Mr & Missy in Thailand Day 2

We were up quite early (6+am) to ensure we catch the 8am mini bus to Hua Hin. After checking-out and a quick breakfast, we tried to walk to the Phaya Thai BTS station with the help of Google Map. "Tried" was the keyword because we couldn't find our way. Instead, we reached the tracks and saw the station but we couldn't walk along the tracks to reach the station!  

We tried to take tuk tuk but the driver was trying to overcharge us - he asked for a freaking 200 Bahts to the Victory Monument Station. Mind you, it was just 2 or 3 stations away. As for the cab, the driver told us that mini buses no longer depart from the terminal near Victory Monument and he wanted to send us to the bus terminal on the outskirts of Bangkok! We refused it of course. The big buses took longer to go to Hua Hin & they do not stop in downtown Hua Hin. Plus, we would be wasting a lot of money and time taking cab from downtown Bangkok all the way to the Southern Bus Terminal. 

We instead went back to the hotel and asked for directions to the nearest BTS station, which turned out to be Ratchathewi. It was about 15 min walk away, and we then took train for 2 stops to Victory Monument to try our luck and check out the mini buses for ourselves. And as soon as we walked down the stairs from exit 4, we found our bus terminal. The cab driver lied to us !!! 

View of Exit 4 from the bus terminal 

Entrance of the bus terminal

These are the mini buses which will bring you to different parts of Thailand at very affordable rates!

The mini buses leave every 30 min for Hua Hin and it cost 180 Bahts per person.  We took 830am bus which left promptly and reached Hua Hin around 1130am.  There was one pit stop along the way though. As there is no seat no on the bus ticket, if you want good seats, you should go to the bus at least 15 min before the scheduled departure time. As I read some online reviews that these buses pack passengers like sardines, we were quite concerned but it turned out not to be true. I wouldn't  say there was a big leg room but it wasn't cramped either. It was quite a comfortable 3-hour bus ride actually. However, if your luggage or backpack is big, the space might be quite tight for you. Lucky for us, each of us only had one backpack (a small one for me) so it was alright.

We alighted near the clock tower which even had a tourist information counter.   We walked there and asked them to help us call our pre-booked taxi driver to request him to meet us at the tourist information center. We didn't have a local sim card and thought that was the best way not to miss our driver. 

As we planned to meet at 12 noon, we had about 30 min left to grab lunch.  The vermicelli soup with pork balls made for a yummy lunch.  

Mister then had to get his Starbucks fix which also allowed us to utilize clean bathrooms at Starbucks.  We then walked next door to the tourist center, where our taxi driver was waiting for us. I still couldn't believe how everything turned out so great and convenient for us despite the horrible start in the morning.

A bit of information on our private taxi - we paid 2000 Bahts for 8 hours tour with a driver and an air-conditioned car. The 2000 Bahts is inclusive of fuel, parking and toll fees. We forgot to get contact details to get in touch with our driver directly but the email address we contacted is wantana_jirayu@yahoo.com .

First stop - Plearnwan Vintage Market. The whole place was set up to recreate the atmosphere of the "good old days" - in terms of food, drinks, games & even lifestyle. There are so many snacks and souvenirs to buy from this living museum but do not ever try grilled banana & banana coated in chocolate. They tasted terrible and trust me, I am a big fan of Thai cuisine. We especially love the vintage music store and biscuit shop (:
Entrance Fees - Free

Next - Maruekatayawan Palace of the royal family. Designed by His Majesty King Rama VI in 1923 with beautifully manicured gardens and a compound that stretches out to the sea, this palace is a fine example of Thai architecture. Despite the stifling heat, it was just so relaxing to be there, with sea breeze and blue sky as your companions.  Note that you will have to wear sarong to enter the compound and you cannot choose which color you want. It's assigned based on the day of the week.
Entrance Fees - 30 Bahts

Third stop - Santorini Park. As you can tell from the name, this amusement park / shopping zone offers a slice of the famous Greek island. Whitewashed buildings and colorfully painted windows made for amazing backgrounds for your photos. We saw quite a few couples taking their pre-wedding photos there! Plus, there is a great selection of food as well as clothing store.  If your group has kids, they can have fun with the park rides. In addition, this park is pretty close to the sheep farm. So its really a great place for a couple, a group of friends or a family. However, if you are the type of just chill on a beach, this place is not for you. 
Entrance Fees - 50 Bahts (just for shopping area, excluding the amusement park rides)

Fourth - Swiss Sheep Farm. Another photo zone with with a touch of scenic meadows typical of a Western style farm. I'm nonetheless at a loss as to why it is called Swiss Sheep Farm though. We saw German VW retro vans, Holland's renowned windmills and London's red phone booth! Anyway, it was a great place for a little boy in Mister to feed the sheep :D I felt it was a good break from the hectic city life typical of both Singapore and Bangkok so yeah, we thought it was a few hours well spent. A really cute, baby sheep soft toy was definitely a bonus for me :D
Entrance Fees - 50 Bahts (you have to buy food for sheep separately)

Fifth stop - the famous Hua Hin Railway station. It is one of Thailand's oldest station and it is still in use today. The main feature was the Royal Waiting Room, constructed in Thai architectural style. It is where the Royal family waits for the train whenever they visit their summer palaces in Hua Hin. It is located quite near to the night market and that's where we got the first taste of Thailand's famed traffic jam.
Entrance Fees - Free

Sixth - Khao Hin Lek Fai Hill. We went there for a panoramic view of Hua Hin and the Gulf of Thailand. There was 6 viewpoints in total and we were at viewpoint 4, I think.  Initial plan was to visit all 6 but we realized that each place is quite far and it was already 615pm. The sun was going to set soon and we didn't want to be in an unfamiliar area, surrounded by only big trees so we just enjoyed the view at 4 and went back to the car. The driver brought us to our hotel first so we could check in and drop off our bags before heading to the night market for dinner. 
Entrance Fees - Free

Final stop - Night Market. We reached the market around 7pm and let the driver go home although we booked him till 8pm.  We were sure we would take more than 1 hour to explore and enjoy our dinner.  In addition, the traffic was at a standstill and we couldn't see any parking space near the market. There were so many options and the most prominent ones were seafood restaurants. We enjoyed our cheap & tasty Thai dinner (Satay, Papaya Salad, Pad Thai, Thai Milk Tea) though. We bought a few t-shirts, some souvenirs and snacks back to the hotel. Within Hua Hin town area, no matter how near or how far you want to travel, tuk tuks will charge you 100 Bahts flat and that's how we came back to our hotel around 9pm.
Entrance Fees - Free

Anddd that's it for our first day of sightseeing in Hua Hin.

Adios!
xoxo
Miss N