Throwback! Kyle's Travelogue Thailand: Hua Hin (3/4)
Besides elephants, Thailand is probably best known for its beaches. Kyle and his family go to Hua Hin, the royal beach resort town. This 4-part throwback post was originally published in 2014 on http://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/ during Kyle's visit to Thailand.
-Michael
Part 3: Hua Hin
-Michael
Part 3: Hua Hin
Special guest author: Kyle Desrosiers
Special guest author: Kyle Desrosiers
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July 17
After the first decent shower in days and a comfortable night's sleep at the Kantary Hotel in Ayutthaya, it was time to take a van to Hua Hin, Thailand's first and greatest beach resort town and home to the current King himself.
It took about three and a half hours to drive from Ayutthaya in Thailand's central plains to the beaches on the Gulf of Thailand. We must have driven around Bangkok, because I never saw any skyscrapers on the drive. As we drove, the flat grassland turned more tropical, lush, and hilly. We drove past some tall green mountains that marked the border between Thailand and Myanmar. When we saw the massive resort towers at Cha'Am, we knew that Hua Hin was not too far away.
We arrived in Hua Hin and were dropped off at the lobby of our resort. The staff immediately offered us cold towels and some delicious blue drink. We were staying at the Asara Hotel, where each room was a separate bungalow, and since it was a weekday during off-season, we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves.
We checked into our rooms, then headed down to the beach. The resort grounds were really pretty with all kinds of plants and water features, and there was a giant infinity pool overlooking the beach.
The beach itself was rockier than I expected, but the water was really warm. The tide got so low during the afternoon, that I could have walked out one-hundred yards before the water was over my head. On the first day, I slipped on a rock and it cut my big toe. Bleeding, I went up to the beach and asked the bartender for a band-aid. He first brought me the menu, but when he saw my toe, he knew what I needed. After I applied a mysterious first-aid ointment, I felt as good as new.
That evening, we went to the hotel's restaurant, where we had made 7:30 reservations. When we got there, only a few other tables were occupied. Although it was nearly empty, the service was extremely good, and one could never get to the bottom of a drink without being offered another. I ordered shrimp pad-Thai, some of the best food I'd had in Thailand.
The dinner entertainment featured a man and woman duet; he played the piano while she sang. The were both really good, and knew English songs with perfect pronunciation. We heard a wide variety of slow music ranging from Sinatra, to Pocahontas, to "The Girl from Ipanema." The atmosphere of the breezy outdoor restaurant and the lounge felt like a different time.
At night, the tide rose all the way up to the seawall and the beach closed. Hua Hin is known for its drastic high and low tides, and it was one of the most unique natural phenomena I've seen.
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| The view of Ayutthaya from Hotel Kantary's rooftop |
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| Along the highway |
We arrived in Hua Hin and were dropped off at the lobby of our resort. The staff immediately offered us cold towels and some delicious blue drink. We were staying at the Asara Hotel, where each room was a separate bungalow, and since it was a weekday during off-season, we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves.
We checked into our rooms, then headed down to the beach. The resort grounds were really pretty with all kinds of plants and water features, and there was a giant infinity pool overlooking the beach.
That evening, we went to the hotel's restaurant, where we had made 7:30 reservations. When we got there, only a few other tables were occupied. Although it was nearly empty, the service was extremely good, and one could never get to the bottom of a drink without being offered another. I ordered shrimp pad-Thai, some of the best food I'd had in Thailand.
The dinner entertainment featured a man and woman duet; he played the piano while she sang. The were both really good, and knew English songs with perfect pronunciation. We heard a wide variety of slow music ranging from Sinatra, to Pocahontas, to "The Girl from Ipanema." The atmosphere of the breezy outdoor restaurant and the lounge felt like a different time.
At night, the tide rose all the way up to the seawall and the beach closed. Hua Hin is known for its drastic high and low tides, and it was one of the most unique natural phenomena I've seen.
July 18, 2014
This morning we had some time to relax after the busy Elephantstay. There was a delicious breakfast buffet at the hotel offering everything from European cold cuts and cheese, to American eggs and bacon, pastries and Dim Sum buns, and seafood rice stew. Needless to say, we each got several plates.
I rented a kayak with my dad and we took it out really far, fighting against the rough waves. As we kayaked, tiny jumping fish flew over our wake, and we could see fishing buoys bobbing up and down on the horizon. I love kayaking, and it was hard and fun work fighting against the wind.
We had made reservations for five for dinner that night at 7:30. Michael had told us he would arrive that evening around 6:00, but we didn't realize that at that moment he was on his way to Hua Hin much earlier. Having gotten permission from his boss to leave work after his classes, Michael left before lunch, and was in a minibus heading to Hua Hin by 1:00. A two-hour minibus journey and one harrowing motorbike taxi from the city center later, Michael called to tell us that he was at our hotel.
That night at dinner I tried a tasty spicy fried rice dish, and we had some delicious coconut cake for dessert. My sister really loved the coconut cake.
Since Hua Hin houses the royal residence; there is a naval honor guard stationed just off the shore. At night, three battleships were spectacularly illuminated in what looked like christmas lights. It was an amazing sight.
We had made reservations for five for dinner that night at 7:30. Michael had told us he would arrive that evening around 6:00, but we didn't realize that at that moment he was on his way to Hua Hin much earlier. Having gotten permission from his boss to leave work after his classes, Michael left before lunch, and was in a minibus heading to Hua Hin by 1:00. A two-hour minibus journey and one harrowing motorbike taxi from the city center later, Michael called to tell us that he was at our hotel.
That night at dinner I tried a tasty spicy fried rice dish, and we had some delicious coconut cake for dessert. My sister really loved the coconut cake.
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| Coconut Cake as shown by Rachel |
July 19, 2014
We woke up early the next day and headed to the beach. There were half a dozen fishermen waist-deep in water, casting their nets into the surf. Further down, stray dogs bathed in the tide. One interesting thing about Thailand is that even around a nice hotels, street dogs are not uncommon. It is Thai custom to take care of strays, and people will usually leave bowls of food out for them. They're friendly enough, and if you don't bother them, they won't bother you. They stay away from humans.
Later, we waded out into the waves. Since the tide was so low, Michael and I walked out to a sandbar. After that, we decided it was time to go for a swim. Some of the guys working on the beach gave us a volleyball to play with, and Rachel, Michael, Dad, and I enjoyed the nice pool while my mom lounged and read on the lawn sofa provided on the beach.
We met up on the beach for lunch, where we ate pineapple pizza (no pizza comes without ketchup on the side in Thailand) and carbonated lemonade flavored with syrup you added yourself. I found out about the delicious lemonade after asking for Fanta Orange Soda. Communication wasn't always super easy, but everybody was really friendly, so I just went with the flow. Mai bpen rai.
July 20, 2014
My dad had to get back to Texas, and Michael had work on Monday, so they hired a car and rode back to Bangkok together. Rachel, Mom, and I stayed in Hua Hin for an extra day. Most of the time we spent at the beach was cloudy, so it was always cool and very comfortable. It was great just to lounge around under the coconut palms. We walked down the shore and Mom collected shells while we took pictures. It was a relaxing way to draw our time at the beach to a close.
That night we went back to the beachfront restaurant where the waitstaff recognized us from the nights before and gave us the same table. The attention to detail was impressive. No matter where you go in Thailand, service is great and the employees seem to genuinely want to help you.
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July 21, 2014
The last morning in Hua Hin, we relaxed in the pool, swam a little in the sea, then took one last walk on the beach. It was sad to leave, but it would be good to spend our last two days in Bangkok. At noon, we met our van, and headed back into the city.
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