dko3tgk

My family is thinking of taking a one week trip to SE Asia in the middle end of this August. I have been to SE Asia 4 times and loved most of it. I have narrowed it down to Bali and Hua Hin. I know that the locations are very different, but it is strictly a short beach vacation. So no Ubud or rice paddies in BAli. we are on a budget, so probably no Oriental, Four Seasons, Ritz, Peninsula, etc. My family requirements are beach, activites, local flavor, golf, and maybe snorkelling. This is the first trip to Asia as a family so no open air bungalows. It will be a family of four. Two parents early 50's and two sons mid 20's.

My questions are:
1. Which place is in season, weather wise?
2. Which location has the biggest discount on hotels these days?
3. Is there another destination that you would also suggest in lieu of Hua Hin or Bali. Keep in mind that both Hua Hin and Bali were both chosen due to lack of connecting flight, as the csae with Koh Samui or Phuket or Bintan, etc.

Thanks for your advice.

JamesA

I humbly admit that I am not a Bali fan, so I will just tell you what I can of ua Hin.

It's a cab ride from bangkok Airport, takes just under 3 hours. remember taxis are per vehicle so I would go the 'extra' and take the mercedes Limo service which is about USD 60, so that's $15 each. return from Hua Hin to bangkok decent car is about $35-40 for the vehicle.
Hua Hin beach is not brilliant, it is not a Samui or Phuket.
You can get accommodation from $30 upwards easily.
The Marriott is about $60-70 a night. You can walk into town. If you want to drop down in price 'Kaban Tamor/S'mor Spa' is I guess about $45. Baan Duangkaew is about $30.

Here's a local Hua Hin site with some hotel tips and prices

http://www.huahin.4t.com

They also have links to other places along the coast.

There is no snorkeling in Hua Hin, you have to go about 3 hours south to Bang Saphan. As you are traveling with your sons I just 'wonder' if you thought about some Jungle time? You can get to the River Kwai in a couple of hours from bangkok by taxi or train, spend a couple of nights in a river resort and your sons can shoot off and do Sea Kyack, Elephant Rides, $WD adventures whlist you can take in the Museums and relaxing river activities. You can then just get a car down to Hua Hin ( you bypass bangkok heading South East direction ) in about 3 hours. So you get a mix of fun plus beach, maybe an idea?
Hua Hin isn't Kuta! A couple of discos, quite a few bars, but it is not a yound ravers place! Therey are heavily into Eco-sports and there are plenty of such tours from Hua Hin ( you can gert a day trip to snorkel ). Hua Hin is very safe and quiet! But there are some bars and cafes though everything closes up by Midnight.

Another option could be Jomtiem beach, about 15 minutes past Pattaya. About $35-30 gets a good 3-star hotel, food is cheap, and you can get into pattaya for shopping, dinner cruises and entertainment.
Anyway take a look at that site and it should give you ideas, they actually I think have an ideas/tips page that is quite handy for getting ideas of where to go.

JamesA

Sorry forget to repond re-golf. Hua Hin has 8 courses and the area is well famous for golf. 18 holes costs about US$28-30, it is cheaper Monday to Friday, you can book tee-times everywhere. There is a course just over the railway line which is the original Hua Hin Gold Course. Springfield, Lakeview and Milford are also good.

rhkkmk

i have been to hua hin and plan bali for next june....hua hin is a bit laid back and great value for money, especially the marriott where i think your boys would love the pool and the beach and the 5 minute (50 cent) ride into town for the bars, etc...
bali is more expensive although the bali hyatt has an $80/nite deal at them moment...it is also much further with a stop in singapore or the like...i did just get an $880. flier from asian affair holidays for bali with 5 nites hotel included...www.asianaffairholidays.com...good 8-21 to 10/31/03
as james has said there are also great golf courses...
hire a private car to take you from bangkok for the 2.5 to 3 hour trip (a bit boring)...you will want a couple of days in bangkok too, especially the boys in the entertainment areas...enough said about that....
i like the marriott resort and spa in bkk as well...both hotels owned by same thai company...
i think the wweather would be good in both places although it is the less desirable time, except for bali...jamesA can tell you better about that info
enjoy

dko3tgk

Thanks for the info James and rhkkmk
I have been to Hua Hin before, alone and stayed at the MAriott. I had already decided that if it was Hua Hin, I would stay at the Marriott again. Very nice staff. BEautiful grounds. Beach is more swimmable than the Sofitel. Breakfast is average-above average for Thailand.

