For the trip to Hua Hin to be fulfilled and comfortable, all the travelers should know clearly how to travel from Hua Hin to Bangkok (or from Bangkok to Hua Hin) to save some traveling costs or time. Here are some tips you can all refer to.
The distance between Bangkok and Hua Hin is about 90 miles. To move from Hua Hin to Bangkok and backward, you get numerous choices of means such as by bus, by taxi, by train or by plane. But you must be wondering which is the best and the most suitable choice for your trip?
Credited: kiwitaxi
1. By bus/minibus
Buses are the least expensive means that can help you save money a lot as well as get to the destination a little more quickly. Everyday, there are several bus tours between every hour or 30 minutes at least.
Buses is mainly divided into 2 kinds: air-conditioned ones and non air-conditioned ones. Traveling by bus often takes 3-4 hours or a little more moving from Hua Hin to Bangkok or backwards. Some popular bus companies includes Tara Tour Travel, Bell Travel… The price is really cheap with only 5-10$ per person so if you still don’t know how to travel from Hua Hin to Bangkok, bus is right on the top of your list.
2. By train
Not only a historical place, Hua Hin station is also where trains arrive and depart every day. There are some trains leaving for Hua Lamphong and Bang Sue station in Bangkok on a regular basis. But it takes quite much time (about 4 hours if using express train) to reach the destination.
The fare for ordinary trains is divided into 3 different classes ranging from first-class ticket costing 202 baht to third-class ticket costing to only 44 baht. If you want air-conditioned seats, it will take a little bit more, up to 1522 baht (only if you go alone and pay for the whole room). However, you should consider your financial ability to make sure your trip is still in budget.
As to third-class tickets, you don’t have to book in advance and you can buy them right at the station. Travelers should also keep in mind that you need to check prices, schedules thoroughly before departing.
One more thing special bout taking trains is that you can see various exquisite, vivid landscapes like mountains, rivers, rice fields, temples…along the way. That can make your trip somehow more exciting and memorable.
3. By van/minivan
Instead of bus, van or minivan will be ideal choice if you want a fast and economical means of transportation. The costs is not much as you think, only approximately from 140-200 baht.
Vans usually depart from several bus stations so you can easily find them there. It takes about 3 hours using this means and reaching the final destination. There are also many van companies for you to choose such as Nor Neane, Malee, Glassflower… and all vans are equipped with wifi, air-conditioners, comfy seats… For those getting confused of how to travel from Hua Hin to Bangkok on a budget, use this means right away!
4. By plane
Although both cities have airports, there’re not many commercial flights between two places. It’s recommended to take charter flight instead but remember that it will cost much money than you think (up to 2200 baht for an hour flight). But if your trip is really short and you can afford to use this transportation, you can make it a choice.
5. By taxi
Taxi is also a fast option if you want to move between two cities. You can find taxi services anywhere in Bangkok and Hua Hin. It takes about 3 hours moving and the price is quite higher than some means above. One thing you should remember is that you and taxi driver have to agree on prices before departing.
6. By car
If you have driving license, it will be a tough but interesting challenge to move from Hua Hin to Bangkok by car. About how to travel from Hua Hin to Bangkok or backward, there’re two trails you can take:
The first one starts from Thonburi-Paktho road, passing Samut Songkhram, taking Petchkasaem highway and then heading to Prachuab Khirikhan.
For the second one, you move to Phuttamonthon route and go straight to Prachuab Khrikhan, passing through Nakhon Pathom, Petchaburi and Ratchaburi. This track is rather longer and takes more than 4 hours to reach the final destination.
To move from Hua Hin to Bangkok, you just take these routes and go backward.
7. By ferry
From Bangkok, you can travel to Pattaya and try to get to Hua Hin from there by ferry. The trip takes about 2 hours but it’s really fun if you want to see some other interesting edges of Thailand along the way.
Now, you all may know how to travel from Hua Hin to Bangkok, right? If you’re planning your trip to Hua Hin, don’t forget to use this information when calculating the total costs and pick the right, suitable means for your itinerary! Good luck and have a nice trip!
Are you looking to visiting Hua Hin in your 4-day trip? It’s quite difficult to discover it all but Hua Hin is a really great destination for any traveler. Here below are best Hua Hin itinerary recommended for your information.
Hua Hin is a famous tourism spot in Thailand. It’s not so large but owns a lot of landscapes, historical places, sea activities, food, traditions… that it must take very much time to see it all. Therefore, if you concentrate on this itinerary below, your trip will be fulfilled somehow.
Hua Hin is a beach town lying to the south of Thailand with tons of things that definitely surprise you at once. Not only sandy beaches, Hua Hin also has a plenty of shopping sites, caves, palaces, pagodas and temples, parks… Watersports, food tours, massages are additionally experiences you shouldn’t forget to try when in Hua Hin.
Moreover, from Hua Hin, you can easily approach a great numbers of tourism spots by taxi/bus/motorbike. If you only move from places to places within town, taxi and tuk tuk will be perfect choices.
Day 1
There’s many means to move from Bangkok to Hua Hin (if you travel to Bangkok by plane). 3 main ways includes: bus/minibus, train and taxi. To catch a bus or train, you should go to Victory Monument Sky train station. And taxi can be found everywhere in Bangkok.
Tourism in Hua Hin has recently received a lot of of investments and popularity so there’s quite a lot of hotels, motels, resorts here. To choose the best accommodation, you can look it up on the Internet and find what’s more suitable for you.
On the first day of this best Hua Hin itinerary, you should spend time visiting the northern region of Hua Hin. Several attractions can be found here, such as Swiss sheep farm, Maruekataywan palace, FN factory outlet, Cha Arm beach and surroundings. If you’re a shopaholic, Plearnwan village, The Venezia will be the place where you can buy something along with enjoying their amusing atmosphere.
Around this site, it’s not hard to seek a restaurant or drop by a small night market for tasting local food.
Day 2
If waking up early, you can watch sunrises at Hua Hin beach. This is also one of the most exquisite beaches in Hua Hin. After breakfast, you should move to Khao Sam Roi Yot national park to see how nature grants this place with such beautiful landscapes, distinctive creatures and a whole lot of mysteries to discover.
Famous Phraya Nakhon cave is also here in this park. This cave is the place that has been the inspiration for many generations of Thai King. The only thing that annoys much is some mindless travelers left their signatures on the wall. The cave is not dark as you think, it lets light pass through a semi-open roof on the top. To reach here, it must take many hours hiking over hills. Or else, you can take a boat with 400 baht for a round-trip ticket. And it will take you less time than hiking.
