Hua Hin holiday

I never say no when the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) invites me to discover a new place in one of my favorite countries, Thailand. Having covered most of the places located north and south of Bangkok (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri, Krabi, Phuket, Koh Samui), I was pretty excited to check out Hua Hin. I heard of Hua Hin before. I heard about its excellent spa resorts. I was also told that the Royal Palace in Hua Hin is where King Bhumibol of Thailand is currently staying.

After flying comfortably on Thai Airways’ “smooth as silk” Royal Silk class, we spent one night in Bangkok (mostly spending it shopping at the Suan Lum night market) and proceeded to Hua Hin early the next morning. We were billeted at the Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa (www.sheraton.com/huahin) where each of our rooms had a balcony with direct access to the pool, which went around the resort. We had also enjoyed our treatment at the resort’s spacious and extremely relaxing spa. The location was near the night market were local handicrafts and food were the main things to buy. Being near the sea, the seafood we ate at the resort was always fresh. Another resort we visited, which was walking distance from the Sheraton, was YaiYa (www.yaiya.com). This resort is composed mostly of suite rooms, each with its own private pool. It has a little quaint restaurant called Thaipas that serves Thai tapas.

Hua Hin also has two palaces to visit — the nearby Phranakhonkhiri Palace and the Mrigadayavan Palace. The Phranakhonkhiri Palace is also known as Khao Wang. It is a mix of neo-classical Thai and Chinese style located on a hill in Petchburi and has become a symbol of Petchburi. King Rama IV built it and is now a museum where European-influenced design and furniture can still be viewed. The Mrigadayavan Palace in Cha-Am is King Rama VI’s summer palace by the sea. The all-teak palace was built by an Italian architect in 1923 and has the private beach of the King.

Thailand’s favorite animal, the elephant, is also present in Hua Hin as there is an elephant camp there as well. A vineyard is also not far from town as Thailand has started producing wine, too. Golf is popular there since the oldest golf course in Thailand is located in this (now) quiet province. The beautiful Hua Hin train station is also a sight to see.

Heading back to Bangkok, we passed by the premium outlet in Cha-Am, which had outlet stores for several Thai brands plus Esprit, Reebok, Nike, Adidas and other brands.

Indeed we had a fun holiday in Hua Hin. Outside the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, we found peace and quiet in Hua Hin.

(Thai Airways flies to Bangkok 11 times weekly. Call 812-4744 or e-mail the sales department at [email protected])