Hua Hin, Thailand: Kitesurf Paradise

Ever since my first kiteboarding session last March in the cold, humid Hong Kong, I’ve been craving to kite abroad, at least somewhere warmer. Despite the beauty of this sports being tremendously mobile, by far I’ve only surfed in Hong Kong, along with a multitude of beaches along the southern coast of China. Until last week…

Hua Hin Beach is amazing. In addition to its incredibly long coast line which stretches some 6 kilometers from south to north, the beach has some of the whitest and finest sand I’ve even seen.

I got to the top of the Wat Kao Takiap, a.k.a. “Monkey Mountain”, the southernmost tip of the Hua Hin Beach to get an overview at the beach. Trust me, the picture does not do it justice.

First impression of Hua Hin: a small city exclusively for vacation – no major scenic attractions, no crazy night life (and thus no hangover). There’s only one main road runs from north to south through the city, making getting around the city remarkably easy.

Wikipedia’s page on Hua Hin District reads

Hua Hin town is on the coast of Hua Hin District. With an area around 86.36 km², the town has 50,169 inhabitants. It is a popular beach resort getaway for Bangkok residents.

Hua Hin Beach (ชายหาดหัวหิน) Hua Hin Beach extends some six kilometres southwards from a rocky headland to Kao Takiap, a headland with a Buddhist temple.

Kiting condition was spot-on: out of the 5 days that we went out to kite, I was using 7m on 3 days. The other 2 days I was using 9m / 11m kites. Wind direction is between side-on and side-shore, more towards side-shore. Small waves, measured less than 1m, break close to the beach.

However, beginners who are less comfortable with riding upwind might find this side-shore wind difficult. And they could found themselves in some head-scratching moments when losing boards in the middle of water.

The food is very enjoyable too. We frequented this small restaurant / massage place by the beach run by Tum [to update shop details] where we took breaks in between our kitesurfing sessions. A combo of a Fried Chicken Pad Thai and an ice-cold Coconut is just something to die for…

After devouring some good food, harness on, kite up, here we surf…

(Photo cred to Georgia, a friend in our group)

When to visit: for kiteboarders, the best season is probably March and April. Mid March is more ideal, as the wind temps to drop slightly when heading into April which is the raining season. The wind in Hua Hin is considered “thermo wind”, where as long as it’s not cloudy / raining, there should be wind around noon.

How to get to the beach:

There are buses getting to the center of Hua Hin from major cities in Bangkok. I took the bus operated by Bell (website: http://www.belltravelservice.com/) that took 3 hours from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to get to Hua Hin downdown. It costs around 250 Baht. (extra 20 Baht per luggage)

Where to store your gears:

There are multiple KBA schools by the beach and they charge a flat daily price for gear storage.

How to get around the city:

Personally I think the best way to get around is by scooters / motorcycles. The rental could easily get down to 160 Baht per day. Incredibly fun to explore the city in this way.