What's the best way to hire this Mercedes limo from the airport? Just walk up to any counter? Are all the prices the same? There are four of us. Does one car accomodate that? And how is it done on the way back? We are all fairly tall, 5'11"-6'1"(not including mom of course) Can we book a mercedes limo with ease on the way back to BAngkok?

And while I have your attention. Where are a few suggested places to eat in Hua Hin town. I mostly ate from street vendors and at the Marriott last time.

Last question. Golf. I played the Royal Hua Hin last time, and found the course to be very dry. Greens were brown. Fairways patchy. I'm probably going to play one round with the boys. Which course should I pick?

Thanks again for all your help.

Hanuman

Golf - In Hua Hin there are two very good courses: Lake View and Springfield. Springfield is a Jack Nicolas designed course with excellent condition. Lake View offer 27 holes or 3 - 9 hole courses. Course A & B are traditional courses which is a little bit hilly while course C is what they call the desert course. This course look like you're playing in Arizona with waste traps, cactus etc. Unless you're a mid to low handicap golfer I would not play course C but if you are experienced then it's a lot of fun.

JamesA

On arrival at airport go to the official Limo Desk/counter, prices are fixed, cars clean drivers good. Usually Mercedes sometimes Volvo. B 2,500 approx, I think they will also do you a van, more expensive but divide the extra by 4 and that's fine.

As you probably know you won't find the nice Thai style likes of restaurants of Phuket/Pattaya/Samui, it's mostly Euro stuff with the odd Thai pseudo restaurant here and there.

I used to go down a lot, now perhaps once every couple of months, afraid that for weekend breaks from BKK we tend to do Jomtien/Pattaya these days.

rhkkmk

first the limo---as i remember you walk to the left after exiting customs and as you are leaving the building, the limo desk is on your left....you can arrange it then and there....i paid $65. us for the trip from jw marriott, sukumvit rd, bkk to hua hin marriott in nov, '02 for this limo ride...the trunk is large but may be a problem for 4 adults unless you do not have tons of luggage...they will arrange something for you...their phone number is: 8.733333... i called them from the jw and arranged the trip....we did not take them back, to save money....instead we arranged for a van to take us ---the hua hin marriott arranged it....they offered more expensive means but i kept asking them for a cheaper means, but better than the bus...it was a private van that stopped at several hotels in hua hin and cha am and then direct to bkk...we paid 590B each...it was ok, the a/c was only ok in the van...but it was much cheaper (theis took us to the peninsula, not the airport)..

the airport limo would however have come for us for the same price....their service was excellent..

eating---we also ate at the marriott, but our two best meals were south of town up on the hill at the LA Mer restaurant---take a taxi, not a tuk, tuk...fabulous fish meals very reasonable...great view looking down the beach back toward hua hin...we also ate at the maha raja restaurant on the street that the hilton is on in town---great indian food....it is on the same side of the street as the hilton but down the hill a bit ---there are at least 2 indian restaurants...go to this one its great---i may have it spelled incorrectly however, but you will know it....there are men out on the street trying to get you to come in...we did not eat at any of the in town fish places--they just did not look appealing to us...people complained about the german restaurant across from the hilton so we didn't try it either..

if the marriott offers a themed evening at the italien restaurant go---it was a fabulous experience and meal....ed thompson, a texan, is the food guy at marriott...seek him out and say hello

have a blast

dko3tgk

Thank you for the info guys. Very helpful. The info on the golf was good. Especially the info on the restaurants. La Mer sounds nice.

Another question for the Hua hIn experts. Since you two seem to go every month. I've only been there once.
SIm cards for mobile phones. I want to buy AIS aka. 1-2 call prepaid SIm cards. Usually I buy them from MBK in BKK. But since I will be in Hua HIn first I want to buy them from somewhere in Hua Hin. Do either of you know where I could buy it in town? And what the prices are for the prepaid cards. I don't want a guy charging me more when they are generally a set price in BKK. Thanks again. You guys sure know alot.

dko3tgk

Last time I was in Hua Hin I remember passing the Bali Hai dinner theater or something. Anyone experienced it? Is it still there? What is it like? Is it worth it? What are the prices?

Also if someone could also answer the previos post about SIM cards that would be appreciated too.
Thanks

JamesA

The original Bali Thai was in a large garden area next to Satukarn square in the center of town, every time we went to Hua Hin we all went there, every time! Food and service and show was simply brilliant, the tops, then they 'had to' move to another location near the Marriot, anyway they closed down and all packed off to Phuket where they have opened near Karon beach. It was honestly one of the reasons we went down for weekends, fab show, great people, but seems not enough business there and they all went back to Phuket, great shame. So afraid there's no entertainment left at all in Hua Hin. Hence we usually head to Pattaya or Jomtien for weekends now.