When you get back from there, you must drop by Hua Hin railway station and take a little walk around the town. For the dinner, you should go to Hua Hin night market or some smaller night market such as Cicada, Chatsila, Chat Chai, Grand night markets to enjoy best dishes of Hua Hin.
Day 3
On this third day of this best Hua Hin itinerary, you should travel to the northern region of Hua Hin where Phetchaburi province is located to visit Khao Luang cave which owns hundreds of amazing Buddha statues. In the cave, you can find a lot of impressive stalactites from all sides.
After leaving the cave, take a short ride and go visiting a historical park named Phra Nakon Khiri. King Rama IV constructed his palace on the top of this hill. Nowadays, it has become a famous museum which displays numerous old remembrances and the Thai royalties’ ways of living still lingers here.
For dinner, you can go to night market or try some restaurants in resorts, hotels in town for a change of air. You can’t help but definitely falling into its food quality’s temptation.
Day 4
Before getting back to Bangkok, remember to visit Plearnwan village or The Venezea to buy some stuffs to present your family, your friends, colleagues…
If you have enough time, you can try to explore the west of Hua Hin. There’s ton of things you must see such as Mongkol temple, Baan Sillapin, Black Mountain water park, Hua Hin Hills vineyards Khao Hin Lek Fei viewpoint, Pala-u waterfall…
To reach Hua Hin, you can depart from Bangkok – The capital city of Thailand with several means to choose at your demand.
Hua Hin is a tranquil city to the south of Thailand. It’s really renowned for beaches, delicious food, interesting tourism destinations and many distinctively exquisite sights. That’s reasons why tourists, both domestic and foreign, always choose this city for their holidays.
There are 3 main ways to get to Hua Hin: by taxi, by bus or by train.
1. By bus or minibus
Bus and minibus are the most preferred ones of top tips to travel from Bangkok to Hua Hin on a budget. If you choose bus to move from Bangkok to Hua Hin, it takes about 3 hours with the ticket price of 8$.
To reach Hua Hin by minibus, these figures are respectively 3,5 hours and 6,3$. For those who want to cut down traveling costs, bus and minibus are great choices because you can get to Hua Hin quickly, especially for people who only have little time to spend in Thailand.
Usually, minibus to Hua Hin will depart from Monument Victory station and you need to take one another 30-minute minibus from the airport to this minibus station. The final destination of this minibus is Sasong Rd..
One more thing you should remember is that minibus space is rather small and narrow. Therefore, if your luggages are too much or too big, no minibus can accommodate them. This minibus doesn’t run after 7 o’clock in the evening.
If you move to Hua Hin by bus, you should take the Roong Rueang departing from Suvarnabhumi airport and arriving at Hua Hin Soi96 station. You can easily buy tickets right at the airport.
You must know that the bus frequently starts departing in the early morning and the waiting time is quite long (about 30 minutes -1 hour). At night, it doesn’t run anymore so you should jot down this.
Hua Lamphong train station
2. By train
Moving to Hua Hin by train is considered to be one of the most interesting experiences when you’re in Thailand. From the train windows, you can see a lot of picturesque sceneries. Among these top tips to travel from Bangkok to Hua Hin on a budget, train is a must-try means for the best of your journey.
You should go to Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok to catch the train heading to Hua Hin. The total time (both waiting time and trip duration) is estimated at about 5 hours. The ticket price is based on your needs (the first class 5,8$; the second-class 3$ and the third-class 1,3$).
You can buy in advance or go to ticket office to buy them. You also keep in mind that there’s no train departing at night so if you’re coming to Bangkok in the nighttime, you should take taxi or find some shelters until the morning light.
3. By taxi or transfer
If you travel to Hua Hin from Bangkok, it will take a 2.5-hour driving for approximately 199km distance. The cost for moving by transfer or taxi is about 70$ at least. If you’re travelling with your family, accompanied by abundant luggage, children or old people, you should take private transfer for the best. If you travel alone or travel in group, you can find another options to make yourself feel at ease.
When you’re planning for your trip to Hua Hin, remember to book in advance a transfer from Bangkok to Hua Hin. If not, you can catch a taxi instead, but it may cost a little bit more.
There are 4 kinds of people who will love Chiang Mai: natural-oriented minds, budget travelers, culture explorers and adventure challengers. The quick Chiang Mai travel guide below will explain in details.
Get in
The cheapest mean of transportation to Chiang Mai is ordinary train, there’s one at Bang Sue station, only 270 baht. Overnight train but very basic equipment so you’re expected to deal with noise, dust and back ache because they are all wooden seat. It’s cheap but very fatigue.
I’ve taken bus, which I thought it was quite more expensive than train at first (488 baht for a class I seat) but then I found that Bus was really worthy because you’re having comfortable seat, a small convenient meal, air-con whole trip with blanket and window offering landscape view.
The Chiang Mai is close to the city center, the budget airlines as Nok Air usually offer prices at 900 baht, plus 20-50 baht for a songthaew ride, it seem not bad choice for limited-time travelers while still considering budget transportation.
Get around
The old city (center area, square shape if you see its top-down map) is just 2 kilometer square, so it’s relaxing to explore it on foot.
Bicycle is the cheapest mean (if you don’t mind walking), just 50 baht/ day, most of hostels offer these. I rented one, no locker, support light equipped (but you should turn off when day riding because it drains more your stamina).
Motorbike is quite popular, but I read an information mentioning that in festival occasions, you sometimes probably get caught by police and fined for 500 baht if you don’t have helmet or IDP. I didn’t have much to waste 500 baht by chance, so no rental was done.
Songthaew is popular public transport, and I prefer it if time is not your enemy: 20 baht from bus station to old city gate park. If you rent whole ride, it’s 100 baht as songthaew run in taxi mode.
Bus is another good choice, but most of them look outdated. You should avoid them in the evening because of the heavy traffic jam, which you suffer exhausted fume, slow going and so much noise. The price is fix, depending on your travel distance. Ask the conductor to be clear, especially open bus.
Stay
Budget travelers will love the town because there are many budget-friendly dorms/ hostels in town. The lowest price I found was 3 usd/ night (requires at least 2 nights up), usually 5-7 usd/ night is good choice. I experienced 2 dorms – and they are really good compared to the price offer.
My first night I spent in Cham-cha hostel, dorm room with 6 beds for 5.5 usd/ bed. Check-in was quite slow. You will receive a key to open door to dorm area, so it senses secure.
The unregistered guests are even fined 300 baht if they get caught. It is generally clean and neat. Bathroom is awesome. Guest space was relaxing and cosy with bed right at front, you can lazily read book on shelf.
The second dorm I stayed in was Chiang Backpack house, for only 4 usd/ night. I extremely love their coffee space at front, very cosy and open. I ordered a cappuccino and very enjoy while working on writing there. However, the facility was not good, there was a leaking faucet in the bathroom.
