Places to visit in Hua Hin

Hua Hin general discussion, observations and chat. Hua Hin topics that don't really fit anywhere else.
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Big Boy
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

Post by Big Boy »

The simple answer is that I don't know. The hotel is in what I would call the central area. The area where I've seen the langurs is at the Northern end of the air base, and it it where there are troops barracked, aircraft and other military vehicles are stored. This is the area where you have to give up your ID to access. This is Thailand, so I'm sure anything is possible, and they will help you if they can.

Maybe some of our golfing fraternity can advise if the langurs frequent the golf course, because that area would almost certainly be accessible.

Regarding your cheapo go-pro camera that you have purchased to film them. I have a go-pro, but wouldn't dream of trying to film the elephants with it, although it might be great for filming the drive through the national park in the back of the safari truck. It will make a decent(ish) movie of the general scene if the langars are back, but if it's anything like my go pro, it will be useless for close-ups. I'm the last person to be advising on cameras, but I'd suggest you buy something cheap, with decent optical (not digital) zoom.
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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If you're looking for friendly monkeys, the gibbons (I think) at Cha-Am Forest Park are friendly, and will come over to sit with you.
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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Ok thanks Bigboy, we'll play it by ear regards the langurs.

I will read (properly this time) your report on Cha-Am forest park. I just love the idea of friendly monkeys.

And you're right re the action-cam thingy. Tried it out last night and while it works very well close up (will be good for the langurs I think) it couldn't catch with any detail the dog a man was walking across from my house, no more than 10 meters away. You could see he had something on a lead, but that was it. A big grey white blob on a lead being walked by a bigger vague blob. Whereas close up with my cat playing around it was better footage than I can make with my phone (granted tho I am rubbish with mobile phones).

Thanks again !
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

Post by hhinner »

If you're going to be in Prachuab on a weekend you might like to take in the beachfront night market held on Friday and Saturday evenings.
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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Yes, and there is an old photo thread on varios markets as well http://www.huahinforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26056
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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I love markets so will definitely check out the Prachuab weekend one. Thank you hhinner.

Bigboy, the market thread I copied in full for the last holiday, it was my "go to" doc for the whole holiday. Just read back through it and we (or at least I) went to all but one of the markets on it (skipped the Memory market). Pae Mai was my favourite, not that I actually bought much there, but it was just so fascinating. It so helped having the day time/night time views from the pics (made finding things so much easier)

If I am not taking this thread too far off topic, does any recommend the Saturday evening "old town/walking street" market in Pranburi?

Thanks again, it's all very much appreciated.
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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Pae Mae has had a recent upgrade, and is even better now.

I've only ever heard good things about the Pranburi market, but have never been yet.
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

Post by Juice81 »

