Hua Hin Watersports

Hua Hin Watersports

Jetski and Parasailing
There are a number of activities you can do at the beach in Hua Hin. A small watersports center run by one of the local hotels can be found in Khao Takiab, they offer the regular activities including banana boats, doughnut, jetskis, parasailing and waterskiing. These activities are also popular at Cha-am beach, around 30km north.

Surfing
There is no surf to speak of on the beaches but we occasionally get a meter or so of swell which is ideal for bodyboarding. This should be avoided at the beach in the center of town though due to the rocks. Windsurfers are often seen out to sea when there is a good breeze.

Kitesurfing
In the past couple of years kitesurfing or kiteboarding has become an extremely popular sport in Hua Hin. There are now at least two kitesurfing schools in Hua Hin offering lessons and tuition. Steady thermal winds are present in Hua Hin in March and April, this is the season for kitesurfers, Hua Hin has ideal conditions as the ocean is usually flat and it is shallow a long way out. Chumphon is also a good spot for kitesurfing.

Kayaking and Canoeing
A few of the beach front hotels and guesthouses offer kayaks for rent that you can take out to sea. It is nice to kayak around the headland at Khao Takiab around 7km south of Hua Hin town center. There is a kayak club and tour operator in Chumphon offering trips to the local mangrove forests and lagoons.

Hua Hin Seafood.

The Thais eat fish, prawns or other items foreigners think of as 'seafood' at virtually every meal. Basic condiments like fish sauce, shrimp paste, and pla rah are all made from fermented fish or seafood. Tom yam gung, a delicious sour and hot broth brimming with shrimp, is often considered Thailand's 'national dish'. Another regular is tod man pla, an unusual melange of fried minced fish, curry paste, and sliced long beans. Hearkening back to the days before refrigeration, dried and salted fish are served in a variety of ways and are still a mainstay of the Kingdom's diet. There will also be lots of squid, catfish, 'serpent head' fish, and Nile River Tilapia. All are day to day favourites in homes and ordinary restaurants.

However, when Thais go to a restaurant specializing in seafood, the menu broadens considerably. The items previously mentioned will be present, but will take a backseat to a host of other dishes with their culinary roots in China. Crab, cockles, mussels, oysters, lobsters, will suddenly appear. Cooking methods and sauces will change and there will be items like Crab with Curry Sauce, Lobster Cooked in XO Sauce and Grilled Clams or Cockles. Fish will be steamed and served with a variety of sauces, as well as grilled and fried. Lobster and giant prawns, pricey items for the average Thai, will play a big role and will often arrive at the table after spending time on a grill.

Going out for seafood is a big event for Thais and they always seem to have a good time. Joining them will be a highlight of any holiday, particularly when the restaurant is in the area around Hua Hin. Many of the restaurants are found in Hua Hin town on Naresdamri Road, just south of the pier. Ao Takiap beach, 5km to the south has several famous places, and there are some excellent restaurants to the north as you approach Cha-am. The least expensive, and most popular with Thais, are scattered along Phetkasem Road.

Hua Hin elephant camps.

Elephants were used for centuries in Thailand as the primary mode of transport in The Kingdom. They are reliable and able to travel great distances over all kinds of terrain.

Although motorised transport has obviously now taken over, elephants are still widely used today in logging and for journeys in mountainous, jungle environments.

These days, you can also enjoy this ancient method of transport. There is an elephant camp situated some 3 km west of the town centre on the road leading to Pala U. Upon arrival, you will be introduced to and familiarised with the animals and given the chance to feed them some bananas. At the time of writing, there are 19 elephants in the camp, 2 male, 16 female and one baby.

Afterwards, you can go for a ride on the backs of these huge beasts. Your carriage will be a wooden bench, that is perfectly safe and the elephant is guided by a mahoot who sits on the neck. The price for an hour's trek around the surrounding countryside is 800 Baht and includes an example of logging, seeing the elephants take their morning bathe and lunch at the camp.

Hua Hin Attractions.

Hua Hin beach and Beaches Local to Hua Hin

There are 5 local beaches accessible from Hua Hin town center so you have plenty of choice where to catch those rays and take a swim in the Gulf of Thailand.

