Hua Hin is a low key, pleasant resort about 200 kms from Bangkok. We have visited twice, first in December 2002, then 22 years later in December 2024. We did notice quite a change second time, but it's by no means a party town. There are somel very nice hotels, not much in the way of girlie bars (though there did seem to be quite a lot more in 2024 which was sad to see), several good restaurants, a nice beach (without the wow factor of some of the islands) and a night market. We found it an incredibly relaxing place for a holiday and it's probably more suited for couples and families. Hua Hin is a resort where the Thais holiday and the King of Thailand spends a lot of time there, so it has less of a touristy feel than many places. Hua Hin is also very popular with golfers as it has six championship golf courses within twenty minutes drive of Hua Hin town.
It takes just over 3 hours to drive from Bangkok to Hua Hin. There are a few options - either arrange a private car for around 2000-2200B per car, pick up a taxi or Bolt, take a public bus (VIP bus takes around 4 hours and costs 291 Baht as at 2024) or take the train which takes just over 4 hours.
In December 2024 we stayed at G Hua Hin Resort. It's a bigger hotel than we tend to go for, but was very nice. The rooms were quite luxurious, with a large balcony with a double sunbed overlooking the massive swimming pool. The pool was great for swimming in and was great for doing lengths, but it could be difficult getting a sunbed. There are signs saying that people shouldn't reserve sunbeds but people were still putting towels down and going away, and nothing seemed to be done about it. The location of the hotel is very good, just 5 mins walk from Market Village shopping mall, about 15 mins from Bluport Mall and 10 mins from the bus station if you're getting the bus to/from Bangkok. It's a short walk and across the busy road to get to the beach. We'd recommend getting a Bolt or taxi if you're going to the Night Market as it's about 30 mins walk and there's not a lot to see along the way. For breakfast there was a reasonable selection of western and thai food, but we were disappointed with the lack of fresh fruit available, and overall we weren't too impressed and wouldn't have paid for it if it hadn't been included in our room rate - there are probably better options at one of the malls. Staff were friendly and helpful. Click here to visit G Hua Hin Resort's website and here to make a reservation, view lots of photos and read reviews.
We stayed in Khao Takiab on the outskirts of Hua Hin in December 2002. Our accommodation was Kaban Tamor, a lovely small resort. Because it was peak season and very busy, we actually stayed in S`mor Spa Village, its sister hotel in the same grounds for the first few nights then moved to the rooms at Kaban Tamor for the rest of our stay. Both were gorgeous.
S'mor Spa Village no longer exists, but Kaban Tamor is still there. The hotel is right on the beach, although we were a bit disappointed with the beach and spent more time by the pool which is unusual for us. It may have been the time of year, but we spotted several jellyfish and I saw a fisherman jump out of the sea in agony after having been stung - swimming in the sea just didn't appeal after that! The garden and restaurant area offer wonderful views of the Khao Takiab Golden Buddha.
We were slightly concerned on arrival about the location, but it did not prove to be a problem. The area round the hotel was very pleasant during the day and you could easily get a tuk-tuk outside the hotel which took less than 10 minutes to get to the centre of Hua Hin. There are also shared songthaews going back and forth between Khao Takiab and Hua Hin centre, but you have to time it right. The hotel also provide free transport a couple of times a day. There's not much in the town of Khao Takiab, except for the Gold Buddha at the end of the beach. You can climb the steps up to the temple.
The restaurant was good - we had lunch there several times but only ate there a couple of times at night as we preferred to go into Hua Hin centre. It was quite romantic at night, as you can sit at candlelit tables very close to the sea. The food was authentic and spicy, the staff were friendly. Breakfast was fine, but nothing special, as is the norm in most Thai hotels. The pool is quite small but very refreshing to swim in and was rarely too busy when we were there - it could be hard to get a sun lounger round the pool though.
Click here for great deals on Hua Hin hotels, with photos and travellers' reviews
Restaurants and Bars in Hua Hin
Our favourite restaurant in Hua Hin in 2002 was The Pasta Factory, which used to be opposite the Sofitel Hotel. The food was delicious, the service immaculate. Run by a Swiss man Hannes and his Thai wife Nut, don't let the name of this restaurant put you off. It was a quality restaurant, with European and Thai dishes. The Nasi Goreng was absolutely delicious - the best we've ever had - their Italian food was lovely and the lasagne was excellent. On New Years Eve they had a special 4 course dinner with a different glass of wine with every course for 695B - excellent value. We had bruschetta to start, then asparagus, then fillet of beef with a red wine sauce, cauliflower, mangetout and potatoes, then for dessert crepe suzette with fresh strawberries and strawberry ice cream. Very tasty, good quality food and very well trained staff. This was the first restaurant where we were offered to smell the cork of our wine! Unfortunately The Pasta Factory no longer exists although we understand that Nut now runs Hin Lek Fai Restaurant 8km from the city center doing a mix of Thai and Italian food, including pizzas. Click here and here for more information.
Orchids (110/1 Naresdamri Road) - Delicious Thai food in pleasant surroundings. We first visited in 2002 and had to return in 2024 when the food was even better. We remembered how good the chicken sate starter was. so had to have it again - it didn't disappoint with lovely chicken, tasty peanut sauce and a nice cucumber sauce to go with it. For main courses we had a Penang Chicken Curry (maybe the very best we've had) and a delicious Chicken with Tamarind (see left). Excellent!
We read a lot of good things about Ken's Kitchen so decided to give it a try. It was very nice and the food was beautifully presented and staff, including Ken himself, were very friendly. It's a small place and very popular, so probably best to book if you can. We enjoyed our chicken curries although we felt that they were a bit bland compared to what we're used to.
Almost all reviews on Trip Advisor are 5* with many people saying it was the best Thai meal they'd ever had, so most tourists obviously find it absolutely perfect.
Had a nice meal in 2002 at Lo Stivale Italian Restaurant (132 Naresdamri Road). Shared bruschetta first (large portions - we shared one and got 5 pieces). The Tortellini with meat and tomato sauce was delicious, the tagliatelle with mushrooms, ham, bacon & tomato also nice. We only ate Thai food in 2024 so didn't return here.
Mai Tai Bar was nice for a drink - very popular with a nice atmosphere, bright coloured seats with cushions - but we didn't think much of their food and only ate there once.
Ganesha Bar, just up from the Pasta Factory, was great for cocktails and had really friendly staff. Their Blue Hawaiians and Margaritas were delicious!
We weren't impressed with Buffalo Bill's Grill. It was always busy and we decided to try it for a change. The salad was lovely, crisp and fresh but the steak and chicken weren't very good. We should stick to Thai food - it seldom disappoints!
There are 2 good shopping malls in Hua Hin, Market Village and BluPort. Market Village is bigger but we preferred the more laid back vibe of BluPort, and preferred their range of shops.
The Fishing Pier area has lots of popular seafood restaurants but seafood isn't our thing so we can't report on any of them.