My dorm room was not clean at all. The junior staffs were not speaking English, only senior ones (I counted for three). No book area to read but full of tourism brochures. Laundry costs 40 baht/ kg / 24h service and double for fast service. Bicycle rental costs 50 baht/ day as neighborhood standard.
Eat
Don’t forget cho check Food when you read a Chiang Mai travel guide, because food really cheap and truly local.
First, the option for tightest budget travelers (like me in the very last day in Chiang Mai) is instant noodle in 7-eleven shops. You should buy a canned noodle (just 10 baht) plus additional one (6 baht), pour hot water right inside and pay at cashier.
Along some roads in the center of old city, there are stalls selling food for labors, just 15-20 baht/ pax, and it’s as delicious as you have in restaurant with a lot of traditional Thai foods.
There’s no spoon/ fork available can be fixed with cans from instant noodle which you’ve already bought before.
The restaurants often price from 40-60 baht/ dish, mini buffet for 100 baht. Drinks are the same price, which you can easily access in the old city bars or vendors. There’s one more thing: sweet soup is just 7-20 baht and they really delicious.
Chiang Mai center market is also a ideal place if there’s a kitchen in your dorm. All ingredients are fresh, clean and colorful.
Things to do
Chiang Mai is the city of “Wat” (pagoda in Thai), so you are free to access and photograph as much as you can to most of pagoda in the City.
If you don’t have much time, rent a bicycle and cycling around old city, spend 10-20 minutes for each so it takes merely a morning to experience “Wat tour”.
Many Chiang Mai travel guides suggest traveler attending the famous Yi Peng – Loy Krathong festival, where you have chance to release big flying laterns into air with thousands of local people, watching the sky glowing beautifully in very sacred ambiance.
The first time visiting Chiang Mai, I missed it after all. So to avoid any nonsense reasons preventing you from taking part in full course of festival, do some research before backpacking to Chiang Mai.
If you love adventurous sense then Doi Inthanon – the highest spot of Thailand– is a great choice. There are many gorgeous waterfalls, adventurous trails and a peak to challenge. The temperature is quite hot but when you get higher, be aware that it’s getting cold quickly, especially in raining case, so taking along some warm clothes is better.
Doi Suthep is another choice, but it doesn’t brand the highest spot and just another pagoda complex which is very popular in Chiang Mai. That’s why Inthanon was chosen.
Many Chiang Mai travel guide lure travelers as Thailand is Elephant country so people make it become a must-do experience while plentiful activists warn us not to put the elephant shows in our checklist due to the animal protection. Indeed, I prefer see wild elephants South Africa safari then.
And don’t forget to visit various night markets in Chiang Mai, you will be full of surprise for what you see.
Yi Peng festival is a famous attraction in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Though pictures of air floating lantern lure travelers, it is really an occasion for all people to wish for merit. It was sad that I couldn’t attend it to the end due to limited schedule.
All the experience below will cover my 3-day trip, including a day before and the first day of the festival. My second night experience was actually a view of flying lanterns from a bus window. To be honest, it’s still worthy than just looking through images with imagination, though just a few lanterns in the air.
Day before
As a highland city, there are many adventurous choices around Chiang Mai, so the first hours in Chiang Mai. I indeed spent on trip to Doi Inthanon. It’s really a must-have experience and worthy a place in your bucket list in Thailand – check-in the highest spot in pagoda country.
First evening, the old walls are well lit by hundreds of tiny candles, put neatly on bricks, creating unique spaces for the city. Both foreigners and locals enjoy walking along these ancient walls accompanied by cool breezes bringing moisture from artificial fountains in channels which cover around old city.
I spent my second morning walking around the town to watch monks decorating pagodas, transforming these ancient religious structures into very colorful look with flowers, hanging laterns, sacred flags and pictures. I read that some guy even suggest attending memorable rituals or a friendly monk chat, which definitely will be in my bucket list for next trip to Chiang Mai.
It’s interesting that you possibly meet a rainbow if standing in right angles. Imagine there’s no raindrops but still a colorful event happening. How great it is!
Doves are fed widely in the city, but most of bird grounds locate near ancient wall gates. You can buy some dried corn snack and feed them to take photos. Many people take their children there to play with doves while I completely enjoy photographing the kids.
First day of Festival
I asked my hostess where the best locations to enjoy the festival were. She used a pen and rounded Thapae Gate as the starting point and following Thapae road to the riverside, turned left to China town and headed to Nakom Ping Bridge as the final destination, that would be a parade.
So in the evening, I came back Thapae Gate, surely I would get what I expected in Chiang Mai trip: a landscape of thousands of lanterns in the air as many many websites covered with such a incredibly beauty.
When I reached the square, the local organizer started setting up candles on ground, the King altar had been done completely while the stage was playing some songs, which I guessed, to remember the King.
After the open ceremony had done, people spread to take photograph. I didn’t see any air lanterns preparation, which made me suspicious a bit. I quickly joined the crowd and hopefully thought it hadn’t come yet.
While I was trying to have someone photograph me, coincidentally I met the Chinese girl in Hua Hin (who had greatly contributed to my go-with-the-flow Chiang Mai decision). We shot for each other some photos.
Admittedly, I did do some research on Yi Peng festival 2016. There were many sites mentioning Yi Peng but lacking of the essential information like the official schedule, even on Thailand Authority of Tourism website. So it was considered I was a blind traveler for anything happening that night.
There was no sign of mass lantern release still, which made me afraid of something wrong. That was my last night in Chiang Mai, I had to take advantage of any chances. I remember that the parade would head to the riverside, so I quickly walked there, hopefully any good news came up.
The road was crowded, but it wasn’t like a really parade happening but a big traffic jam instead. I search for “Yi Peng schedule 2016” and finally got my answer. As you can see it below, which I knew immediately that I would enjoy the beautiful flying lanterns from window bus view.
Yi Peng festival 2016 schedule draft
My steps stopped at China town. There were REAL people dropping the floating lanterns onto the rivers, not in mass but, yes, it happened. My stomach started crying and my eyes searched for some dish to feed myself. There was a crowded food vendor. Getting closer and I found that thay offered a noodle dish only 15 baht, quite cheap for dinner, and it was wrapped conveniently.
I looked up the schedule of Yi Peng festival 2016 again for any useful information then a destination showed up – Three Kings monument. I typed the name into google map and followed the arranged route. That was shorter way but quiet, sometimes only me alone in dark corners.There were few people strolling around until I got the the old walls.
Passing through massage road, finally I reached the square. Many people gathered there with dozen of lanterns both hanging and lying on the ground, which seemed I was at right place after all.
