Our first baby steps in Hua Hin

Sun, sand and sea @Hua Hin

In case anyone is wondering where the Stranger in Bangkok went to, the answer is that I am still here in the city of angels (also known as Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit), enjoying the very perfect winter (though it's slowly getting less cool) and trying to get back into the groove of having a decent volume of business after 2 idle months (thanks to the floods).

If you are a frequent reader of this space, a trend that you wouldn't have missed is that my posts in the last few months have revolved around food. If that's what you think I am doing in Bangkok, eating and only eating, this post will prove you wrong, because I am only going to post 1 picture on food, yes, only 1!

Here you go, 1 picture right? Hua Hin's famous seafood!

Anyway, this post is on a trip in October to Hua Hin with Li Li and 2 of our dearest friends in Bangkok, Wendy and Nueng. I am embarrassed to call this our babymoon because prior to this, my baby has already been to Greece (unknowingly), Singapore and other smashing parts of Thailand like Amphawa. However, since this is likely to be the only trip we deliberately planned in view of the impeding arrival of our little one, I shall call this our official babymoon.

Wendy and Nueng taking a leisurely stroll at our nice resort Baan Talay Dao

I don't actually like visiting places which are infested with overseas tourists. I am a foreigner myself, but since I am ready to call Thailand my second home, I would like to visit places where Thai people go to, like the Khao Yai area or places like Sam Chuk Market, where I can easily pass off as a local. That said, it's still peculiar that I took 2 full years to take my first step in Hua Hin, a leisurely resort town situated 3 hours drive from Bangkok (I've been to a more secluded Cha Am before though). Thanks to Nueng's recommendation, I am happy to have enjoyed myself immensely there before it is completely taken over by foreigners (please don't become another Pattaya).

Pretty mom chilling in our room

Aside of eating and chilling at our resort (in our rooms and by the beach), Hua Hin has a couple of new man-made attractions, Plearn Wan (a "feel-good" market that tries to bring you back to the 80s) and a new Hua Hin floating market, which is really just a market around an artificial canal. I think these, as my friend would say, are places Bangkokians open (miles away from Bangkok) to earn money from fellow Bangkokians.

The 3 pretty ladies at the entrance of Plearn Wan

One of the many colourful photospots at Hua Hin Floating Market

Since there's nothing unforgettable, let's capture those memories with our camera

Without being too critical, I have to say that these 2 places, though artificial, do exude an air of nostalgia and light-heartedness. If you are just looking for a place to have a slow stroll and some nice pictures taken, these places fit the bill perfectly. But beware of falling into the trap of buying too many things back for your colleagues as most items could easily be found in Bangkok(possibly at a cheaper price).

Another view from our excellent resort

At the end of the day, going to Hua Hin is all about throwing all your worries away and sitting around with your best mates. So what if most leisure spots are artificial, so what if the sand is not the whitest? As long as there is the sun, the sea, GOOD SEAFOOD and a laugh with people whom you love hanging out with, what's not to love?

Final group photo before we went to look for EVEN MORE seafood

Thank you Wendy for being such a great companion in Thailand, and thank you Nueng for recommending the resort and driving us all the way there (sorry for making you sick!).

Hua Hin's a great place, I just have a feeling my baby would want me to bring him back again, soon, to see everything with his own eyes.