Cha-am & Hua Hin

The towns are located an easy three hours drive from Bangkok, the resorts of Cha-am and Hua Hun are just 25 km. apart and present a choice of beach options. Characterised by the broad sweep of a casuarina-fringed shore, Cha-am is the smaller of the two but it is nearly all beach. Facing the sea is a wide choice of hotel acommodation, ranging from deluxe resorts will full recreational and entertainment amenities, to inexpensive but commfortable bungalows.

Larger and more luxuriously developed, Hua Hin is similarly renowned for a magnificent beach, which separated at one end from a still active fishing village by a rocky headland, curves gently for some 3 km. to its southern point where Buddhist temples cling to the cliffs. Beyond lies another, more secluded beach, Hat Khao Tao.

Hua Hin is further distinguished as Thailand's oldest beach resort, coming into vogue in the 1920s as the retreat for the elite of Bangkok society, a status that was enhanced when King Rama VII chose the site for a summer palace, which he named Klai Kangwon, meaning "Far From Worries". A fine hotel and Thailand's first 18-hole golf course, both still existience, further established Hua Hin's reputa-tion.

In spite of moving with the times to offer all modern amenities, Cha-am and Hua Hin have retained their own enduring Thai identity, and thus offer an appealing sense of palace. Ideal for families, the main attraction of both resorts is a peaceful time lazing on the beach soaking up the tropical sunshine.

However, there is also plenty to do away from the beach, like golfing at a number of courses, shopping at Hua Hin's renowned Night Bazaar, sightseeing in the nearby historic town of Phetchaburi, and exploring Khao Sam Roi Yot ("Mountain of 300 Peaks") National Park all have their own attraction.

Find Hotels & Resorts in Hua Hin

Find Hotels & Resorts in Cha-am

Getting There

Cha-am and Hua Hin are approximately a 3-hour drive from Bangkok, with buses departing regularly from the city's Southern Bus Terminal on Barommarat Chonnani Road (or well known as Sai Tai Mai). Both resorts may also be reached by train in 4 hours from the capital. There is also an air shuttle service on a 12-seat cessna, which takes 40 minutes. And there is a 12-seat van which departs from Victory Monument several times daily.

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