How to get there

Hua Hin is about 4 hours away from Bangkok so it is still conveniently to reach by several means of transport. By train is always a nice way to travel in Thailand as you see a lot from the beautiful countryside and smaller towns that you go through. Trains in Thailand can be a bit slow though at times so if you are on a short trip you might be better off going by MiniVan. These can be rented with a driver and are not too expensive. A trip to Hua Hin can be had for around 2000 Baht already altogether.
Of course, there are always the normal buses available that will bring you to Hua Hin for a mere 140 Baht. Now this is cheap. You will not get the comfort of a Mini Van but buses can be good, too and the price makes more than up for it.

Hua Hin is quite different from other holiday destinations in Thailand. That stems from the fact that it is not as crowded as other places and a certain kind of foreign tourists seems to stay away from it as nightlife here is not developed at all. There are no go go bars and also no real nightclubs. So Hua Hin is very family friendly and a great resort town to really relax and enjoy.

Beaches in Hua Hin

Hua Hin has 5 beaches that you can easily reach from the city center. One of the most famous ones is Cha-am beach that you actually pass (when coming from Bangkok) before you reach Hua Hin. The distance from Hua Hin to Cha-Am is around 28 kilometers. Cha-am has a long beach front where there are many restaurants and shops selling all kinds of seafood but also other things. Also, in Cha-am you can do a lot of activities including all kinds of watersports like Jet Skiing or surfing. Cha-am is popular among young local people coming from Bangkok and it is a very nice beach to be at. Accommodation is available at Cha-am directly.

Besides Cha-Am, there is also the Hua Hin Beach. Hua Hin beach is a long beach with its approximately 7 kilometers going from Hua Hin downtown to Khao Takiab. When you come to Hua Hin beach you will find it by far not as developed as for example a beach in Koh Samui, Pattaya or Phuket. It can also feel quite empty at times. You will definitely always find a free spot on Hua Hin beach. It is possible to take a pony ride here on Hua Hin beach to explore the area.

Khao Takiab beach is about 7 kilometers away from Hua Hin (at the end of Hua Hin beach). Khao Takiab is a hill that has as temple on top of it. In and around this temple there are a lot of monkeys living that can be fed. So although Khao Takiab actually means chopstick hill, it is often dubbed monkey hill. From Hua Hin downtown you can easily reach Khao Takiab beach by Song taeow (small pickup buses) for an extremely low 10 Baht. Otherwise you can opt for a motorcycle taxi or a real taxi.

Suan Son beach is in the South of Hua Hin, about 15 kilometers away. It is another beach that is quite nice, empty and not developed for tourists. But that is exactly why you should have a look at it. Suan Son beach is popular among ocal people but it will be hard to find many other Western foreigners there.

Last but not least, Khao Tao comprises a very nice bay and it is about 20 kilometers in the South of Hua Hin. It is especially well suited for a day out with friends or the family to sit at the beach and relax while having some of the delicious food. The best way to get to Khao Tao is to take a bus first, then change to a motorcycle, tuk tuk or song taeow to go down to the beaches of Had Sai Noi and Had Sai Yai.