station is one of the most famous sightseeing attractions in Hua Hin with a long cultural heritage and Royal connections. 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.

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12. The music.

Downtown Hua Hin there are a lot of clubs and bars with live music. Most of them are pop and rock, but there is also a jazz corner. My personal favourite is The Moonllight bar and the local heroes, the Stone Head Band. They are very talented musicians, and there are always a lot of poeople and and a nice party feeling in this club.

 

13. The surprises.

Hua Hin is full of contrasts and suprises. The town changes from year to year, and you find ny attractions evry time you visit this city – restaurants, bars, clubs, tourist attractions. Just walk a cuple of tourist away from the toruist strip, and you will fins nice suprises. In Sa song round there is my favoruite italian restaurant. Delizie is the name. It’s a very small restaurant with 5-6 tsbles inside and just two outside. But the food is made by love – I think I kind of love that can onkly be made by a cook who miss his country. You wiwill also be surprised when you visit the elephant shows or the crazy men who poyu their heads inside the mouth of crocodiles.

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14. The vineyard.

Yes, it is possible to make very good wine in Thailand. Hua Hin Hills Vineyard is home to the award-winning Monsoon Valley label. The vineyard offers a delightful excursion, complete with wine-tasting and dining opportunities. Covering an expansive 560 acres in Hua Hin Hills the vineyard is situated abpouts 35 kilometers for the town centre. But it’s very much worth a visit for wine-tasting of course, and the serve very nice food.

 

15. The Pala-U waterfalls

This waterfallis found on the south side in a national park, some 60kms west of Hua Hin. The park is one of the largest in Thailand and sits right next to the Burmese (Myanmar) border. As a norwegan, I did not believe waterfalls in Thailand were any special. But I had to change my mind. This is  a beautiful spot to visit. You will pass through stunning countryside. The waterfall has 16 steps, and you pass different levels. The three first levels are for thos who are not very fit – and then it gets harder. The surrounding forest is over 1,000 years old and there is a good chance of seeing wildlife, particularly gibbons (which will certainly be heard, if not seen) and many rare species of bird-life.