We had left Phuket full of excitement to see Chiang Mai – and we were not let down.  The northern city gave us some of the greatest memories from our trip; however we are beginning to miss the crystal clear waters and white sand of the beaches.  The slow, carefree pace of beach life.  So we decide to pack up and return to the ocean.

Our mistake here is in not returning to the perfection of Phuket.  Instead, we opt for a location closer to Bangkok – Hua Hin, the vacation destination of the locals.  Now when I say mistake, I don’t mean to insult Hua Hin.  We end up having a great time in the little town, but only after some trial and error.

The most important item to note would be to avoid Cha-Am.  This place is slightly North of Hua Hin, shares the same coastline, and many hotels list themselves as Hua Hin even though they are actually located in Cha-Am.  Now, Cha-Am is an interesting place, and may be okay for a quick day-visit.  It is quite small, and is definitely ALL locals.  There is not much in the way of tourism – our hotel is old and dated, restaurants and markets are nonexistent, and the beach is small and dirty… and good luck finding a chair to lounge in!  No services can be found for vacationers like ourselves.  So, after two days of boredom, cold showers, and no wi-fi, we check out and venture South to the “real” Hua Hin.

This is much better.  There are shops, cafes, restaurants, markets, shopping, tours, and still a beach.  Of course, the beach is still small, quite crowded, and the waters are not clear and calm like those in Phuket.  There is a canopy of umbrellas ass far as the eye can see, and just as many kite surfers in the water.  The main attraction on the beach is rented horseback rides. But, it is a huge step up from our last location, so we find a hotel and get ourselves checked in.

We are staying at the City Beach Resort, which is an average hotel.  Nice enough, clean enough, hot water, decent wi-fi, a rooftop pool, and a short walk to the beach.  The last leg of our travels will be spent here, so it is a relief to be in a more comfortable spot.  We head out for dinner, and happen upon the most incredible barbeque place I have ever been to – including top Canadian and American restaurants! The Great American Rib Company serves up delicious ribs, steaks, chicken wings, quesadillas, and SO much more!!  We have fallen in love with this menu, and proceed to dine here almost daily – Canadians becoming regulars at an American-style restaurant in Thailand.  Go figure.

Most of our last days are spent relaxing poolside and strolling up and down the busy beach.  We also find time for one or two excursions, the first being a trip to the Huay Mongkol Temple (Big Buddha).  This is massive, and impressive, but is a very quick visit as there is not much else to do after you’ve taken a photo or two.  There is no admission fee for this temple.

The other excursion we did was a package deal, including transportation to and entry fees at the King’s Summer Palace, the Tham Khao Luang Temple, and Khao Wang national park & palace.  Technically, I believe these are located in the Petchaburi area, so they would be a short taxi ride from either Hua Hin or Bangkok.

King’s Summer Palace

Also called the Palace of Love and Hope, this palace is made up of three sections connected by long covered walkways.  It is raised from the ground on pillars made entirely of teak wood.  This architectural style is completely different from that of other Thai palaces.  A lot of the areas are roped off, but it is still a gorgeous property worth exploring.  While we are wandering around, we can see school children running from room to room, and can hear their music lessons taking place.  There is a peaceful air about this palace that is more relaxed than most others.

Tham Khao Luang Temple

This is yet another major highlight of our entire trip.  We arrive at the temple to see that it is actually built in an underground cave.  Steep sets of stairs take us down into the dark, cool space, where we can see the statues and altars that were constructed generations ago, when this temple was a location for royal picnics.

In addition to a breathtaking temple, there are monkeys!!  And a lot of them!

Our parked taxi has a stuffed crocodile on the roof so that they won’t sit on vehicles and make a mess.  There are bananas and corn cobs for sale at a very reasonable rate, so we purchase several buckets.  Now we get to hand-feed these wild monkeys while Thai ladies with sticks hover close by.  The sticks seem unnecessary, as the monkeys are very kind and gentle… until we run out of food.  Now we can see the anger in their eyes and we know it is time to move on.

Khao Wang Palace

This visit starts with a short cable car ride up the mountainside, which takes us to a series of footpaths.  There are many paths traced along this mountain, with two stunning temples placed at the peaks.  There is a lot of walking and stair climbing involved in this, but it is well worth it.  Though keep in mind that there are also monkeys here, but they are not watched over and not nearly as friendly.  I’d suggest you don’t bring food with you.