As Thais, Hua Hin and Cha-am are places we have frequented since we were kids, going with our parents, and today they have become places we come to hang out with friends and as a couple.
We will share with you a guide on how to plan a trip to Hua Hin, the places we recommend staying, the activities we do, the places we visit, and the restaurants popular among Thais.
A Quick Note
Dear Travellers,
The suggested places we recommend visiting are not a must-go; it is an “if you feel like going.” Personally, and similar to many Thais, coming to Hua Hin and Cha-am is all about relaxing; you don’t have to force yourself to go out, and we would not label any places as a must-see. What we recommend is somewhere to visit if you feel like it.
Among friends and family, what we normally focus on is spending time in our hotel and going out to eat good seafood and authentic Italian and Spanish cuisine, if we prefer to.
As someone living in Bangkok, I have had a short vacation here over 10 times. The places we provide are to give you an idea in case you want to go out; here are the places we have visited over the years and places our friends and their families also visited. All of the places are also suitable to bring your kids to if you are travelling as a family, as we have also visited them since we were kids.
For more on why we also recommend Italian and Spanish cuisine, and to know more about the beach towns, visit our broader guide to Cha-am and Hua Hin. We also explain what Cha-am and Hua Hin are to many Bangkok people and the differences between the two, if you are interested in knowing more.
Quick Navigation:
Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1:
Bangkok → Hua Hin/Cha-am
Drive (train) from Bangkok, Thai seafood lunch/dinner, sightseeing
Day 2:
Cha-am ←→ Hua Hin
Local Seafood lunch, Authentic Italian/Spain dinner, Vana-Nava Water Park, InterContinental Hua Hin
Day 3:
Hua Hin → Bangkok
Lunch Stop, Kaeng Krachan Dam, Thai local souvenirs
Trip length: 3 days / 2 nights
Starting point: Bangkok
Transport: Self-drive/car rental (works best), Train
Season: Suitable for all seasons
Pace: Relaxed
Accommodation: Mid-range luxury stays
What We Recommend Considering First
First consideration: the duration of your stay
As a Thai, we would commonly treat Hua Hin as a weekend trip, Friday night to Sunday morning, and long weekends are the most practical; a stay of no longer than 5 days is what we would recommend for a first-time visitor.
For better relaxation, we would recommend staying for at least 2 nights at one hotel.
Second consideration: The choice of hotels
We would always recommend a hotel with beach access. There are a lot of choices for good hotels in Hua Hin with a semi-private beachfront.
What a Day Could Look Like
Combined with the places we will recommend later on in the article, this is what a day may look like:
Morning at the hotel (with breakfast preferably) → Coffee at SRNA, and enjoy a walk around the road, which is lined with cafes → Baan Isara Seafood for lunch by the beach → Return to the Hotel to rest, swim, enjoy the afternoon → Pane & Focaccia / Little Spain for Dinner → Enjoy the night at one of the night Markets.
We sometimes substitute the afternoon for a visit to Vana Nava Waterpark, or enjoy a short walk at สวนป่าชายเลนทูลกระหม่อม, depending entirely on what we want to do or balance how heavy we want our day to be.
The night market can also be switched around if you have decided that enjoyed walking around at night: one night at Cicada and one night at Hua Hin night market.
Where to Stay
Ideally, we would lean more towards staying in Hua Hin around the town center if you are planning on coming out to eat; there are a lot more options around the area, particularly for international cuisines and modern cafes.
Hua Hin will be easier for those coming here via train and not planning to rent a car to drive around.
Cha-am can be a little quieter, with less traffic going around; many resorts there will feel more private and spacious.
Personally, we may stay in both districts depending on what hotel we want to go to, one hotel in Cha-am and one in Hua Hin. If you have a car, moving between the two places will be easy.
When you are staying in Cha-am, explore the local places, and when you are in Hua Hin, also explore the international cuisines you will find around there.
Hotels We Recommend
In general, there are many good choices for both boutique and major hotel brands; there will be a lot of good-looking places with good reviews for you to try for your stay.
For those who do not want to take the chance to experience it yourself, we recommend some safe choices for you that we have stayed in personally. We can recommend two hotels: one in Hua Hin and another out towards Cha-am.
Dusit Thani Hua Hin
Location: Cha-am/Hua Hin Border
Price: Starting from 3,000-5,000
Style: Beachfront, 15-minute drive to town (Hua Hin), closer access to Cha-am (by car)
Dusit Thani is a Thai-owned international hotel brand, one you may recognize by its oldest and also newly reopened Dusit Thani Bangkok (Central Park). Hua Hin is also among the older locations the brand has been operating in and is quite a popular choice in Cha-am; it has been open since 1990 and was renovated during 2020-2022.
