Hua Hin’s beaches are mostly empty, and that is the charm

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HUA HIN, Thailand – As the train comes charging through what was a covered market just minutes ago, I realise I am literally on the wrong side of the tracks.

 

Hundreds of tourists are crowding around the entrance to Maeklong station, and a forest of mobile phones blocks my view, preventing me from getting that Instagram-worthy photo.

 

I have just missed what I imagined would have been the perfect shot of market stallholders pulling back their canvas shelters just in time for the Maeklong-bound train to slide past them, centimetres away from their wares.

 

It is the first tinge of disappointment I have felt since arriving in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin, some 200km south of Bangkok. So far, really, there has been little else to be disappointed about. 

 

Granted, Hua Hin’s beach scene is not the usual stereotype of bronzed beach bods, blue surf and hard partying. At least, not during the low season in May, when most of the tourists wandering around town seem to be families, retirees and groups of Thai friends taking a weekend break from the chaos of Bangkok.

 

“No go-go girls,” remarks our tour guide Pao Thongchai, 49, with a laugh. “Just some drinking and bars.”

 

Indeed, Hua Hin has retained that genteel, relaxed air which must have attracted its first visitors in the early 1900s.

 

Considered by locals to be Thailand’s oldest resort town, it found favour with King Rama VII, who set up a summer palace and helped turn Hua Hin into the country’s premier resort venue.

 

I can see why it is still popular today with foreign and local visitors, despite the competition from newer beach and island resorts in Pattaya and Phuket. 

 

To begin with, it is not too far from Bangkok. A private taxi ride from the capital’s Suvarnabhumi Airport takes about three hours to cover the 230km. It costs about $80, though much cheaper and longer options are available, including train, public bus and coach, some of which require a ride downtown.

 

In those three hours, I can feel the bustle of Bangkok fall away, as the expanse of skyscrapers and industrial buildings of the city is gradually replaced by padi fields and hills in the distance. 

 

After a century of hosting beach lovers, Hua Hin still feels like a small town. There are just a couple of modern malls along the main road; otherwise, it is mostly small restaurants and local shops.

 

At times, you might even forget it is a resort area, with the only reminder coming from shops selling kiddy swimming floats. 

 

The wide variety of food, however, does remind you of who has been coming to town.

 

There is no shortage of choices with the sushi buffets, burger bars, Tex-Mex eateries, Korean barbecues, German bakeries and pizzerias, as well as the Cicada and Tamarind weekend night markets offering local delicacies – including the obligatory fried insects.

 

So do the rows and rows of hotels and condominiums dominating the main road. “Many foreigners and Thais buy a second home here,” says Mr Pao. “When Bangkok is too warm, they come here for a holiday.”

 

It explains the plethora of accommodation choices, from $30-a-night homestays to luxe resorts that will set you back $600 or more.

 

During the peak tourist season of November to February, temperatures can drop to around 25 deg C.

 

My wife and I have probably come at the hottest time of the year – in May – but on the plus side, we get a lot of Hua Hin to ourselves. 

 

It is a first for us – doing a beach holiday in Thailand together, as well as trying out Instarem’s multi-currency travel card, amaze (see other story). We had considered the usual Phuket at first, but the lure of Hua Hin’s relative quiet changed our minds.

 

And we are not disappointed. At this time of the year, Hua Hin’s beaches are sedate, almost deserted. At low tide, you can wade out to the Gulf of Thailand’s ankle-deep waters and not worry about being hit by a passing jet ski or banana boat packed with screaming teens.

 

The waters are clean but, to be honest, not the most exciting. It is the kind of sea you want to laze by rather than splash about in for long.

 

An occasional pony walks past, its owner casually offering a ride. Apart from this, there is little touting here or in town, and we find ourselves enjoying Hua Hin’s offerings in peace. 

 

“What’s there to do here?” a fellow tourist walks up to me on the beach and asks.

 

I shrug, and am tempted to reply: “Not a lot. But that’s the whole point, isn’t it?”

 

Of course, Hua Hin has its fair share of hikeable hills, temples, night markets and water parks. Within town, the Hua Hin train station is an easy 15-minute walk from the popular Market Village shopping centre and is worth a quick visit for a look at its 1920s architecture and a feel of its old-world charm. 

 

At the other end of town, Holiday Inn hotel’s Vana Nava Sky restaurant offers a great view of the town and its surrounds from its 27th-floor vantage point, especially at sunset.

 

The peace feels a little disrupted by the music and kids whirling around on the glass-floored balcony affording a stomach-churning view of the hotel lobby 27 floors below, but the food and cocktails more than make up for the noise.

 

Farther out from Hua Hin, there are some day trips worth considering.

 

One is to Maeklong some 140km away, where you can catch a ride on a longtail boat through a floating market and, of course, watch the train coming through the railway market. There are just four arriving each day, so you will have to time your arrival well. 

 

Instead of joining the crowds around the railway entrance, however, try stationing yourself next to the tracks on which the market itself is practically located. Just be sure to stay clear of the train.

 

Or, if you are tired of traipsing through “local” and “traditional” neighbourhoods, you can spend a lazy sozzled afternoon at – no kidding – a local vineyard.

 

Located some 40km from Hua Hin, Monsoon Valley’s 20-year-old vineyard sits in a valley that has, according to its staff, its own microclimate facilitating the growth of grapes.

 

Here, staff will whisk you around for a quick tour of the place, with its varieties of grape that produce Monsoon Valley’s home-grown brands of whites and reds, most of which are distributed to local restaurants.

 

It is not a huge set-up – the tour by electric cart takes little more than 20 minutes – but the best part, unsurprisingly, is the wine tasting that comes after. 

 

Judging from our fellow visitors who spend far more time on the wooden deck of the on-site bistro than wandering among the vines, it is obvious few of us are here just to learn more about the intricacies of winemaking in a tropical country.

 

We have to stop ourselves from rubbing our hands with glee as the wine glasses are set out before us and the vineyard’s signature drinks are proffered. 

 

The restaurant’s food is pretty good too – an interesting mix of European tapas and local dishes that pair well with the wines.

 

It is a little odd to be sitting here sipping a colombard, chenin blanc and shiraz while overlooking a rather European-looking vineyard in the middle of Thailand, with only a golden stupa in the distance – and the heat – reminding us of where we are.

 

But as we reach for the menu and order yet another glass of sweet muscat, we realise: That is really what Hua Hin is all about – a relaxed alternative to the partying of Phuket that makes for a slow, easy beach getaway. There is not a huge lot to do, but that is the whole point.

 

Getting there

 

• Singapore Airlines, Scoot, AirAsia, Jetstar and many airlines fly to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport ($150 to $300), from which you can go directly to Hua Hin via private taxi ($80 to $120) or local bus ($12). Or head downtown to Bangkok and catch a shared mini-bus ($8 to $20) or local train ($8 to $20).
• You can fly into Hua Hin, but there are no direct flights from Changi Airport, so you will have to transit at Chiang Mai or Don Mueang. It can take far longer and cost significantly more.

 

Stay

 

Hua Hin has a huge range of accommodations, from budget-friendly homestays ($30) to hotels and luxe resorts (from $100). Make sure to check their location. Many of the resorts are located some distance from town, which is great if you are looking for a total getaway. But if you are looking for convenience, especially in food choices, go for a hotel in town. There will be many food and shopping options within walking distance.

 

• Leslie Koh is a former Straits Times journalist.
• His trip was hosted by Instarem. 

 

 

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Reproduced with permission.

 

 

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