Those of you that read, International Affair: Kuala Lumpur, know that it was the first trip of my “Trips Under $100 series.” If you haven’t read it, shame on you! Haha , totally kidding. But you can check it out here.
This time, I took my keister to a town I am both familiar with and in the same country…. Hua Hin. Since I used to live in Hua Hin, I already had an idea of how and where to spend less than $100. So here’s the scoop: (you’ll have to stick to the end to see if I succeeded 😉
Cheapest Way to Get To Hua Hin:
Unfortunately, the cheapest way is also my least favorite way because I get carsick easily. But it’s not only the cheapest way, it’s the most convenient…. minivans.
Catching a van to Hua Hin can be done by various locations around Thailand: Victory Monument, Ekkamai Bus Terminal (Eastern Bus Terminal), Southern Bus Terminal, and a few others. I live in Sukhumvit so I hop on the BTS to Ekkamai and go from there. They have vans that run just about every hour, so it’s easy to go at odd hours, like after work. AND, would you believe it’s only 180 ฿ to take a van?! That’s only $5! Prices can go up to 280 ฿ if you want a hotel transfer, which I did because I was getting in late. (I had to leave right after work.)
Cheapest Places to Stay:
If you’re traveling solo:
There are a handful of adorable, and clean, hostels in Hua Hin. But the best is Jetty Hua Hin Hostel. It’s clean, the owner is such a doll, AND you can see the ocean. It’s not on the beach, but its right by the water and just a 5 min walk from the night market, which has THE best seafood ever!
Traveling as a Pair:
G House Hotel is the best bang for your buck if you’re with another traveller. It is clean, quiet and they have a free shuttle to take you to the beach, golf course, and market. It is not the best location, but the free shuttle is a great way to make up for that.
Getting Around:
It is super easy to get around Hua Hin. Mostly because it’s not that big of a town. But, if you don’t like walking, and you don’t want to pay for a Grab, Tuk Tuk or motorbike, you can take the town songthaew (song tao). They are either green, orange or white trucks with 2 rows of seats and writing on the side of the vehicle. See photo below becuase it’s real hard to describe these things if you’ve never seen one before.
Things To Do:
Eat the “catch of the day”:
Seriously, Hua Hin is a big fishing town. And all the seafood is fresh and most likely caught that morning. Here are my favorite places for fresh seafood:
As you can tell, I’m a fan of prawn – 150 ฿ @ random stall in ALL Thai
Free Activities:
If you are looking for more to do in Hua Hin, check out the best of Hua Hin.
Wrapping it up:
Ok, not including the free activities, here’s my itemized list for approximate cost:
Woo hoo!!! I succeeded on my quest to take a trip under $100! I gotta be honest, I was shocked at how cheap Hua Hin could really be and that I actually came up $40 ahead! Hua Hin isn’t the most exotic of locations in Thailand, but it is the most charming and has the best standard of food (which is really what drives me to go anywhere, haha).
Stay tuned for my next Trips Under $100 journey. Where do you think I should try? Leave your suggestion in the comments section below 🙂