Photo Report - Hua Hin Beach

[Big Boy]

In my personal opinion, the main Hua Hin Beach is the stretch of beach that runs from the Hilton Hotel in the North, all of the way down to Khao Takiab. Others will dispute this, but please humour me for the purpose of this report.

The beach is far too long for a single report, so I have divided it into 6 easy sections i.e.:

• Hilton Hotel to the Soi opposite Market Village.

• Soi opposite Market Village to Soi 77

• Soi 77 to Marakesh

• Marakesh to Barai

• Barai to S’Mor Spa

• S’Mor Spa to Khao Takiab

I’ve been going to do this trip for a while, but high water earlier in the season can make the walk difficult. I still have to be very careful with a recently recovered leg wound, and have to keep it dry. Therefore wading is not recommended. It was mid-March, so water levels should be good. Also, being March I should be guaranteed sunny conditions…………….. how wrong was I?

The beach was not busy, because I started the walk at about 09:30, when most people were having breakfast, and as I walked the sky grew very black.

When taking photos, I was snapping away quite randomly, but every 200 to 300 steps I was taking a panoramic photo of where I was, so hopefully, I’ve captured the entire beachfront apart from where I ran out of beach, and had to climb a wall to continue.

Hilton Hotel to the Soi opposite Market Village

Planning for my return. I drove my car to a parking place on the songthaew route near to the Tessebahn office. I would invest 10 Baht in a songthaew ride back to Hua Hin after the walk.

I walked through Soi 63 to Burger King, and then took the beach road that passes alongside the Centara Grand (Sofitel to me). As I approached the beach, my worst fears were founded – the water was high, and the sky out to sea was black. High water and rain were the 2 things that I wanted to avoid.

Beach Road alongside Centara Grand

DSC03585b.JPG (124.37 KiB) Viewed 2750 times

Two general observations before I start:

• The beach was very clean from start to finish, despite what I’ve regularly read on Hua Hin Forum. Although in places there was evidence of black dust washed up that resembled the coal dust I used to see on the beaches of NE England.

• I did not see a single jelly fish washed ashore, which must be a first for walking along a Thai beach.

On to the beach, and to my left was the familiar forest of beach umbrellas that seems to grow every time I go to the beach in Hua Hin. Out in front of me, most of the dangerous rocks, with their razor sharp broken shells that I had succumbed to on a very early visit to Hua Hin were submerged waiting for another victim.

The rocks that give Hua Hin its name, mainly hidden by the tide

DSC03591b.JPG (94.96 KiB) Viewed 2750 times

The rocks that give Hua Hin its name, mainly hidden by the tide

DSC03594b.JPG (113.38 KiB) Viewed 2750 times

I did actually find a sign warning of the hidden hazard, but in true Thai style, the warning was not readily evident, and situated well away from the actual hazard. My guess is that it was placed to catch the attention of Sofitel guests going onto the beach, as opposed to the plebs such as me. However, full marks to whoever placed the sign, as it could prevent somebody having their skin shredded as I did those many years ago.

Dangerous Rocks warning sign.

DSC03598_1b.JPG (145.95 KiB) Viewed 2750 times

As usual, the beach in front of the Sofitel was devoid of any sunbeds etc, in fact there was nothing other than a few shade providing palm trees until I first came to the tsunami warning tower, and then the beachfront area of the relatively new Baan Laksasubha.

The beach front at Baan Laksasubha

DSC03600b.JPG (132.93 KiB) Viewed 2750 times

After Baan Laksasubha, there was another void on the beach until I reached the Paleo Beach Bar. I spent many holidays lazing on the beach at this bar. However, in recent years the bar area (never the prettiest/cleanest) was demolished and replaced with a much smaller affair. However, the Paleo Beach Bar carries on, but no live reggae music being pumped out any more.

Paleo Beach Bar

DSC03603b.JPG (143.46 KiB) Viewed 2750 times

After the Paleo Beach Bar, there is a huge void of sand (deserted apart from the odd walker and soi dog) until you get to the Capenidhra Hotel, where there were a few beach beds on the sand below the swimming pool terrace. There was also evidence of kite surfing here with an abandoned kite sitting on the beach. However, during my walk, I did not see anybody kite surfing, which is very unusual for Hua Hin Beach.

Vast expanse of open beach

Sun loungers at Capenidhra Hotel

DSC03606b.JPG (124.85 KiB) Viewed 2750 times

Then another void until I reached the remains of the Marriot Hotel. This hotel has been getting refurbished for a couple of years now, but all that I ever see are the shells of buildings and very little else. It actually reminds me of many years ago (when I was about 7) when my father gave me an old broken alarm clock and told me mend it. I got his tools out and totally demolished it. Refurbishment of the Marriot seems to be following a similar business plan (I’m sure somebody somewhere has a cunning plan).

Marriot Hotel refurbishment.

DSC03611_1b.JPG (107.67 KiB) Viewed 2750 times

Just past the Marriot, and there was another forest of beach umbrellas and sun loungers. This is where I saw the first evidence of a kite school and beach massage.

Exit from the beach to the Soi opposite Market Village

This is where this leg of the journey ends.

Next installment: Soi opposite Market Village to Soi 77

Many more photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 718&type=1

[kendo]

Good report Big Boy wish I was still there nice to see the Paleo beach bar has managed to survive in some form shame he no longer plays his reggae music spent many an afternoon sat there.

Kendo.

[HHTel]

Great pics BB but something you reported made me curious. 'Tsunami Warning Tower'! Is that for real? Does Hua Hin have such a thing when geologically, there is a zero percent chance of a Tsunami here?

[TingTongJohn]

That was my biggest disapointment when I stayed at the Hilton. The beach by the hotel is not the greatest.

