![\"khao=sam-roi\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/khaosam-roi-800x450-1.jpg\")
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Your Thailand beach getaway solved!<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for a sunny beach holiday in Thailand,\u00a0Cha-Am and\u00a0Hua\u00a0Hin\u00a0are popular resort towns on the beautiful Gulf of Thailand <\/a>coast, about 140km from\u00a0Bangkok Airport.<\/p>\n Popular as weekend escape destinations for\u00a0Bangkok\u00a0residents, these once sleepy fishing villages offer golf, spas, sandy beaches and cool breezes \u2013 but that\u2019s where the similarity ends.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve looked at the character and amenities of both destinations to help you choose which one is perfect for you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hua\u00a0Hin\u00a0comes with a prestigious history to recommend it. In the 1920s, King\u00a0Vajiravudh\u00a0and King\u00a0Prajadhipok\u00a0built summer palaces here to escape Bangkok\u2019s stifling heat, leading the way for\u00a0Hua\u00a0Hin\u2019s\u00a0destiny as a top getaway destination.<\/p>\n Hua Hin still attracts well-heeled locals on the weekends, but it\u2019s popular with tourists and expats, too. This bustling cosmopolitan town has everything you need, with vibrant night markets, delicious street food, lively nightlife and affordable seafood restaurants around the port.<\/p>\n The almost five-kilometre-long beach is sandy with some smooth boulders at the entrance. Further along the beach, towards the Buddha-adorned headland of\u00a0Khao\u00a0Takiab, you\u2019ll find soft white sand and calm warm waters, which compare favourably with better-known resort towns such as\u00a0Pattaya\u00a0and\u00a0Khao\u00a0Lak.<\/p>\n High-rise hotels line the beach offering a range of accommodation options, from local guesthouses to international hotel groups.<\/p>\n Kiteboarding, fishing,\u00a0eco-cruises, elephant trekking, cycling and pony rides are all available at very affordable prices. Visitors can get around using local songthaews<\/em> (shared minibus services) to visit family-friendly attractions, such as Black Mountain Water Park with its cooling water slides, wave pool and Lazy River tube ride.<\/p>\n The Thais are renowned for their spas and wellness centres, with indulgent massages, Reiki healing treatments and\u00a0detox\u00a0therapies all on offer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With a world-class golf course, Thai cooking schools, the\u00a0Klai\u00a0Kangwon Palace\u00a0(which translates to \u2018Far From Worries\u2019) and local wildlife spotting at the Khao Sam Roi\u00a0Yot\u00a0National Park, it\u2019s hard to beat\u00a0Hua\u00a0Hin\u2019s\u00a0broad range of attractions and vibrant\u00a0ambience.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Closer to\u00a0Bangkok\u00a0than\u00a0Hua\u00a0Hin\u00a0by around 26km,\u00a0Cha-Am boasts Thailand\u2019s longest beach and some of the best golf courses in the country, including the one at Springfield Royal Country Club, which was designed by former professional golfer, Jack\u00a0Nicklaus.<\/p>\n Cha-Am remains a serene choice, with palm trees lining the beach rather than high-rise structures. The town is dotted with coffee houses offering a pleasant place to sit and people-watch with a foamy latte and a decadent slice of coconut cake. \u2018OKay\u2019, the town\u2019s main supermarket, has a selection of\u00a0expat\u00a0food and a library of\u00a0second-hand\u00a0books, while \u2018The Baguette\u2019 bakery does a roaring trade in fresh baguettes and gooey pastries.<\/p>\n Many boutique hotels in\u00a0Cha-Am are set in shady flower gardens that buzz with cicadas. Suspended coconut shells hold blooming orchids, while urns of lotus flowers welcome guests in many hotel foyers. Tourists still experience the gentle Thai culture in\u00a0Cha-Am, which adds to the\u00a0ambience\u00a0of this laid-back town.<\/p>\n Expert local tailors are happy to make bespoke suits, silk dresses and tailored clothing in a couple of days.<\/p>\n Cha-Am is ideal for sunbathing, fishing, shopping for crafts and jewellery and dining well on local seafood.