Hua Hin, Thailand: Side Quest
- reefaulkner
- Dec 23, 2025
- 5 min read
Hua Hin is a popular, laid-back Thai seaside town in the Prachuap Khiri Khan province, known for its royal history, golf courses, night markets, and proximity to Bangkok.
Hua Hin, is about 3–4 hours by bus, making it a favourite for weekend getaways for both Thai and international visitors from Bangkok. For this side quest adventure, we returned to Hua Hin to fully explore the area, because last time we only visited for a couple of days and didn’t see enough to really understand what this place is all about.
Getting There
From Bangkok, you can reach Hua Hin by train, bus, car, or private taxi.
We caught the bus leaving from Ekkamai Bus Terminal. You can easily book a seat via 12Go for around 260 THB one way. The bus journey takes about 4 hours, depending on traffic, note: they make one toilet stop about halfway so watch your liquid intake… otherwise you might be like me, hanging out to pee by the time the bus makes the toilet stop! Some prefer the train or a private taxi, but I recommend the bus. It’s easy, affordable, and I love watching the Thailand world go by as we make the drive from Bangkok to Hua Hin.
Where We Stayed: G Hua Hin Resort
This time, we splurged a little on accommodation, staying more central because Hua Hin is very spread out and known for its long coastline. We stayed at G Hua Hin Resort, located on the main highway as you go through Hua Hin. Our room was spacious, with a large king-size bed, a great shower, balcony with day bed overlooking the large hotel pool.
The room was serviced daily, water bottles were refilled, and towels were changed. They also provide pool towels and the buffet breakfast was surprisingly good too. There was a daily happy hour deals at the pool bar, and plenty of sun lounges and umbrellas around the beautiful large pool. The staff were welcoming, and guests tended to keep to themselves. I would definitely recommend this hotel and location.
First Impressions of Hua Hin
Hua Hin is often marketed to international visitors as an ideal place to live, with an appealing work–life balance and easy access to Bangkok. That was exactly why we wanted to spend more time here, to see whether it could genuinely be an option to live or settle. Many international retirees have made Hua Hin their home, this resulting in Hua Hin feeling like an open world retirement village. The local Thai people and the whole town very much serve and cater for this age bracket creating an retirement vibe throughout the Hua Hin area.
It might be perfect for some people, but for us right now, we felt we were not quite ready to settle down here.
The Beach
Hua Hin is known for its long beaches, stretching to around 8km, and horse riding on the beach. Horse riding is a popular activity here, offering scenic rides along the shoreline. It’s also great for kitesurfing, as there are nice stable winds off the beach here. Both activities can be arranged from the beach area. The beach is sandy and clean and the waves are calm. However, the water is a little murky and polluted due to many river mouths / sewerage run-offs nearby. If you are like me and love the beautiful clear crystal waters of the beaches down south on the islands of Thailand, you may be a little disappointed with the water quality here and reluctant to swim. For me, the beach was perfect to walk along, watch the beach goers and activities, but return to the hotel pool for the afternoon swim and cocktail.
I have also been told, you will see a stunning sunrise over the ocean in Hua Hin (not that I was awake intime to capture this), and a sunset over the Lel Fai mountains which I can confirm is pretty.
A Few Spots Worth Checking Out
Hua Hin Night Market is open every night from 6pm to midnight, We ate here multiple times, there is lots of variety, reasonable prices, and good service. Depending on the day, it can get busy at some perks times. There is live music playing every night, but every time we were there it seemed like the band was setting up with sound check but never ready to play.
We ate at three vendors and each meal was a good portion, good price, and tasteful.
Tamarind Market (next to Cicada)
Tamarind Market is open Thursday to Sunday. Adjacent to Cicada Market, we chose to eat at Tamarind Market as it felt like a more relaxed vibe with live music. We ordered a selection of foods to sample and an amazing soft crepe for dessert. It was a good night at the market.
As the café slogan states -serious brunch - and this café on Hua Hin Road does not disappoint. The food was excellent, with a large variety on offer including bagels, muffins, breakfast items, salads, pasta, and dessert sweets. Everything we tried was fresh, well presented, and full of flavour. There’s a wide selection of beverages, prices are good and reasonable, and the café itself is clean, airy, and modern in design. The space is finished beautifully, with fresh flowers adding a nice touch. A highly recommended café and definitely worth checking out.
A fabulous chicken and rice restaurant. Open every day except Tuesday, 7am–4pm.
Delicious food, quick service, cheap prices, and a lovely clean venue. Highly recommend.
This was such a great find to eat after a workout at Endorphin fitness club.
Beach bar open Fri–Sun. Simple beach bar on the beach, great to grab a drink before dinner.
A great beach café that is a must to check out. Take your bathers, grab a pink bean bag, order a drink, and take a dip in the ocean before chilling to the tune at this funky beach café.
This café has all the musts to deliver a great beach café vibe. The café is part of Sea Cret Hotel and despite the Google comments, it is easy to locate and a great venue to spend the afternoon.
As the signage quotes: “Best Hamburger in Hua Hin.” We would have to agree.
Definitely worth coming here one night for burgers, they were delish, and the crinkle chips were fried perfectly.
Final Thoughts
Hua Hin is an easy side quest from Bangkok, close enough for a short escape, yet different enough to feel like a reset. It’s spread out, relaxed, and built around beach life and markets, making it easy to see why so many people come here for a slower pace. And while we’re not quite ready to join the “retirement village energy” just yet… we genuinely enjoyed this side quest adventure.
And if training is part of your travel routine, I also reviewed four gyms in and around Hua Hin during our stay. Be sure to check out my honest, first-hand gym reviews to help you stay consistent and round out your Hua Hin travel experience.
Much love,
Mi-Ree 💜
Enjoy life every day.
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