[Gérard]

Good report and nice pictures to warn people off, unless they appreciate "the familiar forest of beach umbrellas " and other delights. Let's see what the next stretch will offer...

[Big Boy]

Great pics BB but something you reported made me curious. 'Tsunami Warning Tower'! Is that for real?

Maybe I'm wrong, but that is what I've always been told it was, and it went up in the aftermath of the Tsunami. I've just Google Imaged "Tsunami Warning Tower" and it looks the part.

[HHTel]

I think it's a case of TIT,BB.
A few years ago, the schools warned the kids to get out of HH as there was going to be a Tsunami the following day. The warnings were also on TV. My wife called me and asked me to take the kids to BKK. That's when I did the research and looked at various geological reports. Chances are non-existant.
Turned out that an important monk had had a DREAM!!

[Frank La Rue]

Great read - interesting with Hotel Mariott - someone is not making the return on their invstment they could have? Maybe this is same as HIlton, the hotel chain does not own the building and land

[Chromeman]

Great read and pics, BB! Too bad it is a bit late for me...

I took a look at the beach by Hilton the first full day here and turned without returning since.

After my gf politely asked, repeatedly, for us to go to the beach, I decided to go to Khao Takiab tomorrow after reading tip # 100.

[Big Boy]

I decided to go to Khao Takiab tomorrow after reading tip # 100.

IMHO you'd be doing yourself a favour by going just a little bit further to Suan Son Beach

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 718&type=1

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=25084

[Ralfredo]

I decided to go to Khao Takiab tomorrow after reading tip # 100.

IMHO you'd be doing yourself a favour by going just a little bit further to Suan Son Beach

Couldn't agree more. If you feel fit for it and want a little exercise you could also go to Khao Takiab and walk on the beach to Suan Son Beach. I don't know the exact distance but would guess maybe 1 to 2 km.

Then "main" part of Khao Takiab is not as bad as Hua Hin Beach, but sometimes rather crowded. In Suan Son Beach there is usually no problem to get a chair with the closest neighbor more then 25 meters away. Be prepared that they don't have "flat" sunbeds in Suan Son Beach, only "folding chairs" (sorry don't know the exact English name of the type of chair).

In my experience the beach in Suan Son are often better as Khao Takiab Beach, depending of the weather conditions, can have a lot of shells and other "rubbish".

But why not try both and see what you enjoys most.

[Chromeman]

OK, Suan Son Beach it is tomorrow then!

[TingTongJohn]

That was my biggest disapointment when I stayed at the Hilton. The beach by the hotel is not the greatest.

My Regrets

I should also say I did enjoy the photos and it was rude of me not to say so.

[Big Boy]

Part 2 - Soi opposite Market Village to Soi 77

More of the same really. Sun loungers, forests of umbrellas, kite schools, massage and beach bars. The dark clouds out at sea seemed to be getting darker and closer, but the beach still had plenty of width to walk on.

More of the same

DSC03625b.JPG (130.85 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

More of the same

DSC03629_1b.JPG (122.47 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

More of the same

DSC03649b.JPG (121.3 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

The main benefit of this stretch of beach is that it does not get as busy as the Hilton/Sofitel etc. stretch. However, the further South you travel, the more chance there is of encountering kite surfing, which can be quite daunting if bathing in the sea and you see one of those babies approaching at a great rate of knots. There are often many novice kite surfers, and you have to realise that they might not have the same level of control that the experienced surfers have. The 2 can and do live happily together, just be aware.

The main benefit of this stretch of beach is that it does not get as busy

There are several ‘smaller’ residences on this stretch. Unlike the small private residences at the Khao Takiab end of the beach, I’ve no idea if they are private residences, holiday lets or ‘smaller’ beachside hotels – whatever they are, they look very nice, and often have nice steps down to the beach which can be used to sit on for a short break when tired from walking. Unless you walk the beach, you would never see this side of the town. Dream homes, that are way, way outside of my budget.

Smaller beachside residences

DSC03624_1b.JPG (141.32 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

Smaller beachside residences, with free seating

DSC03631b.JPG (131.75 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

Smaller beachside residences

DSC03632b.JPG (122.12 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

Smaller beachside residences, but no free seating here

DSC03642b.JPG (120.55 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

Again on this stretch there are vast stretches of beaches void of anything more than the odd walker, soi dog and beach horses. It certainly isn’t Benidorm where you might be fighting for a 2 square yard piece of beach to lay your towel.

Vast stretches of beaches void of anything more than the odd walker, soi dog and beach horses

I also saw some surf boarders (I think that’s the name), where you stand on your surf board and paddle away. It looks like fun, but not for me I’m afraid. A quick glance out to sea, and it looks like people walking on the water.

Walking on water?

DSC03636b.JPG (67.39 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

Also on this stretch were a couple of upmarket looking beach bars, where people were welcome to sit and buy drinks and food.

Beach bar

DSC03640b.JPG (129.1 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

This leg of the journey ends at Soi 77, where a small stream runs down to the sea. Anybody entering the beach here, there is limited parking if you’re early enough.

The exit to Soi 77

DSC03653_1b.JPG (119.56 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

Next installment: Soi 77 to Marakesh

More photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 718&type=1

[lomuamart]

Great photos and commentary, BB.
I've been walking the beach from town to KT fairly regularly for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, from approximately Dec-Mar the tides are always high in the mornings and it's pretty impossible to walk south of Chiva Som (although I have been known to wade from there and just hope there aren't any building rocks underfoot). I've been lucky so far.
With the high tides, not much room to swing a cat, sun loungers, ponies, windsurfers, strollers and me, the beach just gets crowded.
The best times, for me, to walk the beach are from now and especially through June to September. The clouds may be dark sometimes and the sea can get angry but there's masses of space.
Solitude.