<\/p>\n Not to be outdone by\u00a0Hua\u00a0Hin, it even has its own palace, Phra Ratchaniwet Mrigadayavan, which is about 8km south of the town. This royal residence consists of a collection of teak-built houses on stilts that are connected by raised walkways.<\/p>\n Cha-Am Forest Park is small but interesting to tour in an all-terrain vehicle. However, if you\u2019re looking for partying, nightlife, discos and clubs, you\u2019re probably better off heading south to\u00a0Hua\u00a0Hin.<\/p>\n [tabs]<\/span><\/p>\n [tab title=”Best Time to Visit” icon=”entypo-light-up”]<\/span><\/p>\n When to Go\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Both Hua\u00a0Hin and Cha-Am have pleasant tropical climates and can be visited all year round. The cooler months are from November to February; the hot season is from March to May; and the wettest months are from June to October when short sharp showers can be expected.<\/p>\n Festivals in Hua Hin and Cha-Am<\/strong><\/p>\n Popular cultural celebrations include Chinese New Year and the\u00a0Cha-Am Crab Pulling Festival, which are both in February, the International Kite Festival in March, Songkran (Thailand\u2019s most important celebration) in mid-April and the Loy\u00a0Krathong\u00a0Festival in November, which is when candlelit banana leaf boats are set adrift on \u00adwater.<\/p>\n In addition, Hua\u00a0Hin has its Ballooning Festival through February and March, the Kiteboarding World Cup in March, the Summer Festival in May, Jazz Festival in June and Food Festival in December.<\/p>\n The King\u2019s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in September is a major Hua Hin attraction, hosted by the Anantara<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/tab]<\/p>\n [tab title=”Where to Stay” icon=”entypo-suitcase”]<\/span>Where to Stay<\/strong><\/p>\n Hua\u00a0Hin:<\/strong> The exceptional\u00a0Chiva-Som<\/a>\u00a0consistently earns a mention in the Conde\u00a0Nast\u00a0Traveller Readers\u2019 Choice Awards. The four star\u00a0Royal Pavilion<\/a> offers excellent value, as does the three star\u00a0Baan\u00a0Chalelarn<\/a>, which is close to the pier.<\/p>\n Cha-Am:\u00a0Prices are generally lower in\u00a0Cha-Am than\u00a0Hua\u00a0Hin,\u00a0so the four-and-a-half star\u00a0Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort and Spa<\/a>\u00a0represents excellent value for money. The five star\u00a0Cera<\/a>\u00a0offers a shuttle to the nearby beach, while the three-and-a-half star\u00a0Regent\u00a0Cha<\/a>\u00a0is right on the ocean. [\/tab]<\/p>\n [tab title=”Getting There” icon=”entypo-address”]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How to Get There<\/strong><\/p>\n There are frequent\u00a0cheap flights to Bangkok\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0Suvarnabhumi\u00a0Airport (BKK) from Malaysia with Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways. The final journey to\u00a0Cha-Am or\u00a0Hua\u00a0Hin\u00a0can be completed by train (which is slow but scenic),\u00a0a VIP\u00a0coach direct from\u00a0Bangkok airport, a minibus from the Victory Monument (Anusawari\u00a0Chai), or by private taxi. [\/tab]<\/p>\n [tab title=”Visa Requirements” icon=”entypo-book”]<\/span><\/p>\n Visa Requirements<\/strong><\/p>\nSand and Spas in Bustling<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Hua<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Hin<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"khao-sam-roi-park\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/khao-sam-roi-park-800x450-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"hua-hin-beach\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/hua-hin-beach-800x450-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHua Hin Hotels & Activities<\/h3>\n
Coffee Shops and Charm at<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Cha-Am<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"cha-am-bicycles\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/cha-am-bicycles-800x535-1.jpg\")
Bicycles in Cha-Am \/ CC by 3.0 \/\u00a0Amy Thibodeau<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\nHotels and Activities in Cha-Am<\/h4>\n
![\"Novotel\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/novotel-cha-am-hua-hin-800x600-1.jpg\")
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