To be honest, Hua Hin is not all that. It is not pretty, the beaches are, well not so great, and there is not much of an ambiance. Franky there are (too) many Scandinavians, a high ratio of older men/Thai women, and it is pretty dirty and there is lots of noisy traffic. It is like a much, much smaller Bangkok many, many years ago. Dusty, touristy, run down in parts, yet it is somehow charming, and it’s lack of things to do and sights to see are perfect if you, like us, need to unwind and do nothing for a while.

We first came to Hua Hin in 2000, on our honeymoon. Back then we stayed at the Sofitel Grand Resort, now the Centara. It was lovely! If was our first ever experience of staying in a luxury resort (after years of backpacking and roughing it we figured we were worth it. Besides back then it was a fraction of what it costs today) and boy did we revel. We stayed in a beautiful bungalow, just by the beach, with a veranda where we sat glued to our loungers enjoying every second drinking copious amounts of fresh orange juice. We enjoyed a lovely, huge breakfast with fresh fruit and fresh squeezed juices and pastries every morning. We barely left the resort, which was ok, since apart from golf and some very pretty temples there was not much to do and we desperately needed a break anyways (we had just ended three years of around the clock entrepreneurial life in the Stockholm ‘dot com boom’. We were exhausted). The hotel is still beautiful, the grounds are still lovely and the rooms still look great. We haven’t stayed there again, but it is at the top of most travel sites rankings.

Next time in Hua Hin was 2013. We had heard there was a Swedish school/preschool here and after being on the road with our son for almost six months we very much needed some time to catch up on work. So we came back. Same thing this year. We need some time to work and our son needs to hang out with kids, so we have come back for a month. Hua Hin is easy,it  involves little research and work and everything from finding a place to stay to getting here and getting settled is done in a few hours. Daily life quickly and smoothly turns into a routine and we all unwind and relax. With so few sights to see and stuff to do, it is calm and not at all hectic. Sometimes when traveling, easy is good.

Hua Hin has grown immensely in 14 years. Back in 2000 it was just dirt roads, food stalls, touristy shops and a few hotels. Now it has everything from the modern Bangkok Hospital to several international schools and more resorts and condo buildings than they need. And of course more tourists and more and more farangi who come to live here. There are disproportionately many large bellied, bald headed Scandinavians, Russians and German men. (And no, I have no preconceived notions at all.)

With the growth of the city, western grocery stores such as Tesco in the Market Village shopping mall, have popped up. There are some great places to buy wine, albeit more expensive than in both Bangkok and most western countries, but it is available. Villa Market (not to be confused with the larger Market Village) has good wine selection and for all those living here candy and food stuff from most countries. Both Villa Market and Market Village are on the main road, that runs along the beach from north to south, and are easy to find.

There are several really nice restaurants and some great hotels. For those in need most fast food stores are available and there is also a couple of Starbucks, for those of us who can not manage without Frappucinos. We normally basically only eat at local places and food stalls, so we can not really recommend any fancier places, but there are plenty of reviews around and there is everything from fine French cuisine, to Asian fusion available. Every morning we pick up bananas, freshly peeled and cut fruit, for around ten bath from vendors who open stalls on the road. We have lunch in one of the plethora of restaurants that offer free wifi, so we can work. No one seems to mind if we sit all day, the restaurants are never full anyways. Our favorite places just south of Hua Hin in Khao Thakiab  on the main road are Yummy Corner and Let’s eat, just two doors down.

We choose to rent a condo. Last year it was difficult finding one fast, we emailed I don’t know how many places, walked into several buildings but language barriers and just a general uninterested in helping us out made us turn to a real estate agent who showed us a few places. Finally we picked My Resort. Not because we parents found it particularly charming, but because we could not deny our son the huge playroom, 8 pools and pool play area. This year we naturally had to stay there again. How can you say to a five year old that he may not have access to all that funness, just because the parents prefer a cozier place? There is an abundance of condos around for rent, just google apartment rental Hua Hin. For long stays, 6 months or more we have friends who are paying anywhere from 12000 bath a month and up. For one month in a brand new two bed, 2 bath in My Resort we paid 48 000 bath. They had cheaper ones but with awful views or bottom floor. For that price we also had them install a washing machine. My Resort is newly built, clean and great for kids. To rent either email or just walk in and ask. They can have you in same day as long as you pay the rent and deposit in cash. The location is also great. It is in Khao Takiab, five, ten minute south of Hua Hin, so it is calmer and more relaxed. Opposite the resort is Papa John’s restaurant. The name is awful and so is the kitschy sign, but it is a nice restaurant, good food and nice and quiet and cool. There is also a food stall lady who sells lovely noodle soup and snacks just outside on the street. Next to My Resort is Amari, a hotel and condo combo. They have very nice condos, with much nicer design and decorations than My Resort and a more luxurious fel, but alas no kids play areas. Basically there are condos for rent all along the main road, and the easiest way is to walk in and as about rentals.

Just a few hundred meters north of My resort is the Cicada weekend market. It is a modern, trendier market, with more artsy stuff and most important great food stalls than traditional Thai markets. The food is wonderful! And inexpensive. And did I say wonderful? It starts at around 5.30-6 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There is one man who sells the best homemade spring rolls ever, a young woman sells paper cones full of chicken wings, another lady makes egg waffles with chocolate for dessert. Then there is all kinds of seafood, traditional Pad Thai, Korean barbecue, grilled corn, and various traditional Thai dishes. They also have a wine, beer and drinks stand. Bring some mosquito repellant, since those buggers love it at the market.

Hua Hin beaches have some pretty high tide. So in winter the beaches are non visible a lot of the time, but in the afternoon the tide goes down. When the tide is low it is a very nice beach for walking and since it continues uninterrupted, you can walk from Hua Hin all the way down to Khao Takiab’s Monkey Mountain (to look at the monkeys and temples). There are not too many people on the ebach, except during the Christmas and New year’s holiday when it seems all of Thailand are here. The weekends are more busy than weekdays as Hua Hin is only a few hours from Bangkok so a lot of folks come down just for a few days. The beaches are, according to our five year old, good for digging, looking for crabs, examining stranded jellyfish and other small fish. The water is not very nice unfortunately, not dirty but there’s a bit too much trash lying around. There are several activities for hire on the beach and several food stalls as well as sea side restaurants in all price levels.

What else to see in Hua Hin? The king’s railway Station is beautiful. There are several golf courses for those who enjoy that stuff, with caddies and green fees at various price levels. There is a horse back riding stable of the more serious kind as opposed to the beach rides. Finally, there are some very pretty temples to take in. Remember to wear nicer clothing (longer pants, covered up) when visiting. There are three or four water theme parks and the older kids say that Black Mountain and Vana Nava are the best.

The easiest way to get to Hua Hin is to take a taxi from Bangkok. The Bangkok hotels can usually quote you an ok price. The price one way ranges from 1500 to 3500 bath and it takes around three hours depending on traffic. Naturally the way back to Bangkok will be cheaper as you will without fault find a friendly local driver to take you. because Hua Hin is nothing if not friendly, welcoming and relaxing. Yes, Hua Hin is somewhat lacking in scenery and nature, but makes up for it in convenience, ease of life and overall niceness.