Hua Hin & Floating Market, Thailand

There is a long dual carriage-way called Phetkasem Road that runs parallel to the beach and spreads out from the centre. At regular intervals Sois (side streets), branch off from this road and there is an abundance of top hotels and smaller properties depending on budget and preference.

Although the hotels are very spread out, it is not a problem as the little Tuk Tuk taxis are whizzing up and down the road day and night and can easily be flagged down.

There are plenty of shops but there is also a good night market if you are looking for souvenirs or perhaps some tasty street food.

There is a bar scene in Hua Hin but it is not of the flashing neon light variety that you might find in Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya and nothing that would shock a young family.

The bars are spread around 3 or 4 Sois and tend not to be that big, though there are a few that have a number of pool tables often for rent by the hour. Some of the bars are fairly quiet and laid back and good for watching the world go by. There are also a few bars that have a bit more of a trendy music scene and whilst they are also fairly small they can be busy. There are plenty of restaurants around here as well as a few fast food outlets.

One night I went out with my wife, brother-in-law and nephew and the nephew had phoned to order a Tuk Tuk in advance. When it turned up I realised why he had phoned up for this particular Tuk Tuk. The driver was a fun guy. He had a music system blasting out some funky Thai music and half a dozen disco lights flashing. This Tuk Tuk made quite an impression as the driver weaved his way around the Sois where the bars were.

The following night we booked this driver to collect all of the children and younger members of our family and take them all for a little tour with his lights flashing and music blaring out. They all had a great time.

There is quite a lot to do in and around Hua Hin. Whereas some of the beaches and islands in the south might be particularly good for diving, Hua Hin has quite a big Windsurfing and Kitesurfing scene.

There are also three fairly decent-sized water parks close by. We went to one called Santorini Water Park, which as the name suggests, has a bit of a Greek theme. There were quite a few slides and rides, certainly thrilling enough for me and my daughters and they also offer accommodation and a fun park close by.

There is a Floating Market near Hua Hin called Sam Phan Nam but this should not be confused with Damnoen Saduak Floating Market that you will see photos of in brochures and guide books. The Floating Market at Sam Phan Nam is more of a shopping venue consisting of lots of little shops, built on stilts around a lake. It is good for souvenirs and some food products.

One Temple that should not be missed is Wat Huay Mongkol, 15km west of Hua Hin. Here on a raised platform reached by about 30 steps there is an enormous statue of a greatly revered Monk called Luang Thor Thuad. Each year there is a ceremony where the statue is dressed with an enormous length of Saffron coloured material the same as the monks wear. Before the statue is dressed, worshippers have the opportunity to write on the robe before making a donation to the temple. This is for good luck and to 'make merit'.

Either side of the statue are two huge, three headed, wooden elephants and it is supposed to be lucky to walk under the elephant's belly and around the elephants three times. Also here is another impressive statue, this one of King Taksin the Great on horseback.

In the Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan is a place called Ratchapakdi Park. This place has a parade ground which is used for ceremonial occasions particularly involving the military. This is a fairly new attraction because it was only in 2015 that the Army finished installing the seven giant statues of famous Thai kings.

After leaving Hua Hin we stopped off to visit Damnoen Saduak Floating Market which I mentioned above.

A lot of people will do this as a full day tour from Bangkok which can be quite pricey, particularly if there are several people in a group or family.

It is possible to do what we did and just turn up. There is a little booking office where you can hire your own private long tail boat and the 'driver' will take you all around the klongs (canals) stopping off at whichever shops you are interested in. You can find all of your presents and souvenirs here, but it is important to haggle or you will pay well over the odds. As a guide, if the seller asks for 100 Baht pay them 50 Baht.

There are other boats in the water selling produce, including food and drink to keep you refreshed as you make your way around the market. I had some coconut ice cream that was particularly nice.

It is important to remember though that the market doesn't stay open all day. By early afternoon all of the shopkeepers that operate around the klongs will have closed up and gone home, so it is good to get there early.

Something that made me sit up and take notice was a long tail sticking out of a large pipe close to where our boat was passing by. It did look a bit like a crocodile's tail, but when the creature slithered backwards out of the pipe and landed in the water it was clearly just a big Monitor Lizard.

We had a good time visiting these places and I would say they would appeal to couples or families.