For an easy, grown-up beach break within reach of Bangkok. Hua Hin is the Thai capital's traditional seaside, three hours south, with a long walkable beach, first-rate golf, night markets, vineyards and cave temples inland, and a royal, genteel air the islands do not have. It suits couples, families and golfers more than party-seekers.

When is the best time to visit Hua Hin?

November to February is the sweet spot, dry, cooler and comfortable, though it is also when Bangkok weekends here, so Saturdays are busy and worth booking ahead. March to May is hot but bearable by the sea; the June to October rains are lighter than on much of the Thai coast and tend to fall as afternoon showers, making midweek stays quiet and good value.

How do you get to Hua Hin from Bangkok?

By road it is about three hours, by hire car, taxi or coach. The more characterful option is the train down from the capital to Hua Hin's picture-book railway station, slower but memorable. There is also a small airport with limited flights, and van and ferry combinations across the Gulf, but for most visitors the car or the train is simplest.

Is Hua Hin good for families?

Very. The beach is long, calm and safe for swimming, the town is easy and unthreatening, and there is plenty to fill days beyond the sand, horse riding on the beach, the monkey temple at Khao Takiab, water parks and the vineyards inland. It is one of the more family-friendly beach destinations in Thailand, with short transfers and no party scene to navigate.

Is Hua Hin better than Phuket or the islands?

Different, rather than better. Hua Hin is closer to Bangkok, calmer, more Thai in its crowd and stronger on golf and genteel ease; it lacks the dramatic scenery and clear snorkelling water of the Andaman islands. Come here for a relaxed, accessible beach break, especially paired with the capital; go to Phuket or the islands for postcard beaches and diving.

Boutique Hotels in Hua Hin, Thailand

Where to stay in Hua Hin

Hua Hin runs along a single north-to-south beach, with the town at its heart and quieter stretches at either end. Where you land on it sets the pace of the stay.

Central Hua Hin

The middle of town is the liveliest part: walkable to the night markets, the railway station and the restaurants, with the beach at the bottom of the street. It is the choice if you want to step out of the door into the town rather than drive to it. Cape Nidhra sits right here, an all-suite beachfront hotel where every one of the sixty suites has its own private pool, with a saltwater infinity pool and a rooftop bar above the sand, a genuinely luxurious base a short walk from the middle of everything.

Khao Takiab and the south

Four kilometres south, the beach quietens towards Khao Takiab, the "chopstick hill" topped by a temple and a troop of resident monkeys. This end feels more like a Thai beach village than a resort strip, calmer, cheaper, slower.Anantasila Beach Resort is here, a warm, family-run place with a long sea-view pool and some of the friendliest service in Hua Hin, a good-value base for a beach-first stay away from the town's bustle.

What to do

See the beach first, on foot or on horseback, the horses have worked this sand for generations. Ride the vintage railway or just photograph the station, the prettiest in Thailand. Climb Khao Takiab for the view and the monkeys, and drive up to the Phra Nakhon Khiri palace at neighbouring Phetchaburi. Inland lie the vineyards of the "Monsoon Valley" and the strange sandstone hills and cave temples of Sam Roi Yot national park. And eat at the night markets, which are the point of any evening here.

Golf

Hua Hin is Thailand's golf capital, and has been since the country's first standard course opened beside the railway station in 1924. A dozen courses now lie within half an hour, several of them among the best in the country, laid out through hills, pineapple plantations and, in one memorable case, the grounds of an old palace. Most hotels, including both of ours, will arrange tee times and transfers.

When to go

The best months are November to February, cooler, dry and comfortable, which is also when Bangkok escapes down here at weekends, so book ahead and expect company on Saturdays. March to May is hot but manageable by the sea. The rains come between June and October, lighter here than on much of the coast and usually confined to afternoon showers, and midweek stays in this window are quiet and good value.