A business trip to Bangkok doesn’t leave much time to visit the islands of Koh Samui or Ka Samet, typically preferred destinations for those visiting Thailand on leisure. My corporate travel to the Thai capital allowed me a couple of days with an empty itinerary. Primary criteria being proximity to Bangkok and some quick research later, we zeroed down on “Hua Hin”. This was my second trip to the Kingdom of Thailand and I was excited to explore an unconventional, but growingly popular Thai district.
A comfortable two-hour drive (about 200km) south west from Bangkok got us to the Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa (huahin.anantara.com), where we were welcomed with traditional Thai customs at a very earthy but luxurious reception. I spotted statues of elephants in different shapes and sizes citing the inherent connection between Thailand and the animal. “Unlike the rest of the “party towns” of Thailand, Hua Hin is relatively relaxed but still offers the vibrancy of the former,” explained my concierge. Beaches bear bright azure hues and the air is crisp in the evenings during the beginning of the year (when I visited).
The Club Lagoon room we stayed in faced an idyllic pond with lush green trees that blossomed flowers and fruits only seen in theory. A bit of a shut-eye is never a bad idea on a break and waking up to this view made me feel surprisingly close to nature, considering I was in a hotel. Like any big resort, the pathways were slightly confusing but it wasn’t too difficult to find our way to an exclusive pool that is only accessible by Club Lagoon room guests. Picture floating boats and fuchsia lotuses at the far end of another water-body behind the infinity pool — it almost felt like being cut off from the rest of the property. I opted for a chilled mango-based beverage that complemented a few unashamed hours of switching between sunbathing and afternoon siesta. (Guests staying at Club Lagoon rooms can order for two complimentary mocktails by the pool and avail of cocktail hour along with canapés at the Lagoon bar.)
An afternoon of sluggish indulgence accelerated as soon as we left the resort to explore the district. Hailing a tuk-tuk was not very difficult and the drivers surprisingly spoke English quite well. Hua Hin is known for its night markets and flea bazaars, and heading to Cicada (open Friday, Saturday from 4pm-11pm and Sunday from 4pm to 10pm), Hua Hin’s lovely little art-market was a fantastic suggestion by the concierge. An attractive setup of ferry lights and live music, this quaint flea market supports home-grown artists, students, communities to retail handmade items, quirky fashion products and edgy collectables. Its amphitheatre is known to hold mini-concerts of independent artists, that lighten up the ambience with song and dance. I got home some organic aroma oils and handcrafted craft jewellery, that made for some interesting Hua Hin memorabilia.
A week spent in Thailand prior to this caused me to gratify my avid love for the country’s cuisine. An authentic Italian dinner at Andreas (andreas-ristorante.com) after the shopping escapade was a pleasant break from all that pad thai; I relished its pan shared foie grass served with toasted brioche bread and raspberry sauce. The restaurant’s specialties include sauté of rock lobsters with cherry tomato on a wild rocket salad bed and its buffalo cheese mozzarella with fresh tomato Caprese. Look out for Chef Andreas’ recommendations on wine pairings to complete your meal.
The next day was spent snoozing by the snazzy pool bar of the hotel. A quick Thai lunch followed and we soon headed out to what was the highlight of my Thai sojourn. The Hua Hin Safari (40 Soi Phetkasem Road Nong Kae, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khanl; +66 89 810 1351) is ideal for those looking to get up, close and personal with wild-animals who are domesticated under good conditions. The network bars on my phone diminished and shrubs replaced lamp-posts as we made our way to the park. I wasn’t expecting much from this family-run, commercial safari in the middle of Thailand (and not Africa). Safe to say I was pleasantly surprised. The Safari offers various programmes for guests to engage with the wild animals kept in large spaces that are made to feel like their natural habitat. Not for the faint-hearted, they allow you to spend some quality time with tiger and leopard cubs in an enclosed and safe room. Being surrounded by ten little wild ones, some who could barely crawl and the others feisty enough to occasionally scratch or bite you, was nothing less than a dream come true for the cat-lover me. The Hua Hin Safari also lets you casually hang out with the bigger, fully grown jungle cats and ride elephants through thick forests and natural surroundings. Depending on the time on hand and interest in fauna, they offer wide range of animal interactions to pick from.
After what was perhaps the best possible culmination to this charming tryst, I was back the Thai capital in no time for some last-minute meetings. While it was hard for the bland board-rooms to compete with the hues of Hua Hin, I was simply glad to have indulged in the magnificence of this versatile town.
