Once the playground of the kings of Thailand and renowned due to its magnificent beach and rolling hills, Hua Hin is now a vacation hotspot fit for a royal getaway.

The gods, they say, like to play in places where only few mortals can enter. And, as can be expected, their pastimes are quite exotic for those blessed with but a single lifetime. One can’t be faulted for suspecting the reason for the moniker Hua Hin has been given is partly based in fact; for one, who else would combine the ethereal joy of a vast woodland of mountains with the buoyant cheer of beautiful beaches? Those hallowed above ordinary mortals, one might suspect. And when one learns of how games were once played here with elephants (the flesh-and-blood variety, mind, not just as mascots on costumes or effigies) one can’t be faulted for beginning to wonder about whether Hua Hin was meant to be a retreat from the torturously complicated lives of kings and gods.

Located an easy three-hour drive from Bangkok, luxuriously developed Hua Hin is famous for its magnificent beach which, separated at one end from a still active fishing village by a rocky headland, curves gently for some 3 km. to its southernmost point where Buddhist temples cling to the cliffs. Beyond lies another, more secluded beach, the Hat Khao Tao.

Hua Hin is further distinguished as Thailand’s oldest beach resort, coming into vogue in the 1920s as the retreat for the elite of Bangkok society, a status that was enhanced when King Rama VII chose the site for a summer palac which he named Klai Kangwon, meaning “Far From Worries.” A fine hotel and Thailand’s first 18-hole golf course, both still in existence, further cemented Hua Hin’s reputation for posh entertainment.

In spite of moving with the times to offer all modern amenities, Hua Hin has retained its own enduring Thai identity, thus offering an appealing sense of peace. Ideal for families, the main attraction is the offer of a lazy, balmy time lazing on the beach soaking up the tropical sunshine. However, there is also plenty to do away from the beach, like golfing at a number of courses, shopping at Hua Hin’s renowned Night Bazaar, sightseeing in the nearby historic town of Phetchaburi, and exploring Khao Sam Roi Yot (“Mountain of 300 Peaks”) National Park.