For people who have been checking out my social media or who have been reading my previous blogposts, it is probably not something new to mention that I am currently enjoying a holiday in Thailand for the moment.
A very exotic and amazing destination in Asia, which ofcourse deserves a blogpost. Soon I will be discovering the capital city of Thailand, which is Bangkok, but first I am going to talk about the area where I stayed most of my time: Hua Hin.
Why did I stay in Hua Hin?
First of all, for this holiday I was looking for a place that was quiet and calm. I wanted to go on holiday without neglecting my studies too much. I was planning more of a beach holiday so that I could study during the day while still enjoying some holiday feeling.
I just felt like I needed a mental break since I have had quite some intense and tiring last few months. I felt like I needed to be away to rest and clear my mind…
I wouldn’t say I am a boring person that doesn’t like some party but this time I wanted peace and calmness. Places like Phuket and Pattaya might be full of life and might be fun to go to, but that was not what I was looking for this time, that is why I chose for Hua Hin.
I absolutely love this area of Thailand! Hua Hin is located in the more central part of Thailand (so between North and South) and is known for its luxury resorts for people that want to be away and rest. You won’t see a lot of young people though, it is more a place for families, but that didn’t bother me for the type of holiday I was looking for.
Next to that, it was not the first time I visited Hua Hin. I already did a holiday last year to this place and I directly fell in love with it. It is not only perfect for a relaxing beach holiday but there are also a lot of touristic hotspots to visit! I will show you all the touristic and nice places to visit if you ever plan to go to Hua Hin in my next blogpost.
Why I chose for Thailand?
Why did I chose Thailand out of all possible destinations that there is in the world? My slogan is: the further, the better. You can leave everything behind of your normal, regular life and just forget all your worries while you are physically very far from home. I really love it!
Next to that, I personally love the continent of Asia. The people are friendly and sweet, the weather is good and we all know Thailand is known as the country of the smile. What I also love about Thailand and in a lot of places (not all places!) in Asia is that it is actually quite safe to walk around as a tourist. Even though I am only 22 years old, I have travelled quite a bit in my young life and unfortunately it is not in every country safe enough to just walk around alone. It gives a lot of safety while keeping your freedom.
Oh, and unfortunately in Belgium we tend to associate Thailand with the prostitution part waaaay too often. Ofcourse that is a side of Thailand, but it is not so prevalent as you might think. I don’t think it happens more here than in Belgium to be honest, so leave these prejudices behind. 😉
Where did I stay overnight in Hua Hin?
I stayed at the beautiful five stars luxury resort of Intercontinental.
I don’t know if you know the Intercontinental chain, but in general it is known for its five stars hotels and resorts for people that love to travel in all luxury. I have stayed in more five star resorts and hotels in my life but I have to say this was probably one of the best I have ever stayed in.
When you arrive in the hotel, you get welcomed in such a friendly way. They really treat you like a star and everyone of the staff will talk with you regularly during your stay which really gives a warm feeling.
One of the most interesting aspects of this luxury resort is the fact that they have a private jet for people that want to fly directly from Bangkok airport to Hua Hin (note that it is quite a long way to drive with the bus from the airport so it saves a lot of time!). You really can see that this resort is only meant for the happy few and it gets frequently visited by big Hollywood stars and big world athletes. They showed me the ‘Wall of fame’ with people that have been staying at this hotel and it was quite impressive. Knowing that you stay in a hotel where people like Ryan Gosling or Maria Sharapova have stayed, really gives that extra special touch.
I got the superior room at the highest floor which had an amazing view over the big main pool, the beach and the surrounding area.
Even though the hotel was full booked, it was still very calm, peaceful and quiet to lay at the swimming pool. The hotel has multiple swimming pools but next to that you are only one step away from the beach which has nice white sand.
Not to forget to mention that this hotel has another thing that really makes it amazing. Okay, so everyone knows that I love shopping, right? Well, isn’t it amazing for every shoppinglover that the hotel is connected with a bridge to a big shopping mall in town! How amazing is that?
Oh, and close to the hotel there is a very big waterpark, which I ofcourse also visited but more about the interesting places in the surroundings of Hua Hin in my next blogpost Sunday.
The lovely shopping center that is connected with a bridge to Intercontinental resort. (Picture not taken by me)
If you think about Thailand, you also think about Thai massage. I think there is no other country as famous for their massages as Thailand so ofcourse I needed to get one while I stayed here. Also the spa was pure luxury and relaxation with again a very warm welcome of the employees. First you get welcomed with a little snack and tea in a beautiful environment with relaxing music. Then you get a one hour massage where they massage all body parts (or at least almost all bodyparts 😉 ) and you can chose between soft, medium and hard pressure according to your preference.
A typical Thai massage is a mix between acupressure, Indian Ayurvedic principles and assisted yoga postures. You also remain completely full clothed and there is no use of any oils or lotions.
Personally, I prefer an oil massage, and that is also what I got. Very relaxing and you feel reborn after one hour.
So relaxing that oil massage… The spa & wellness centre in Intercontinental really welcomes you in all luxury and friendliness. I had made a picture while getting the massage but I eventually didn’t post it here since I thought it was a little too revealing to make public. Am I prude?
The resort also has a kiosk, a bloomery, a giftshop and a library where you can read some books.
BUT one of the most important things for me is good food. :p The resort has 3 restaurants where you can go eat, but what I enjoyed the most was the beach dinner buffet they have each Friday.
For me that was one of my most cozy moments in Thailand. Sitting at the beach while eating dinner with some glass of wine while enjoying some live music and a fireshow. The food itself is also really good, I personally like the fact that they always offer a mix of European and Asian food so that you have some variety.
How cosy was that? A buffet dinner at the beach was really a nice experience.
Breakfast at Intercontinental: a wide variety of European and Asian breakfast…. So delicious… Oh, and look at that cosy breakfast place to sit on the last picture!
Oh, and the hotel also offers quite some extra activities. I also got up once very early morning (around 5.30 o’clock) to get some food to the monks. It is some special tradition: every morning the monks walk over the beach that all the big resorts share and the guests of these resorts (or atleast some of them) gave them a package of food for the day. I also did that once. It was a little hard for me to get up so early in the morning since I am not really used to that but I had some package of food provided by Intercontinental resort and then just decided to give it to the first monk I saw.
Well, that was a little bit of an embarassment. You know, I am not so used to the culture so I didn’t know what was really appropriate or not, so I thought if I just give it, it is fine. NOT! Apparently there was a whole routine you had to follow while giving it and you had to bend and then the monk had to give you a blessing. Not like me, giving it fast and then walking away like a headless chicken. Yeah well, people learn in the end. 😉 Atleast I did something good by giving food, though.
My boyfriend was too late to photograph a good picture (also my fault that I did it so fast) so this picture is not the best.
Look! Tennis player Rafael Nadal also gave food to the monks at the beach of Intercontinental resort of Hua Hin some time ago. He atleast did it the right way, not like me. -_- (Picture source: Intercontinental)
But yeah, I really enjoyed my stay in this beautiful resort. You get everything what you need for a relaxing holiday without anything to think about. The staff is always there when you need something and for the rest you can just relax and enjoy your free time. It is definitely a big recommendiation to stay here if you are planning to visit Hua Hin one day.
Atleast, if you have a big wallet, because this big luxury also ofcourse has its price…