MDMK wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2017 3:35 am Ahhhhhhh, You have an Ao Manao trip report as well. Brilliant. That's on my to-do list too (together with the elephants at KuiBuri). Thanks Bigboy. If it get to see some elephants and the dusky leaf langurs I'll be very happy! Will definitely read through all your other reports too.
Two years back my wife, our two small kids, my mother in law and I took a train to Prachuap Khiri Khan out of sheer fun to go to Ao Manao to stay one or two nights in the Airbase hotel. I had read earlier that you really don’t have to book you stay because the hotel is always half empty. What I did not realize was that the next day was Macha Bukha-day and the hotel was completely full. It was already late afternoon and there was no returning trains to Hua Hin anymore that day. We had to ask the reception to call us another motorbike taxi, which are by the way the only transportation from the center to the airbase, to go and find another hotel. After a grueling ride the driver, who was really scary according to my kids because of his glass eye and a crazy smile, found this fairly new designer hotel that had vacant rooms. We booked rooms from there for the night but then we heard that this one familiar thai guy was coming to Hua Hin by car from south and we managed to get a ride back at the same day and got my money back from the hotel. It was such an irritating experience because I should have found out some things rather than going with the flow. :banghead: Fortunately now we can laugh but back then it was a bit scary because no one there did not speak proper english and Prachuap Khiri Khan is much more underdeveloped than Hua Hin so you don’t get the same supermarkets, taxis and stuff to survive with small kids.
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Re: RE: Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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Juice81 wrote:
MDMK wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2017 3:35 am Ahhhhhhh, You have an Ao Manao trip report as well. Brilliant. That's on my to-do list too (together with the elephants at KuiBuri). Thanks Bigboy. If it get to see some elephants and the dusky leaf langurs I'll be very happy! Will definitely read through all your other reports too.
Two years back my wife, our two small kids, my mother in law and I took a train to Prachuap Khiri Khan out of sheer fun to go to Ao Manao to stay one or two nights in the Airbase hotel. I had read earlier that you really don’t have to book you stay because the hotel is always half empty. What I did not realize was that the next day was Macha Bukha-day and the hotel was completely full. It was already late afternoon and there was no returning trains to Hua Hin anymore that day. We had to ask the reception to call us another motorbike taxi, which are by the way the only transportation from the center to the airbase, to go and find another hotel. After a grueling ride the driver, who was really scary according to my kids because of his glass eye and a crazy smile, found this fairly new designer hotel that had vacant rooms. We booked rooms from there for the night but then we heard that this one familiar thai guy was coming to Hua Hin by car from south and we managed to get a ride back at the same day and got my money back from the hotel. It was such an irritating experience because I should have found out some things rather than going with the flow. :banghead: Fortunately now we can laugh but back then it was a bit scary because no one there did not speak proper english and Prachuap Khiri Khan is much more underdeveloped than Hua Hin so you don’t get the same supermarkets, taxis and stuff to survive with small kids.
That Airbase hotel idea sounds great. Are you able to get close to the airbase, see the aircraft?
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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If you enter from the Prachuap side, you have to cross the runway. There aren't many aircraft, and they look like little training jobbies to me.

You can enter the Historical Park during the day, which is inside the body of the airbase, However, if you started wandering into unauthorised places, I've no idea what might happen. Last time we went in August, we were told strictly no photos, but we still took a few aimed towards the historical tributes anyway.
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Re: RE: Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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Thanks Big Boy
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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MDMK, I was in Prachuap today to watch the footie. While I was there I nipped over to Ao Manao to see if your langurs were back.

I walked the walk where we used to see them. Whilst the undergrowth is growing back, there wasn't a langur to be seen. I then took a disappointed walk back to the car, when down the access road I saw something move. I walked a bit closer, and it was an adult langur, which soon disappeared.

I returned to my car to drive out, and there it was, huge smile on it's face, sitting on a window sill.

I'm sure if there's one, there will be others :D
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

Post by MDMK »

as long as they're still around somewhere I am sure I'll manage to entice them out

Thank you so very much for going out of your way on a recon mission!

I will most definitely report back in May (warning, I might not be able to shut up about them).
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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I gave an update on another thread on Thursday. Found the langurs and they are simply THE most adorable creatures ever. I can't rate a trip down there highly enough.

For anyone looking for them.... after the checkpoint where you leave your passport behind, head for the temple. Next to the temple while facing it there are stairs on the right hand side. Between the temple and the stairs there are some massive rocks with statues of langurs on them. You have to climb up the green bit between the temple and the stairs. Not far, maybe 30 to 50 paces. Sounds silly but follow your nose for the smell of monkey pee. It's quite potent.

Heading back down in a few days... would like to be as early as possible to avoid the heat (as much as one can). Does anyone know what time they will let you into the base?
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Re: Places to visit in Hua Hin

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This morning they were down at ground level (in the clearing with the langur statues) and they were even more adorable. I was giving out grapes (which were a hit) to a few in front of me, when one behind me got bored of waiting, so he just hopped on my shoulder. An old looking female was eating her grape with her right hand, sitting on a meter high tree trunk, when she stuck out her left hand towards me. .. so I put my hand in hers and we just held hands... for ages. I hate the word awesome as it's overused... but these little langurs are genuinely awesome!
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