Hua Hin is Thailand’s oldest beach resort which used to be little more overgrown fishing village with one exceptional, The Grand Hotel. The main and most popular visitor to Hua Hin was the Thai Royal family around the turn of the century, who had their own summer place built on the north end of the beach. Thailand’s Royal family still visits their summer palace each year and you’ll know when they are in town because of the large hand painted billboard portraits of the King and Queen and all the shops hanging national flags outside, a truely wonderful sight of your Thailand travel. The beaches of Hua Hin still remain very popular with Thai people who take holidays in their own country and would like to avoid the tourists packed beaches of Phuket and Pattaya. Unfortunately for the local Thai people, but fortunate for us tourists, the secret of Hua Hin is no out.

Things to do in Hua Hin

The beaches of Hua Hin at the main attraction to many tourists who would like to avoid the sleaziness of Pattaya, or the overcrowded beaches of Phuket. Situated at the North West of the Gulf of Thailand it has become a suitable place to learn or practice watersports such as windsurfing, kite surfing and in some cases even sailing. You may want to also take a visit to, what was once called the Railway Hotel, but know the Hotel Central Hua Hin. This hotel still remains in the classical colonial style architecture with cool high ceilings, heavy bladed ceiling fans, polished wood panelling and wide seaview balconies, just like it was 90 years ago. This hotel was also used in the filming of the movie the killing fields for which the hotel added the swimming pools and tennis courts.

Getting to Hua Hin

There are daily flights from Bangkok to Hua Hin which takes only 30 minutes however the airport is some 10 km north of the city. There are many taxis or other means of transport that will take you to town and some hotels in the area will actually provide free airport transfer. Buses from Bangkok’s southern terminal will take 3 1/2 hours with a train journey taking not much longer.

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The centre of Lopburi oldtown sits on an egg shaped island between canal’s and the Lopburi River with the train line running across it from north to south. The new town of Lopburi has very little to see you so visits to this area should concentrate on obtaining a Hotel in the old town.

Things to do

Although seemingly a large town Lopburi’s historical sites can be visited on foot in one-day. Situated near the town’s railway station in the centre of Lopburi, Wat Phra Si Mahathat houses an impressive centrepiece of Khmer style laterite prang, or pagoda. A few streets west and you come upon King Narai’s Palace, Wat Narai Ratchaniwet, probably the most visited the Wat in Lopburi. There is an outstanding museum in the central courtyard of this palace that is well worth a visit as well as some beautiful lush green relaxing spots within the grounds. Other things to do while visiting Lopburi could include a visit to the Thai classical music and dance college in the new town to spend a few hours away from it all you could try a small zoo to the north-east of the town.

Getting there

Getting to Lopburi from most of the central region of Thailand relatively easy, from Bangkok buses leave every 20 minutes from the North bus terminal and take and three hours, from Ayutthaya the bus journey is only one half hours. There is an hourly train from Bangkok which takes two after three hours and regular trains from Ayutthaya which take only an hour.