The resort is located further away from the Hua Hin town center area and offers a more resort-style stay. It is popular among families, so it will not be a quiet getaway if that is what you are looking for.
InterContinental Hua Hin
Location: Hua Hin
Price: Starting from 3,000-5,000
Style: Beachfront/ Town Center
A great place to experience the city within walking distance, along with beachfront access and a spacious swimming pool. Staying at a major chain like the InterContinental can, to a point, ensure you a standard and expectation of your stay.
Places Worth A Visit
As we recommended a beachside hotel, our recommendations for places to visit will focus more on other notable attractions around that do not involve the beach.
Kaeng Krachan Dam
One of the biggest attractions that many Thais have been to once, if their family visits Hua Hin. We recommend visiting only if you are driving yourself, as it will take around an hour and a half from the town. We usually visit this place as a detour on our drive back to Bangkok.
There is also a boat tour you can go on; we discovered this while we were there from a woman on a motorbike riding around offering it. We negotiated the price (around 300-500) and followed her down to the docking place.
A private longtail boat will take you on a tour for around an hour, docking at one of the islands on the dam and also stopping by to feed the monkeys up there, which will swim up to the boat for snacks. Enjoy the ride and the scenery; a worthwhile short tour.
There is no schedule or waiting around; the boat leaves as soon as you arrive and comes back whenever you want, or when the tour is done.
Vana-Nava Water Park
Free entrance if you stay at InterContinental Hua Hin or Holiday Inn
Been here a decade ago when it was newly built, and again just this year; we have to say that this waterpark has been maintained very well; the slides are clean, and security and safety measures are in place. The kid zone is quite big, and there are also a few slides that older kids and adults will enjoy, as well as ones that are more extreme.
Mangrove Forest Park (สวนป่าชายเลนทูลกระหม่อม)
The Perfect place for a leisurely walk around; enjoy the path surrounded by nature. The area is also connected to a beachfront.
Alternative: Pran Buri Forest Park
แม่กิมไล้ – Souvenir (driving only)
A popular stop for some Thai snacks and gifts. It is on the way back from Hua Hin to Bangkok, a perfect quick stop for some traditional desserts and snacks.
Night Markets
We recommend Cicada Market (Friday – Sunday) and Tamarind Market next to Cicada (Closed on Tuesday & Wednesday). Cicada Market is the more artistic vibe, sometimes with live music sessions.
Hua Hin Night Market (ตลาดโต้รุ่งหัวหิน) (from 18:00 – Midnight), a classic night market in Hua Hin and perhaps the most well-known; chances are a Thai person who travelled there would have visited it at least once.
Where To Eat
A mix of Thai seafood and other authentic cuisines we enjoyed. All of the places we have selected are ones that we have dined at, and many are also favorites among friends and family.
Baan Isara – Seafood
A friend and family favorite go-to seaside restaurant when we can’t decide what to eat
Note: one of the more popular options in town; a reservation is recommended during high season.
Casa di Laciana – Italian & Seafood
A good choice if you cannot agree on Italian or seafood; also a seaside restaurant.
Little Spain – Spanish
Our personal favorite for paella.
Pane & Focaccia – Italian
One of the best Italian restaurants in Hua Hin; we would recommend visiting this restaurant.
Note: The restaurant is normally full; we recommend asking your hotel to call and reserve before coming.
Lek Seafood – Local Fresh Seafood
A choice for more local Thai-style seafood meals, this place also sells fresh fish and live seafood, so the freshness is there.
Chomview Seafood
A large and well-known seafood restaurant, this place was one of our favorites in the past decade. It was also featured on a popular TV show in Thailand in the past.
Rossarin Eatery Hua Hin – Thai/seafood/steak
A newly discovered favorite for Thai food.
Note: reservations recommended, as the restaurant is quite small.
Nam-Jit – Thai Noodle
Quite a popular spot for local noodles and rice dishes in Cha-am.
Cafe & Desserts
SRNA – Cafe
The dirty coffee from this place is recommended; most of the things we tried are also good.
DASS Gelato – Italian Ice Cream
Located in Bluport shopping mall, a great place to stop by for gelato with a wide variety of flavors to choose from.
STICKY Coffee & Bar
A solid choice for a quick drink/cafe stop.
Ob-Oon Boulangerie-Pâtisserie
A good place for brunch, cakes, and small bites, perfect for family.
Pa Jay Fried Banana (กล้วยทอด ป้าเจ้)
Popular on social media, a Thai-style dessert of deep-fried banana and other fruits. We also recommend trying the deep-fried pineapple here. Note: The queue here can get very long, and some items may run out early; we recommend stopping by only if the queue is moderate or none.
If you are also looking to explore more of Thailand, visit our itinerary for Kanchanaburi.
We hope you will enjoy our recommendations,
Travel Tegami