Hua Hin - 10th to 12th November

Weekend trip to Hua Hin

This blog update is seriously overdue because my new shiny Samsung computer freaked out on me and has only just been fixed.

It was a few weeks ago now, but here's a quick overview of our recent trip to Hua Hin.

Friday - Getting to Hua Hin from Bangkok

Lots of people talk about the scenic train journey from Bangkok down to Hua Hin, but personally I find that the Minibuses that run from Victory Monument are faster, more convenient, and lower cost. Our trip to Hua Hin cost us 180 BHT per person each way. However, the bus does drop you slightly outside of town whereas the train station is a little more central.

Regardless of whether you come via Bus or Train, you have to go and see Hua Hin railway station. It's very very nice, built in traditional teak, and even has a separate waiting room for the royal family when they come for their holidays down in Hua Hin.

Downtown Hua Hin

We didn't have too much time in central Hua Hin, but we liked the main beach. The only odd thing about the beach was the number of horses on it - mind where you step.

There were hundreds of hotels, both chains and independents so you won't have any trouble finding somewhere to stay here.

Getting away from the centre - Sahwan Boutique Hotel

After a day in central Hua Hin we hopped in a taxi and went to a hotel called Sahwan Boutique http://www.sahwanboutique.com/ which was about a 10 minute journey by taxi (costing 250 each way).

The hotel was brand new and very nice. We were the first people to use the pool so the owner sent over complimentary drinks to thank us for trying it out. During our stay there the staff made a huge fuss of us so I hope the place does well.

Saturday: Khao Takiab or Monkey Mountain

Having rested up in our hotel for a bit on the next day we took a taxi to "Monkey mountain". The cost there and back was 500 BHT. I'm not sure how they ended up there but hundreds of monkeys live on Khao Takiab in relative harmony with the locals (although I did see that lots of the local houses had huge grills on every door and window to keep them out).

Whilst you wonder around the moutain you definitely have to keep your wits about you, we saw lots of poor tourist getting mobbed as soon as they pulled out a snack from their bag, or having items stolen from them by cheeky monkeys. Some monkeys even broke into a car whilst we were there as the owner had left out some crisps on display.

In addition to the monkey mayhem the views from the top of Khao Takiab back to Hua Hin centre were definitely worth the climb.