I really enjoyed the surroundings, feeling lost in light yellow hanging lanterns. There was two areas: one by organizers and one for tourists to light up their own candles. You could buy your own candles and light them up, choose to put them into lantern rows or simply shaping them in your own imagination.
The monument was exhibited as King altar and many people came to worship. That was one of the most peaceful moments in Yi Peng festival 2016.
I passed to the night market nearby and got interested in dozen of colorful hand-made lanterns shaping something like a A-roof. But it’s not well lit, half of lanterns had gone dark so it was very difficult to capture photos because of the low light condition.
MANY many many products were shown in the market. From t-shirt, paintings, scented incenses, handicrafts to fresh fruits and juice They were so impressive that I bought some things, even though my budget was very tight at that time.
When I was back home, my feet hurt so I had to sit down for a while to recovery. At that time, there’s young Thai bring along a guitar with something like a pot with many cents inside.
He said he played as a street artist with the guitar and revealed his triump with dozen of coins inside. That was really creative and interesting. I noticed him had done some practices on the day before but I doubted he just did for fun until he earned true money that night.
Last hours in Chiang Mai: a new look for “local Chiang Mai”
The next day, in contrast to my thinking, there was no such a big event happening. So I’d waited for the Bangkok bus since the afternoon. I knew I wouldn’t have a chance for close-up experience releasing air lantern and many days in Thai would make me fed up with “Wat visit”. Another reason was to make sure there was no sorry because of traffic jam reason.
But after dozen of bargain for a cheap fair to the station, I eventually chose to walk to enjoy neighborhood daily life. You should walk in shady side of road or it would very hot under direct sunlight.
The area near bus station actually new city of Chiang Mai which many government buildings and school/ academic institutes situate. Walking through these roads and I sensed a modern Chiang Mai but very local Chiang Mai.
You would face difficulty because road names are mostly in Thai and people mostly speak Thai instead English. All they can show you is product price. But it was more peaceful than the old city. A walk tour is good in some term.
P/s: When my bus started rolling its wheels at 20:00, the air lanterns started their journey into the sky. It’s surprising that there were much fewer lanterns in Yi Peng festival 2016 than it is in in 2015. Maybe because of King’s death limiting the range of festival. It’s so sad!
My travel year 2016 look back all my travel memories, where I traveled, friends I met and experience i did. A useful post to glance at a travel blogger life
January – Tay Ninh, Vietnam
I started the new year with a trekking to Black Virgin summit via challenging Ma Thien Lanh route. Imagine you have to try with all your body and strong mind to get to the top. That’s what I love in mountain hiking. The moment when you see the peak after dozens of time you told yourself “I can’t do it” is really melting.
The night was not comfortable, the ground was rough, cold and hard to sleep well though the whole day was really stamina-draining. But it was worthy for a breathtaking sunrise. That was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.
Another small trip was to Bamboo stream in the dry season with my close friend. The landscape was very brown dried.
February – Vinh Long, Vietnam
I had no idea what my life would be at that time. I doubted what I was doing. So I rode unintentionally and my instinct guided me. I stepped away from main route – 1A highway. Instead, I chose unbeated-path to follow.
At first, I was afraid that maybe I didn’t want travel anymore, that my joy in road was exhausted. But the roads, people, landscapes and somethings new raised me up. After the trip, whenever I don’t feel alright, I think that I am just too “old” and need somethings fresh. Travel is one of my cure.
March – Phu Quoc, Vietnam
This was my life-changing trip. I hadn’t flied before, so I broke my virgin. The first time flight was memorable. When the plane nearly descended, many rocks hit the hull made me think of the death for seconds. Finally, it was alright. Thank god!
I planned to play very tight budget plan: rest in sleepbag, ride motorbike along the main island and never think of cruising to far far away isle, it’s expensive. But my fate happened in a very way, that made me believe that if I was born to travel, then I would travel.
I met a guy, we rode together, he was sick, we found and lived in a dorm, with 2 travelers. We soon made friend, next morning, we cruised to a paradise isle, one became my guru in budget travel, one became my companion and photographer, one is a chain to connect us together. I’ve believed my travel life since then.
June – Tay Ninh, Vietnam
An environmental incidents happened in the country – Viet Nam. Four provinces witnessed a severe destruction of a Taiwan company. The whole sea water contaminated resulted in millions of fish floating dead.
So I held a small program to clean some typical sightseeing spots, one of which is Bamboo stream, near Dau Tieng lake – a natural border of Tay Ninh – Binh Duong province.
The stream was stunning, the flow was amazing, the water was cool, but people littered everywhere. I and my friends, we tried to collect as much as we could to make it clean a bit, then made a clip to raise people’s awareness of the environmental issue.
July – Dalat, Vietnam
I wasn’t planning for the trip, just a friend invited me to join her ride because of the lack of vehicle. That’s my chance to first visit Dambri waterfall, which did amaze me with its natural beauty.
I met new friends, they were all wanderlust souls. We did many crazy things memorably.
I learnt much about riding, biker world,… Dalat was also a good place: good food, wonderful landscapes, dozens of spectaculars. I loved Dalat, for thousand times.
August – Bao loc, Vietnam
My friend held a trip to Bao Loc, I just simply sat in the back, following his plan. The roadtrip was perfect. We had lunch – Pho – in the most famous local restaurant in town.
Next, we headed to Linh Quy Phap An pagoda, an very attractive spots at the time, which offered a incredible panorama. It was not easy to reach the place and when we were there, I thought we was not lucky because it was cloudy. The photography was very bad.
But as a compensation, the following ride was very interesting, we took sequent turns in Da Mi pass, watched the sunset in hydropower reservoir, enjoyed the moments time stood still.
I caught a speed accident, which made me think much of the safety in my trip, and how my death may cause distressing consequences to my family. I started to stay more safer in my planning trip.
September – Can gio festival – Dalat, Vietnam
I hadn’t attended a Can Gio festival before, so I was very surprised when the experience was far more than I expected. I watched human chess matches, boat races, water puppet shows,… Those I’ve never seen before.
The stunning moment was I had courage to embark to a festival boat, and enjoyed the very different angle. That night, I slept so adventurously: no dorm, outside and on a hammock, swinging, completely local.
I helped two girls and received a snack for breakfast, which made me come up with a idea that I would help people for free and just take whatever they help or not.
At the end of the month, I also attended another trip to Dalat but in very more painful way but very memorable. Friends were great, roadtrip was amazing, especially the night in Omega pass. That was really a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
October – Bau trang, Vietnam
Another roadtrip to Dalat and back via Bau Trang, a mass desert road in Vietnam. I do love this road, very panoramic, very freedom, very open, very (sometimes) lonely. At some points, I see it as a road to heaven, when it slope upward to the sky.
