Hua Hin

We discovered Hua Hin and Cha-am whilst touring round Thailand on our honeymoon. We were sat in Chiang Mia trying to decide where to go next for a beach and we discovered a hotel in Cha-am that looked great and the idea of just flying to Bangkok instead of a couple of flights was ideal. We flew to Bangkok the next day and got a car to meet us at the airport.

To get to Hua Hin or Cha am it involves a 3-hour car journey. I would recommend always booking a luxury transfer as the roads in Thailand can be very bumpy!

Cha-am and Hua Hin are about 20 minutes from each other. We originally stayed in the Regent in Cha-am, which is a large hotel on the beach. Cha-am has some lovely bars and is a weekend beach getaway spot for the residents of Bangkok and can become lively at weekends. We also used to travel into Hua Hin at night and we remembered it being a lovely town.

Fast forward a few years and a couple of kids later we decided to go to Hua Hin again as we had such amazing memories of the place. It was this time that we stayed in my favourite hotel. The Centara Grand.

Hua Hin is Thailand's original beach resort. It is a real mix of city and sea with lively markets, golf courses and waterparks. It is also home to the summer palace for the Thai royal family. It is an excellent place to take kids as they can get to see the wonderful Thai culture, eat the amazing food but avoid the sleazy side.

Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin first opened its doors in the early 1920s at a time when Hua Hin was still a sleepy coastal village. This beachfront resort was built along the classic lines of that era, with phenomenal gardens and spacious rooms and suites (up to 170 sqm.) with high ceilings, polished hardwood flooring, period furniture, and Thai silk. The 42 villas offer privacy, space (up to 120 sqm.) and a terrace with Jacuzzi or plunge pool. The resort has plenty of leisure options for adults and children: 4 swimming pools and children’s pools, a spa, a fitness centre, 2 tennis courts, Muay Thai and Tai Chi classes, and 2 kids clubs. It is such an amazing resort with the city on the doorstop. The night markets are really lovely, with great restaurants and an amazing vibe.

A short taxi ride away is the Black Mountain Water Park. This is somewhere the kids still speak of as a great day out, probably because we had the park to ourselves. It has loads of slides and a wave pool, and for me...lots of sunbeds to chill out on.

Hua Hin is perfect to twin with a Bangkok break if you do not want to fly to the Islands. The beach is not the Palm Tree paradise of the Islands, but it is lovely, and the hotels are amazing. Just thinking about it now is making me want to get on a plane now!