Cha-am beach is around 28 kilometers north of Hua Hin. The beach road is lined on one side with local vendors selling everything from seashells to grilled squid and on the other a row of trees, the beach and ocean. It is very quiet and relaxing during the week and gets busy at weekends with locals from the city enjoying themselves on the beach. You can have a blast on a jet ski, take a ride on the banana boat or simply relax in the shade of a tree by the ocean. Cha-am has retained its traditional ambience and popularity with locals and visitors.

Descriptions of beaches a little further afield can be read here : Hua Hin Beach

Hua Hin beach stretches some 7 kilometers from the town center to Khao Takiab. It remains little developed compared to other Thai resorts and considering its size you can always find a quiet little spot. Its name (Hua Hin – head stone) is derived from the rock formations that can be seen on the beach in front of the Sofitel Central Hotel. For those who are a little more adventurous, pony rides can be taken and for those simply relaxing there are plenty of deck chairs, sun loungers and beach umbrellas available for a small hourly charge.

Suan Son is further south of town, approximately 15 kilometers. It is named after the numerous pine trees that fringe the beach. This is a popular spot for locals and you’ll be hard pushed to see other westerners. The beach is wide and uncluttered and the ocean clear and inviting.

Khao Tao has a beautiful, secluded little bay around 20 kilometers south of Hua Hin. Its deserted beach and delightful seaside restaurants make it a great venue for a day out of town where you can relax with good local food and a swim in the ocean. You can take the local bus to the signposted turn off Petchkasem Road, then get a motorcycle taxi or charter a tuk-tuk to take you all the way to the local beaches of Had Sai Yai and Had Sai Noi.

Anantara Resort and Spa, Hua Hin

Some 90 years ago Prince Chakrabongse led a party of international aristocrats down the peninsula to hunt game. Shortly thereafter the King built a palace on the beach he fittingly named Klai Kangwon meaning "far from worries". Now, in the same relaxed style Anantara Resort & Spa emerges as a palace in its own right. Timeless and without worry.

Nestled by the beach on the sunrise side of the Gulf of Siam, the spirit of Anantara offers a unique blend of traditional Thai architectural heritage, exotic interiors and natural tropical gardens that has made this Resort & Spa one of the most romantic hideaways in Southeast Asia.

The deluxe rooms and suites reflect a mood of timeless relaxation in a rustic village setting. The Lagoon rooms offer an incomparable style of simplicity and elegance. Bathrooms open into bedrooms that open on to expansive private terraces overlooking lotus-covered lagoons.

There's a unique style of service that is warm and friendly, unobtrusive, yet very attentive. Enjoy the superb culinary skills of our master chefs and the multitude of exotic blends and tastes.

Unwind in lush tropical gardens on a sun bed, enjoy a sumptuous dining experience in the privacy of your own terrace, take a dip in a free-form pool or spend time out at the Spa and discover the elixir of eternal youth. For the more energetic there are six championship golf courses nearby and a multitude of water sports to enjoy.

Whatever your whim, Anantara Resort & Spa is truly a uniquely Thai experience for those seeking luxury and seclusion.

Hua Hin - Thailand

Hua Hin hotels Thailand

"Hua Hin" Located on the sunrise side of the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin lies some 200 kilometres or a three-hour drive southwest of Bangkok. Adding distinction to Hua Hin’s coastal setting, is its status as Thailand’s most traditional beach resort. It was here, in the 1920s, that King Rama VII built a summer palace, thus creating a vogue among high society for Hua Hin to become the favourite retreat from Bangkok’s summer heat. Today, the present Royal Family continues to reside at Hua Hin for part of the year.

Hua Hin's consequence came with the opening of the Railway Hotel (known today as the Sofitel Central Hotel), an elegant Victorian-style resort hotel, and also the countrys first standard golf course. A cluster of royal and high-society residences gradually became more visible resulting in the transformation of the whole village into the first seaside resort of the country, where visitors could enjoy swimming, fishing, and golfing in the country's first standard golf course.

Today, Hua Hin is a well-established beach destination with word-class facilities coupled with a true sense of Thai hospitality. Despite its expansive growth and development as a luxurious destination, the splendor of Hua Hin remains intact. Remaining content in itself, Thailand's oldest seaside resort has never sought international recognition. It has continued to provide a peaceful and relaxed sanctuary in a picturesque environment that comes with a true sense of historical identity.