The road is in perfect condition at the time I went through, and white sand is another plus point. You can ride max speed there, as you can see anything from far away, few roads offer that experience in Vietnam, so I highly recommend it for that.
November – Thailand
The very fateful trip. At the beginning, I planned to visit Chiang Mai for Yi Peng festival, but an distress event happened – Thai King passed away, so the lantern festival was cancelled. I joined my friend’s plan to Hua Hin, and had wonderful time here in recreational park and peaceful beach.
in the final day in beach town, we met a Chinese girl, and she told me that the festival was resumed but in smaller scale. So I headed back to Chiang Mai, conquered the roof of Thailand – Doi Inthanon summit. However, as my return flight was very conflicting, so the night when people flied their lanterns, I just watch them from my seat on the bus back to Bangkok. So sad!
December – Con dao, Vietnam
Con dao is a remote beautiful island. There are many interesting natural trails, if you love outside activities, especially wildlife, so Con dao is definitely a must-go destination.
There are also a pretty dorm I love very much. There are many books, woods and plants there. The island is also a historical landmark, so when you travel Con dao, don’t forget to visit the prisons, scary a bit but you’ll stunning walk around there.
I didn’t plan for this, it came to me by chance. Doi Inthanon tour wasn’t in my head firstly, but the phrase “the highest spot in Thailand” really lured me when I was searching for anything matters around Chiang Mai. And It turned out the right choice.
Why Doi Inthanon?
Waking on bus seat, a beautiful morning outside the window. Green vegetation, white clouds, a blur on the window, it was such a highland sign. I visited Chiang Mai by chances. A Chinese girl told me that would be festival in town instead of cancellation because of the King’s death as I’d known before.
Not well-equipped information, so I opened some website to research, hopefully found something interest. There are usually 3 main things to do in Chiang Mai: visit Wats (pagoda), join adventurous tours and meet elephants.
Doi Inthanon seemed the best choice. The idea of check-in the highest peak in Thailand really made my eyes open wide and my adventurous blood running fast. I found a map which showed points of interests: Waterfalls, Caves, Bird-watching, trekking trails and for the top of it: Doi Inthanon summit.
But Doi Inthanon tour was not a budget choice as I consulted more on cost: transportation in long distance, with a songthaew ride, thousands baht for a day trip, hopefully to meet a group to share or get over it and stay in Chiang Mai. So many things I hadn’t done before in a strange place (That was my FIRST TIME to Thailand and FIRST TIME to Chiang Mai). My comfort zone suggested staying at Chiang Mai only, but my adventurous heart encouraged me to challenge the highest spot of Thailand.
After a long negotiation between heart and mind, finally, I decided to take risk.
I persuaded myself “Life is too short not to do something matters right? And this experience would not be a deadly trip, maybe I get lost, but it is not a big problem when we have smartphone with googlemap installed,… C’mon. I’m traveling, let’s do something memorable. OK?”
So right after putting first steps in Chiang Mai bus station, I asked for songthaew to Doi Inthanon. There were many songthaews in the bus station, most of them are in red. A driver approached me and asked for 2000 baht for a full-day Doi Inthanon tour. After some bargain, the fixed price was around 1500 baht.
It was not a bad deal because the mountain is quite far from the city center. But I preferred a share ride. Poor me that all travelers I met simply chose to get songthaew to the city center instead of countryside. It seemed a dead end at that time.
I told myself: there would be another way, hopefully got a better one. I wandered around for a while, then the driver faced me again, and showed the city map which his finger pointed at the old city gate – “station, songthaew, to Chom Thong”.
I knew what he meant: Chom Thong is where Doi Inthanon locates. Reaching the town and I could transit to the peak.
“How much”
“40 baht”
“20 baht?”
“Ok!”
“Ok”, just go with it. “Chiang Mai is very cheap” said my guru. And I had to figure it out myself. Solo travel is somehow scary at that moment. You would feel not sure for anything, and have to trust that everything would be okay after all.
The red songthaew took me to somewhere near a market, and guided me to take an yellow one. I waved a songthaew and a friendly face asking where I would like to go. “Doi Inthanoi” “How much” – and my hand dancing to describe I was asking for the price.
The man was not speaking. Instead, he showed me two 20-baht, which means my trip would cost 40 baht.
I remembered my friend’d suggested it was just 40-50 baht to Doi Inthanon, so I firmly knew the price was good and no need to bargain with a non-English-speaking driver, which quite tough and time-consuming. I jumped to the back and joined the passengers. There was a foreign traveler couple, I asked them whether that was the right songthaew to Doi Inthanon. You know, all they wished me just “hopefully you get the right car”. Yes, hope was only mean I had.
After minutes, the songthaew was far enough so I could see how Thai countryside was. It’s nearly the same as ones in neighborhood nations like Cambodia, Vietnam. Dusty, green, quiet, sometimes interrupted with noisy local markets. The songthaew played as a open bus with hop-on-hop-off passengers. It’s quite interesting to meet many sorts of people.
I tried hard to establish a conversation with the local but it seemed that few Thai on the car could speak English. If any, very limit words. So you shoulld write down your destinations (better in Thai) and show them. Yes/ No answers are almost what they can help you.
Eventually, I got to Chom Thong. The driver kindly put me right at the bus station, so that I could easily get on another songthaew to Doi Inthanoi. It was 12:00 PM and It was dry and hot extremely but not really bad weather for a exploration day.
My initial plan of Doi Inthanon tour was to camp a night and wait for the next morning to experience trekking through adventurous trails, check in the summit also because Doi Inthanon is a real complex requiring a full day to get around. I’d just visited Dalat 3 weeks before and love to check whether they had any difference, Vietnam highland and Thai one.
Steps on Chom Thong center, my next mission was to get another songthaew to Doi Inthanon. After minutes, I found a yellow one nearby, which there were 3 people inside. They confirmed me that was to Doi Inthanon peak. Phewww!
The new friends were from Bangkok, and they rent a half-day Doi Inthanon tour, and waiting for other people to share ride. After a while, the driver approached to discuss whether we could share the ride and started the tour. Some bargain was made.
Finally they three agreed to pay 1500 baht in total for three stops at waterfall, twin pagodas and summit. I paid 200 baht as an extra seat because I planned to stop at camping site, which was just a quarter of journey.
First time fare invasion
The hosts of Doi Inthanon tour were among Thai: Nok, Boom and Bird. Their english was limit but we happily trying to communication with all hearts, hands and imagination. That’s was the most lovely ride in my first trip to Thailand after all.
