Not all of us are looking for the same kind of things when we go to a beach, some of us want quiet solitude, some want good music and parties, some want… well, the list could go on and on because every one has their own desires and thoughts on what makes a beach a “good” one. So I have decided to compare and contrast the beaches with a checklist of sorts. I have chosen ten different things that I think make or break a beach.
Before I begin, I must let you know that we have not been to EVERY beach in the Hua Hin area. We have only been to five, so those are the ones that I am including in this post. If you have been to any of the other ones, please leave a comment and tell us about them!
On that note… Here we go!
HUA HIN BEACH
LOCATION: This beach is located right smack dab in the city center of Hua Hin.
AMENITIES/LUXURIES: Beach chairs with umbrellas for rent (unsure about price as we could not find someone to help us), People selling various clothing items, souvenirs, toys, and snacks come by somewhat often and love to haggle. Horse riding lessons on the beach for 300 baht an hour.
CLEANLINESS: This beach was not very clean. There were remnants of horse poo in certain areas, plastic garbage littered everywhere, and my final NO on cleanliness as far as Hua Hin Beach goes, is that we found a used needle and syringe washed up right next to where Zoë was playing.
CROWDS: This beach is very crowded where there are beds, they are packed like sardines. There is more room where there are not any beds, at least when we were there.
FOOD/RESTAURANTS: There are resorts lining this beach and I didn’t see any restaurants that were actually lining the beach.
SUN/SHADE: Unless you rent a chair and umbrella, there is very little shade on this beach. I am a sun lover, but it was even too much sun for me.
WATER QUALITY: Murky, but warm. You do have to watch out for jellyfish, which can be difficult since you cannot see down to the bottom despite the depth.
SAND TYPE/QUALITY: Fine, white sand
SAFETY FOR CHILDREN: The only safety hazards that I could tell were jellyfish, the possibility of Zoë running in front of a horse (one of my few paranoia’s I admit) and the used needle on the beach.
PARKING/TRANSPORTATION: There is very little parking here. If you do get parking it costs 40 baht. Taking a tuk tuk or songtaew from anywhere in Hua Hin city will cost about 100-150 baht, from outside the city limits 150-300 baht.
TAKIAB BEACH
LOCATION: About 7 KM south of Hua Hin city center.
AMENITIES/LUXURIES: Beach beds with umbrella’s for rent for 50 baht a day. People selling various clothing items, souvenirs, toys, and snacks come by very often and love to haggle. Women will come to your beach bed and give you a massage, pedicure, or manicure for a very low price. Bathrooms and showers up and down the beach, usually at a 5 baht price tag. Horse riding lessons on the beach for 300 baht an hour.
CLEANLINESS: Very clean, the only thing marring the beach are the many seashells that are along the shore
CROWDS: Can be crowded in the later afternoon, but you can always find a bed for rent somewhere along the beach.
FOOD/RESTAURANTS: Many different restaurants line the beach, when you rent a bed, usually a restaurant comes along with it and you can get your food/drinks brought right to you. Most of the food that I have tried has been okay, but the fact that you can get Thai food brought right to you always makes me think it tastes better.
SUN/SHADE: Not much natural shade, but umbrellas come with every bed rented. You can ask them for more or less umbrellas (or shade), depending on how much you want to leave looking bronze (or like a lobster).
WATER QUALITY: Murky, but warm
SAND TYPE/QUALITY: Yellow, coarse sand littered with pretty seashells (great for little ones who like to hunt for them).
SAFETY FOR CHILDREN: You need to watch out for jellyfish in the water and horses up and down the beach.
PARKING/TRANSPORTATION: There is parking on each end of the beach and at a couple of places in the middle. We have never had am issue finding a place to park. If you are taking a tuk tuk or songtaew the price will be 150-250 baht from Hua Hin city center, possibly more from other areas around Hua Hin.
SAI NOI BEACH
(I apologize, I seem to have lost my picture of Sai Noi beach! I will take one and add it to this post soon.)
