Hua Hin is the Thai people’s holiday destination. It’s nothing like the thumping holiday haunts of Phuket and Koh Samui, and you’ll see few back-packers because the mad rush to those more famous beaches has meant mass tourism largely by-passed Hua Hin leaving it to bask in it’s own serenity.
Even the King holidays here in his beachfront palace named Klai Kangwong – Far From Worries.
Its five-mile white sand beach bobs with fishing boats at night and championship golf courses nestle in lush tropical surrounds. This place still reeks of old world charm and luxurious spa resorts are sprinkled down the coastline, each one more stunning than the last. If ever I’m asked to suggest a great spot for a honeymoon in Thailand, this is my first pick.
My favourite Hua Hin Hotels:
The Marriott Resort and Spa is home to the stunning Mandara Spa. I loved the breath-taking yet understated architecture that seamlessly blends Thai and Western flavours and having this sort of climate means lush tropical planting creates private indoor/outdoor spaces for spa treatments. Imagine standing on slate under a cascading shower with lotus ponds around you before your massage. Landscaped gardens roll onto the gentle beach and you’re only a ten minute walk into Hua Hin town.
Splash about here at the Marriott
A health spa with a bit of luxury:
A little further down the coast, Chiva Som is a health and wellness spa marketed to the “discretion-seeking” clientele. It looks like the Garden of Eden but you don’t come here to relax and find God! This place is for entire body overhauls: to get fit, lose weight and detoxify your system. This place attracts many of the rich and famous who wander around unrecognised in a fluffy white robe. The price includes three healthy meals a day (including a calorie count for each dish), a daily massage treatment and myriad exercise and toning classes.
They take healthy living seriously and there is no smoking allowed on site. Addicts are offered a free acupuncture session and failing that, hard-core smokers have to wend their way down to the beach for a sneaky ciggie.
Chiva Som is detox boot camp bliss!
The most romantic resort of all:
I’ve saved the best for last! Travel a little further along again and you’ll find Six Senses Hua Hin and if I were you I’d book a private pool villa here and never come out. There are 3 dining options to choose from: Italian food in the Beach restaurant, fine dining in The Living Room resting on a lily pond or dining in your own villa with a chef or do your own barbecue. But it’s the pool villas that you’ll come here for.
Picture this: your four-poster bed with curtains tied back to reveal your own private garden with a stone bathtub set among the lily ponds, a swimming pool and a day bed for sunbathing or reading a book. You can also book these for around NZ$370 a night.
Six Senses: The ultimate romantic hideaway
How to get to Hua Hin:
From Bangkok you can take a train to the picturesque railway station in Hua Hin built to welcome King Rama VI’s entourage in the 1920’s. Or take a bus every 30 minutes. Some hotels will provide transfers. Click here for more info. Tripadvisor tips Bangkok to Hua Hin >>>
For more information on Hua Hin, here’s a link to the upscale market complex if you need a shopping fix. Hua Hin Market Village >>>