The Beauty of Hua Hin
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n many ways, Hua Hin is a just hop, skip and jump away from Bangkok. A quiet little beach resort town, it is just 2.5 to 3 hours away from Bangkok by auto. Hua Hin has long been favored by the royal family since Prince Chakrabhongse first visited on a hunting trip. King Rama VII built a summer palace and named it Klaikangwon,“far from worries”. As Thailand’s first seaside holiday destination, wealthy Bangkok residents built their holiday homes there and Hua Hin flourished. Now, Hua Hin is a great destination for a getaway, with long white sandy beaches, safe swimming and plenty of fun activities. Tranquil yet vibrant, Hua Hin offers breathtaking events and activites, lively night markets and a dreamy vineyard that proves relaxing doesn’t have to be boring! Even going to the local malls is a treat. Opened in 2006, Market Village Hua Hin was the first major shopping complex in the city. Other than Tesco Lotus, Home Pro and Major Cineplex,
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Market Village also has a food court, restaurants and plenty of shops with popular clothing brands. Your little ones can amuse themselves in the play area upstairs or even learn karate or dance at the local classes held there every afternoon. Several themed events take place every week or so, from animal farms to Chinese New Year and even beauty pageants and fashion shows. Or a few minutes away is the BluPort Hua Hin Resort Mall. The largest and most impressive shopping mall in Hua Hin, the 5 Billion Baht Mall is a partnership between Proud Real Estate, (InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Vana Nava Water Jungle, True Arena, Le Colonial Beach Club) & The Mall Group, Thailand’s most impressive luxury shopping mall developer. BluPort boasts a line-up of over 1000 names in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, IT as well as entertainment for both family, friends and children. With outlets like H&M, UNIQLO, Coffee Club and the infamous Whaley Port for kids, the mall is the new iconic anchor of Hua Hin offering not only shopping but dozens of restaurants
to choose from as well as great theaters. It is open every day from 10 am to 10 pm. For those who don’t want to be inside, wander over to Cicada Market near Khao Takiab beach. This upmarket night market comes alive to celebrate the arts— it is a forum for local artists to exhibit and sell their work, with a weekend schedule of live entertainment. Visitors can pick up handicrafts, paintings, drawings, vintage bric-a-brac and specialty artisan items and accessories by local designers. At Cicada you’ll find items for sale that aren’t available at typical Thailand Night Markets. Set in tropical gardens, the ambiance is relaxed, stylish and bohemian, with paths illuminated by lanterns and fairy lights and art installations throughout. Two indoor galleries – The Art Factory – display the works of local artists and university students, plus a rotation of touring national and international exhibitions. Food vendors offer the full range of Thai street foods, from the local specialty of khao khluk kapi – fried rice with shrimp paste – to Pad Thai to Isaan (North