The funniest thing of the journey was fare invasion. As usually, the foreign would be charged 200 baht/ adult, but Thai was only 50 baht. So the driver and three Thai friends decided to keep me as a local! I had to keep silent in any circumstance not to reveal my true identity (Asian is really a strength here for budget experience).
Nok went out. After few minutes, she came back with four tickets, cost totally 200 baht. The feeling when you’re hacking something was cool.
Wachirathan waterfall
The first destination was Wachirathan waterfall. The road was rough sometime, with V-shape turns forced the driver to slow down and carefully handle the wheels. I loved the kind of road, reminding me memories of my road trips around Dalat, touch-and-go driving feeling.
We stopped at the parking lot and walking via stairs to reach the waterfall. For the ambience: very moisture, green grass plantation with rocky stepping stairs. It’s really cool! When you get close to the waterfall, make sure your electric devices are waterproofed or you’ll be sorry for the malfunction.
We didn’t stay for long, because there’s nothing much to explore, just take some check-in photos and call the driver, head toward the next one: Doi Inthanon summit.
Doi Inthanon summit
There is a radar station there that you can see at a distance. Went deeper through rock stairs, we encountered the Memorial Shrine of King Inthanon, featuring a rock column at the center, accompanied by two elephants. All in moss and decorated wreath.
There were also incenses and neat-wrapped flowers available so that you can worship if you’d like.
A grave stone elected nearby shows you a piece history of the shrine: It was on an excursion to the peak of Doi Inthanon, a royal consort ordered to establish the shrine to deposit her father’s ashes, King Inthanon, the 7th ruling prince of Chiang Mai.
There is another rocky board to the left but the letter are completely in Thai, which I had no idea what it meant.
Head to a wooden trail, you will discover another shrine. The moss wooden path was really stunning, well-preserved and surrounded by big trees and thousands of shrubs, herbs, grasses, ferns, and mosses.
Really green and cool so just slowly walk and enjoy the atmosphere! At the end of the path, there is a big temperature banner, but I don’t think it’s updated continuously.
Twin pagoda
The final visit was to Twin pagoda. It was impressive, colorful, well-designed with King’s pagoda in brown and Queen’s one in Purple.
There are many beautiful flowers, which make it look like a park than a religious site. A truly must-visit location for a Doi Inthanon tour.
Getting close-up and you’ll see walls which features reliefs depicting story of the pagoda. From there, a majestic scenery lures your sense.
A combination of floating big clouds sometimes hiding the surroundings, a nearly top-down view of plantations below and human works.
Each pagoda is accompanied by a distinctive garden. I really loved every moments there, like you get lost in a paradise.
The only shortage which prevents you from fully enjoyment is dozens of tourists around with noise and no really clear shots are likely to be made. But we should happily share our space with the other because it is a tourism attraction.
When you get tired, just leave the pagodas for cafeteria at the gate, it offers delicious roasted pork, sweeter a bit than usually, for my own judgement.
The toilet is amazing too. I was impressed that Thai use the local lemon to de-odour, which I appreciate as it is very natural and creative. The lemon smells very good compared to any artificial deodorants.
On the way back to the Chom Thong town, we passed stores which are well-displayed with so many various specialities that you will love to spend some money to purchase. I think you should do it. They are very fresh, unique taste and beautiful. Many ones pick some as gifts for friends.
We bought a roasted sweet potato and very enjoyed splitting it, smelling and tasting every bit. A hot food is perfect for cool ambience like Doi Inthanon usually offers.
After getting the ride, I felt like it was enough for me for Doi Inthanon travel experience, that I started to miss Chiang Mai and wonder how it was instead of setting a camp. I revealed my thought with Thai friends and saw them confusing. Maybe they wonder why I changed my mind so quickly.
I couldn’t answer the question at that time, but now, sitting in a cosy coffee and write these words, I think that I’ve experienced many highland camping in Vietnam before flying to Thailand, so I REALLY didn’t want it anymore.
This is Nok – my Thai friend on the tour
P/s: Many thanks to my new friends: Nok, Boom and Bird. I owe them alot for my Doi Inthanon tour experience. They are the most funny and kind people that really made up my first time travel to Thailand. This post is for them!
Whether you have to pay for ticket to join Yi Peng festival?
Firstly, you have to understand the festival in depth. Following my research, there are 2 separate festivals but happening the same time: They are Yi Peng (air lanterns) and Loi Krathong (floating laterns on rivers).
While Loi Krathong is popular nationwide in Thailand, Yi Peng is actually local. They are held separately, then combined into one occasion for better organization and tourist attendance. The festival lasts for 3 days officially. However, you can visit days before to experience the local preparation works on their houses and pagodas, or extend your staying longer to access to a self-releasing lanterns event held for foreigners as I read in a website.
Most of travelers confusing the news this event is paid one but it’s proven wrong. Truth to be told, there’s a independent pagoda holding a latern releasing ground far away from the city (Maejo University). And after the attraction rising, they (initially a non-profit organization) start collecting tickets (100-300 usd).
Actually, this is a free event for all Thai people and foreigners. At the arranged time (usually 20:00) people are free to release their lanterns into the sky or drop floating ones on the rivers and praying for their wishes. Candles can be bought anywhere in the city and you can light them up and put them along the old walls as the local do.
I didn’t attend the mass lantern release so I’m not sure foreigners possibly buy one and release themselves but you can easily purchase decorated floating lanterns for 40-60 baht and so floating yourself.
For any confusion of destination and activities, consulting this schedule should help a lot.
It’s noticed that there’s no “Maejo University” mentioned in Venue column. Yi Peng 2016 is considered as least wonderful because of the King’s death event. However, it’s still worthy a look at flying lantern in the air and make some wishes!
How to get in and around Hua Hin? What to eat and Where to go… My travel guide to Hua Hin will find out the best experience!
My friend, who usually visits Thailand as a hardcore-budget traveler, suggested me join his journey to Hua Hin, as he introduced “Thai King’s resort”. I and (maybe) many ones, have never considered the town as a must-go destination among Pattaya, Phuket, Krabi,… But my experience proves that you’ll hardly find anything new in old places.
Get in
He recommended me experience Thai train, which he said “very cheap”. Cheap is not always a comfortable option, you have to keep the mindset if you think budget travel is your choice. However, “cheap” option is likely the way ordinary people do, so you’re expected to live a very local life. For me, it’s worthy.
After landing, we headed for Don Muang train station, just few steps from Airport and you can easily access via skywalk. To get to Hua Hin, we would transit in Bang Sue station instead of Hua Lam Phong to save 30 minutes. Ticket to Hua Hin surprised me, just 44 baht, for 200-kilometer distance in 4 hours. Very cheap!