LOCATION: About 15 Km from Hua Hin city center
AMENITIES/LUXURIES: There are people renting out beach chairs, tables, and umbrellas. I have not rented any of them so I am not sure of the price (but I am sure it’s inexpensive… probably 20-50 baht). There are bathrooms and showers at a cost of 5-20 baht.
CLEANLINESS: The beach is lined with washed up seashells, sea debris, and garbage of all sorts. The last time that we went there it was also crawling with sand fleas. We haven’t been back since, but some friends of ours like going there so maybe it’s better now.
CROWDS: Very little, mostly locals when we have been there.
FOOD/RESTAURANTS: There are two restaurants that line the beach. We have tried one and the food was ok. I believe that you can order food to where you sit on the beach if you want.
SUN/SHADE: There is good amounts of both natural shaded areas and sunny areas.
WATER QUALITY: Murky, the most murky of all the beaches we have been to. Colder water.
SAND TYPE/QUALITY: Yellow sand, rough texture, almost like pebbles on part of the beach.
SAFETY FOR CHILDREN: This beach has a pretty extreme drop off in the water, so the waves are almost always choppy and you have to keep a very close eye on your children. There was broken glass on the beach also.
PARKING/TRANSPORTATION: There is parking up and down the street to the beach and we never had any issue finding a spot. To take a tuk tuk or songtaew it will cost you 300 + baht from Hua Hin city center.
PRANBURI NATIONAL PARK BEACH
LOCATION: About 30 km south of Hua Hin city center.
AMENITIES/LUXURIES: There are bathrooms up a ways inside the state park area. I think that they are free to use.
CLEANLINESS: This beach is the most pristine that I have found in the area. It seems almost untouched by humans, no garbage, etc.
CROWDS: Whenever we have gone to this beach there are very few others there. One day there were about 5 kite surfers and that seemed busy.
FOOD/RESTAURANTS: None that I know of.
SUN/SHADE: There is plenty of both.
WATER QUALITY: Pure, clean, and clear. The water here is the closest to tropical beach type water that I have seen around here.
SAND TYPE/QUALITY: Yellow sand, rough in texture, with sand grass spattered about.
SAFETY FOR CHILDREN: As far as I have seen, it is pretty safe. I am not telling you to take your eyes off your children, but the water is shallow and clear and not wavy. You should probably keep an eye open for jellyfish.
PARKING/TRANSPORTATION: There is plenty of parking throughout the park area. If you take a tuk tuk or songtaew be prepared to pay 800-1000 baht from Hua Hin city center.
SUAN SON (ARMY) BEACH
LOCATION: About 10 KM from Hua Hin city center.
AMENITIES/LUXURIES: Chairs for rent 20 baht, umbrellas for another 20 baht, low tables for 10 baht. There is a massage place up off the beach and a coffee cart. There is a market a bit of a walk from the beach that sells swimwear, toys, souvenirs, etc.
CLEANLINESS: This beach is pretty clean, there is some plastic garbage occasionally.
CROWDS: Not too crowded, you can always stake a pretty large area with no one around if you want to.
FOOD/RESTAURANTS: There is one of the cheapest and most delicious restaurants right off the beach. If you like green curry, you MUST try it at this restaurant!
SUN/SHADE: You will only get sun here during the morning hours, any time after 1 pm the massive trees block the sun almost completely.
WATER QUALITY: Murky and a little cold
SAND TYPE/QUALITY: Yellow/grey sand, rough in texture.
SAFETY FOR CHILDREN: This beach is very safe for all ages, it stays shallow for a long distance and then has a sand bar further out that causes the water to be calm near the shore. Watch out for jellyfish though.
PARKING/TRANSPORTATION: There is plenty of parking here, be aware that it does cost 20 baht to enter the park in your own car/scooter. To take a tuk tuk or songtaew will cost you at least 300 baht.
*** ONE LAST NOTE: All of these beaches have high tides that are up to the top of the beach until the afternoon usually at this time of year. Make sure to check with your hotel staff or the internet for times when the tide recedes.
Those are the details on the beaches here in Hua Hin area that we have enjoyed (or said we would never return to). What do you look for in a beach? What beach have you been to that you think is perfect and that we should see someday? Leave a comment and let us know!
And Three To Go 