A Quick Recharge in Hua Hin, Thailand.

A Quick Recharge in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Time really does fly. Just under two years ago I began posting about my 2015 travels across Thailand. Over the course of two months I put out 13 articles covering my adventures in Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Sangkhlaburi and Phetchaburi. This took me to roughly the halfway point of my travels.

Thus it seemed like a good opportunity to take a break and write about other countries. Somehow, that little break has turned into nearly two years! Needless to say it’s high time that I put out the second half of my escapades and file Thailand under that most treasured of blogging drawers: done and dusted.

April 2015.

After my eventful stay in the monkey metropolis of Phetchaburi, the time had finally come to head down south for some exploring around Thailand’s world famous coastline. The plan had been to go directly to Krabi, a transport hub town which serves as a gateway to some of Thailand’s most beautiful islands.

However, at the last moment I decided I just couldn’t face the 9-hour minibus ride. Moreover, I had recently launched my first blog, Leighton Literature. With plenty of writing and design work to do, I resolved to delay the trip and take a few days off. What’s more, I reckoned my body needed a recharge after the frenetic travels of the previous three weeks. Scanning Google Maps, I saw that the city of Hua Hin was just an hour away by bus. Yeah, that’ll do, I thought.

A Quick Recharge in Hua Hin, Thailand..

I arrived in the city with no desire whatsoever for exploring. Even finding a place to stay had seemed like a chore, though I ultimately took care of my booking on the bus. My digs was the cosy and leafy Victor Guesthouse, located on a side street off Naresdami Road, the main drag. I see they’ve had a grand refit and expansion in recent years.

I immediately felt at home in Hua Hin, where the quietness at Victor Guesthouse enabled me to sleep long and soundly. When I eventually dragged myself up each day, I’d head out to Natcha Restaurant for four or five hours of blogging. I liked this slow-moving cafe the moment I entered. The owner, a local lady, had taken it over from her mum and dad, who’d opened the joint back in the 1960s.

With courteous nods and warm smiles, she brought me my many coffees and the dishes I ordered. I loved the fact that her place was so calm, but also felt bad that she didn’t have a few more customers. In fact, the only other interaction I had during my visits was with a local lottery vendor. Every day she came by, stopped in front of me, and launched into a muttering monologue. Then moved on soundlessly after my sympathetic smile.

Natcha Restaurant.

I have such fond memories of those peaceful afternoons at Natcha Restaurant. It was here that I fumbled with a batch of my earliest articles and began figuring out how I wanted my website to look. Around midday I’d pause for lunch to devour a plate of Pad Thai or Chicken & Veggie Stir-fry with cashew nuts.

On my last day in town, Mama Natcha treated me to a complimentary dessert, Thai Khao Lam. While not incredibly appealing to look at, I did enjoy this coal-roasted bamboo tube of sweet, sticky rice.

Mixed with sugar, red beans and coconut cream, it went really well with my hot, frothy cappuccino. It was such a kind gesture, I wish I could’ve done more to promote her restaurant online. Permanently closed says Google, when one looks up Natcha today.

In the late afternoons I would take a long stroll down Hat Hua Hin Beach. Always ignoring the high-pitched calls of the tuk-tuk drivers along the way. There were too many tuk-tuks in that city and not enough takers. Indeed I often came across long rows of empty vehicles, their owners having long given up on the prospect of a ride.

A Quick Recharge in Hua Hin, Thailand.

I found myself pleasantly surprised by the beach, which was pretty and had a solid history behind it as one of the country’s oldest seaside resorts. I say surprised because I’d read numerous articles describing Hat Hua Hin as “unspectacular” and “ordinary”. Well… I supposed in Thailand it was up against some stiff competition.

Situated on the Gulf of Thailand’s west coast, the city started out as a traditional fishing village. Its fortunes transformed with the arrival of a railway line from Bangkok in 1903. This sparked a flurry of development, including a fancy hotel and numerous cafes, restaurants, stores and markets.

Before long, Thai noblemen and aristocracy began flocking to Hua Hin to sample its clean white sands and crystal waters. By 1911 even royalty had set up camp when Prince Nares, Thailand’s Minister of Public Works, built himself a grand private residence.

According to various online accounts, Hua Hin fell on hard times during World War II. Bombs fell, resorts closed, royalty fled. Later, the city enjoyed only a modest comeback between the 1960s and 1980s. By the 90s it had fallen victim to southern Thailand’s eruption of popularity. Right enough, most backpackers and expats fly into Bangkok before heading straight for the islands, ignoring Hua Hin altogether.

Beachy Afternoons.

A bit of a sad story for the people of Hua Hin, then. Especially those whose income relies so heavily on passing tourism. For me though, strolling along the five kilometres of Hat Hua Hin Beach each day, the vibe was just perfect

With large stretches of empty sand all to myself, these were great opportunities for reflection. A chance to plan my upcoming weeks in the south. To map out, in my head, a rough itinerary for Singapore and Malaysia following the end of my initial 30-day stay in Thailand. Here and there I’d come across scatterings of people, all locals, or at least domestic tourists. A boy picking shells out of a rock pool….

… a family working together on constructing a sandcastle. Spot the guy who’s clearly not a team player.

It was also pleasing to see that the beach was good for water sports. One late afternoon I saw a group on a company outing piling into a banana boat for some high-speed antics.

Next, I caught the rare sight of another westerner. The brave soul was kite surfing, an activity I am definitely more comfortable watching than doing. He seemed to be hanging on for dear life. Or maybe that’s the stance of a professional, who knows.

A Quick Recharge in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Elsewhere I encountered a few surfers, in addition to this trusty dog who’d been asked to keep an eye on his owner’s board. A task he was taking very seriously. “Move along please, nothing to see here”. 

Similarly curious was this quartet of empty deckchairs and a lone beach bag. Where had they gone? Were they even coming back? I guessed Hua Hin was pretty safe for them to just leave for a while, unconcerned about their stuff.

Sunset and dusk were the best, of course. I had been expecting, at the very least, a bit more foot traffic at this magical time of the evening. But it was truly a non-event and I was able to enjoy the shifting colours mostly for myself.

It was around sunset one evening that I believe I saw my first and only Thai cowboy. He and his steed were plodding, as slowly as you could imagine, back towards the city in the opposite direction from me. It was a nice moment in which, and I kid you not, he actually tilted his hat at me as he went. Priceless.

“Sawadee, Partner”. 

I’m certainly glad I decided to take a brief recharge in Hua Hin. It was the first time in the entire trip that I’d taken my foot off the gas and the rewards were obvious.

When I think about Hua Hin now I find myself reflecting on a beautiful but somewhat forgotten corner of Thailand. I remember fondly my early missteps in travel blogging. And wonder what happened to the lady who owned Natcha Restaurant. In my mind’s eye the cowboy continues to trot up and down the sands on horseback. And that doggy is still sitting patiently by the surfboard thinking: “Ok, this really has been too long”. 

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