My friend pointed me to the ticket booth, and revealed a more incredible information: it was free to Thai. The key to receive the previlige is to behave or talk in Thai style, so that the officer think you are Thai and sell you Thai ticket. So it’s a advantage if you are Asian, especially look like a Thai. You can check Thai railway website for more details, notice that Ordinary train/third class is likely to be free for Thais.
Budget tip #1: Train is cheap, Thais are even free, only for third class of ordinary option.
Get around
Hua Hin is just 40 km in length to explore, so riding a bike is the best option to explore the town from north to south. The cheapest vehicle is old scooters, which are very popular used by foreigners, cost 150-200 baht/ day.
So if you’d love to ride in Hua Hin, as well as anywhere in Thailand, consider owning a IDP (license) and helmet to minimize the risk.
Budget tip #2: not riding means not taking risk of being fined and traffic accidents, so you can save money and maybe your life, as well.
Accomodation
So you have checked hostel/ dorm in booking, agoda, traveloka,… and find most of the price ranges 300-400 baht. Don’t be fool, just take a walk around backpack town, especially Nares Damry Alley, to see the real room price. Much cheaper than internet booking, just 100-200 baht/day.
I suppose the websites are likely to hide the cheap option, so when you walk and choose a certain hostel in town, check if it’s available booking through above website, which sometimes can save a bit more money via promotion program.
My experience in a hotel offering dorm room option in Hua Hin: Traveloka platform run a deep promotion, but when I searched in the app, it didn’t show anything cheap. Just when I found a cheap dorm in Agoda, then I typed directly in Traveloka search box, then the hotel showed up.
There’s no fan dorm room left, so I had to unpurposely book the air-con option, which was more expensive. I thought that the room was likely to be full occupied when I check-in.
I was wrong, I was the only one in the room. In fan room, my friend was also a sole dreamer that night. So in my opinion, hardly is there not available rooms in Hua Hin, get in the town and find a true bargain yourself.
Budget tip# 3: consult online booking, but prefer traditional booking to save even more money.
Eat
I love Hua Hin because it offers very reasonable price range and food tastes very good and cook by unique recipes. In the morning, I ate in a local food stall at hua hin 74 (หัวหิน 74) which only costs you 30 baht, full of energy and local smells.
Some street foods are even more cheap and very delicious. I really enjoy a food that I cannot name it, it includes some crispy pieces, sliced steamed rice rolls, sweet soya sauce and decorated by scallions and coriander. Just around 10 baht. I love it.
My another love is roasted marinated fish. The flesh was soft, fresh and sweet, well-roasted so it completely smelled good. Just 35 baht for a fish. I and my friend, we had it mostly, except for bones.
All the ingredients, spices, skin, marinating herbs, flesh,.. can be eaten all. I’m quite sure this is a must-eat food in Hua Hin. There are also some roasted dishes in vendor cart: chicken, pork, cake,… buy one by one to enjoy all because they are all cheap. I think they just costs you 70-100 baht in total.
You can find the couple vendor I met, who usually wander around the backpack street. This is how they look like.
Another choice to find cheap food is school neighborhood. There’s a very insight that ordinary pupils are not rich, so the food serving them is possibly reasonable and in some case, very colorful.
Drinks are from 10 baht, foods are from 20 baht. I love wandering and enjoy view when the class dismiss and kids get out of their school and crowd at vendors, yelling for their food or drink in very childish manner.
There’s indeed a food court near backpack street, it looks like picture below, but the price is really for tourists but locals. And as usual, beach is the rip-off heaven. But lying in a beach chair and have a coconut in sunset view. Admittedly, it’s worth spending some money for a tropical experience.
There is a HUGE night market in Hua Hin and it’s very easy to locate in Hua Hin 72 street, not far from clock tower. Various foods are displayed, price is not deeply cheap as other local food store but it’s not really expensive compared to other destinations in Thailand.
You should notice that food is quite salty and spicy and will be likely to make your stomach cry for help and your asshole be in hell. Be ready!
Budget tip #4: school, street vendors are budget-heaven while beach and backpacker town are likely to be rip-off hell. Night market is a good place to spend some money.
Things to do
There’s a photography spot in Hua Hin 61 alley – Phetkasem road intersection, where hundres of starling perching on electric wires, making it look like a note sheet when you look up. They cry aloud so it’s quite annoying when you get close.
Hua Hin beach is also a great place to swim and sunbathe. Clear water, nice sand and coconuts decorating along beach. My friend said that it is as beautiful as Pattaya but living cost is much more cheaper.
There are some amusement parks nearby in Cha-am, I visited Santorini park, Swiss Sheep farm, Venezia,… built up to serve the people who wish to be in Europe once. The structures are duplicates of Europe ones.
On top of that, I love PlearnWan market and recommend it for the successfully vintage style. Venezia is most expensive, Swiss Sheep farm is more reasonable while Santorini is just 150 baht for foreigners and PlearnWan offers you free entrance.
Budget tip #5: Europe parks are most suitable for ones who love artificial Europe scenery, If you’d like to get there or Europe-born, consider ignoring them.
Best Places to Visit
Hua Hin is listed as one of the most all-time favorite destinations in Thailand by both locals and travelers. Exotic beaches, ancient temples, impressive palaces, numerous shopping areas make Hua Hin become more lured and worth trying to visit once. Therefore, with Hua Hin attraction guide right below, you will know best places to drop by when coming to Hua Hin for the first time.
King Mansion (Maruekhathaiyawan palace)
This palace is also called “the palace of hope and love”, first built by King Rama VI in 1923. It wows all travelers coming to this spot with such gorgeous buildings painted in yellow and white. There’s a long and straight corridor stretching to the beach where you can take some beautiful photos. The Maruekhathaiyawan is located between Hua Hin and Cha Arm for your information. According to Hua Hin attraction guide, this spot deserses a visit right when coming to Hua Hin because you will learn a lot about the history as well as the unique beauty of the palace.
Hua Hin Railway Station
Hua Hin railway station was also constructed in Rama VI majesty but it lies quite far from the heart of the city. The most outstanding feature of this railway station is its designs and decoration which give off feelings of Victoria majesty and Thai architectural styles. Though being colorful, vibrant, this place still remains some ancient, solemn factors inside. That makes it not only more mysterious to discover but also one of the most favorite destinations highly appreciated by a lot of travelers.
Hua Hin night market
Hua Hin night market is a must-go destination in the list of Hua Hin attraction guide. Lying in the center of Hua Hin, this night market draws a great number of travelers to it everyday. From 6 pm onwards, the market suddenly turns alive with lights, stalls and flocks of people. By walking around for a while, you can find a variety of goods sold such as crafts, handmade items, delicious Thai food,… Other than that, Hua Hin night market also owns so many restaurants that serve best seafood dishes you’ve ever tried. If you’re in Hua Hin, don’t forget to give this night market a try!
