Hua Hin

A big family resort on the Cha-am coast where thirty-odd years of upkeep actually shows.

Big beachfront rooms with huge balconies, right where Hua Hin's restaurants and bars start.

Five pools, one of them river-like, and a beachfront that families rarely want to leave.

Cheap, clean and very white, with hallways that carry every footstep and slammed door.

Seafood on the water at Ao Hua Don, best in the late afternoon light, with parking that makes the drive easy.

Big-portion Thai seafood with a social-media following, so bring an open mind and cash for the bill.

Big shareable seafood plates by the sea at Cha-am, best tackled with four people and a long lunch.

Beachfront seafood in central Hua Hin, and the clams in sweet basil sauce are the reason to come.

A 12-metre monk in park-like grounds, best seen in the morning before the sun turns it into a silhouette.

Seven giant bronze kings on a vast concrete parade ground, free to enter, with almost no shade.

Earn it with a steep climb, then watch sunlight drop through the ceiling onto a royal pavilion.

A limestone cavern where shafts of daylight fall straight onto a golden reclining Buddha.

Shallow, kid-friendly water and big rocks to sunbathe on, a couple of hours from Bangkok and free to walk onto.

Pine shade, calm water and mostly Thai families, about as far from the Hua Hin resort strip as you can get.

A quiet beachfront spot under Turtle Mountain, best if you've got wheels and plan to eat elsewhere.

Scenic staging beach for boat trips to Phaya Nakhon Cave, with a relaxed local atmosphere and coastal access.

Grilled seafood, roti and souvenir stalls on a closed street, best hit after 7pm when everything's up.

A weekend-only night market where the crafts are actually made by the people selling them.

Air-conditioned, unpretentious and packed with everything from a supermarket to a basement food court.

The calm, air-conditioned mall in Hua Hin, with local brands worth browsing and a food market outside at night.

A jungle-themed water park that's brilliant with kids and a bit thin if you're two adults with no one to entertain.

A free 20-minute mangrove boardwalk with a view tower, a quiet beach and crabs on the roots.

Two caves, a mangrove boardwalk and 12 marked spots for 200 baht, but start at 8am or you'll melt.

Thailand's largest park, and without a high-clearance 4x4 you'll only see a fraction of it.

An Irish pub on Damnernkasem that does steaks, opens at 8am at weekends and runs late on Fridays.

Hua Hin's bar strip in miniature: beer, pool, live music, and a lot of people-watching after dark.

Rooftop bar and restaurant on Phet Kasem Road offering sunset views over Hua Hin from high above the city.

Live rock and metal bar on Soi 94 with a cover band playing classics from the Beatles to Iron Maiden.

A calm, well-regarded massage and spa retreat on Phet Kasem Road, open daily until 11 PM.

A professional Thai spa inside Hua Hin Market Village, open daily from 10am to midnight.

A luxury wellness resort on Pranburi's quiet coastline, offering spa treatments and holistic health programs.

Skilled Thai massage spa on Phet Kasem Road, praised for authentic technique and welcoming, English-speaking staff.

A 600 baht boat through lotus fields to a limestone cave that barely fits one boat, and that's the charm.

A working fishing pier, not an attraction, and the boats coming in decide whether it's worth your time.

A working fishing pier that doubles as the Pattaya ferry terminal, and a fine place to just sit and stare at the bay.