Plearnwan shopping village
This is also another spot for those wanting to buy some stuffs and taste Thai dishes. It’s just been built recently with special architecture and decoration bringing images of ancient Hua Hin villages. If you are in Hua Hin. Furthermore, Plearnwan village also has many game booths, a ferris wheel, an outdoor cinema… to help all travelers feel more entertained. That’s why Plearnwan village’s very preferred in this Hua Hin attraction guide.
Phraya Nakhon Cave
It takes about 40-45 minutes driving from Hua Hin to one of the most magnificant and mysterious caves in Thailand. This cave belongs to Khao Sam Roi Yot national park and quickly becomes a favorite destination to many travelers from all around the world.
The cave is really huge and owns a lot of amazing stalactites. It receives light from a big hole up above and that makes this cave give a vibe of hidden charming paradise and bring you a lot of excitement when seeing this scene.
Hua Hin Hills vineyard
No one should leave Hua Hin without visiting this interesting tourism spot. It’s located to the west of Hua Hin, approximately 35km driving. On the way to this place, travelers are taken aback with such idyllic and vibrant countryside landscapes.
Here in this vineyard grows many kinds of best quality grapes. These grapes are usually grown and used to provide for some wine labels as Siam winery, Monsoon Valley… So don’t forget to take this Hua Hin attraction guide and drop by Hua Hin Hills vineyard when staying here.
Santorini park
For a change of air, you can pay a visit to Santorini park where can bring you to a paradise of stone-paved road, domed towers, colorful windows, white constructions… reflecting exact the images of Greek island with the same name.
In this area, you can also find out many restaurants, shops, stalls, amusement park… to spend your whole day relaxing and entertaining. From here, travelers are given wonderful cliff-top sights of the beachfront and the sea that make this park worth a visit right away.
Hua Hin floating market
According to Hua Hin attraction guide, it’s a big mistake if lacking one of the most popular destinations like Hua Hin floating market. On the man-made banks of river, you can see a lot of shops displaying all kinds of goods. These shops owns an attractive retro-style design that brings you back to Hua Hin’s old days.
One special thing of this market is you can buy some unique handmade souvenirs that you can’t see them elsewhere. If you feel interested, you can take paddle or Thai boats to discover many other corners of this floating market. To visit this market, you should head to the south of Hua Hin on the way to Khao Takieb.
Many ones travel from Bangkok to enjoy a Hua Hin day trip. To be honest, among 5 destinations total, I love only one. What about you?
For my reason to book a Hua Hin day trip. Actually, I and my friend didn’t expect this until the last morning in Hua Hin. He ran into me and pushed me pack up in hurry to join the tour. Originally, a young beautiful chinese girl bought the tour online, but there’s some trouble between her and the driver providing the tour. My friend heard of the conversation and with an intentional mind, he suggested the girl share ride.
So that’s why we had a chance to visit King’s mansion, some Europe style parks and a vintage market at the end – a highlight option for those who love Europe but don’t have a chance to visit.
The tour is only the ride and costs 800 baht in total for a person. We shared ride so we paid 100 baht/ person additionally.
King’s mansion
The first destination in Hua Hin day trip is to visit King’s mansion. This is paid spot, including outdoor or indoor pass, which you can choose to wander around the garden or put your steps on King’s Stilt house.
The fee for outdoor is 30 baht and plus 30 baht if you’d like to Stilt house. You should get dress formally or be requested to wear more appropriate clothes, for me, it’s a black suit, the one usually used in funeral (we were in Thailand during King’s national funeral).
The atmosphere was quiet and green, like a park with a big tree at the center, a green wall rounded a fountain with a chair, a sight that we usually see in Western park.
There’s a Thai band playing traditional instruments with their great dexterity. However I hardly enjoy whole show because they played as if it was a rehearsal instead of a real performance.
There’s a beach rocked to view the horizontal line, sea is even so it’s quite peaceful feelings walking along the tree lines, but it’s not as excellent as Phuket An old well nearby is quite impressive with its mechanic design.
The premises was under construction, an overhaul, so you’d see beams everywhere. On the way to house entrance, we encountered a banyan tree which there were many pieces of paper look like incantations hanging on.
There’s a prohibition on camera, and you have to put your shoes into a bag and carry it whole the journey around the house. The bag was cute. I really would like to take some home as souvenirs
The house was very airy and clean. It wasn’t really impressive for young people except for the historicaholic. If you’re not interested in history pieces, or royal daily life, so the place is not for you. It’s quite boring.
Santorini park
The second place and a lovely spot of Hua Hin day trip is Santorini park. Actually, this is a commercial complex which there are many many shops inside and features tiny water playground. The ticket costs you 150 baht for only a walk around. The ambience was make very colorful, young – a kind of gorgeous western-style background.
I think this is an ideal place for photography: Using white tone, various color – most of them are bright. There are some hand painting on the wall, which is great for selfie. In Hollywood sector, you’ll see more cartoon, dracular or monkeys from movies. I love hulk most, he seems very “handsome” and muscular.
For shopping, the price is quite reasonable compared to other park in Thailand. The normal visit takes you 30 minutes, but posing and shoping may require more time.
Venezia
Venezia complex in Cha-am was modeled on Venice, Italy with all of sophisticated relief, statues and buildings. However, it’s just like other park – nice place to take pictures. No more.
In my opinion, the tourism spot is quite expensive compared to its value. The owner even splits it up into many sectors and sell tickets which the more you pay, the more places you can visit. But the cost makes us agree to just take a look, get some photos and go next.
It’s double or triple the ticket price of Santorini. Yeah, we were quite shocked when receptionist showed us the price list.
Swiss Sheep farm
To hug a sheep, you have to pay 120 baht (Adult) or 80 baht (Child) for entrance ticket. Open everyday. The ticket booth is quite fashionable, but I didn’t get it. Why designers put many not-related items on the walls?
This is an other photography option for ones who love western lifestyle or in case you truly love sheeps.
Plearnwan
I love this most – vintage style market – the final destination in Hua Hin day trip. Free entrance – so budget-friendly. All you have to do at door is open your bag and prove there’s no food/ drink inside. You can obtain a pocket guide-map at desk, offered by a local resort.
The market offer reasonable price with a lot of street food/ drink available. Vintage coffee shops are ideal for sipping a coffee. Plants are put agreeably, harmonize among one another.
The market is small complex, two levels and painted in deep brown tone, along with wooden walk and plus some pieces of old metal roofs, make it more vintage style. There’s a long couch so no worry finding places to get your legs rest. You can book a room and fully enjoy night market (until 9 PM).
