Baan Peang Ploen by Stone Head Hua Hin

Room quality varies, some are nice and some can be quite different. There are plenty of 7/11s and other convenience stores across the street, plus street food vendors and small markets along the strip. Grab can bring food anytime, and taxi scooters are easier to find than cars. Cabs are scarce around here. You can get around without a scooter, but you’ll want one to explore further south, including temples, nicer residential areas with impressive grounds, and coastal communities. The nicer spots south are separated by several kilometres of swampland, and the only road going south is a highway where cars travel at 130 km/h. There’s a safer bike path alongside it, and gas scooters are tolerated on the path. I kept my speed low. There are occasional pedestrians, groups of foreign cyclists who are Karens, and locals who use the path like a motorcycle highway. A scooter is also handy for downtown or seeing more of the area.

A three-minute walk gets you to Hua Hin’s most beautiful beach. The property has a very large pool, a well-equipped gym, and a fully equipped house with a lovely mountain view.

The room was really tiny, barely enough space to open my bags. It’s fine for just one night. The nearest beach is a 5-10 minute walk, and there are two 7/11s and a few cafés around, but the main attractions are still a little far away.

The sheets were dirty, the fridge smelled awful, and there were ants all over the apartment, even in the bed. Booking.com said free Wi-Fi was included, but there was no internet, even after we asked about it. The security guards also told us short-term rentals weren’t allowed under the housing association rules, which were clearly stated, yet we’d been booked into apartment 616 by one landlord for two nights. We left after the first night. I contacted the landlord several times about a refund for the unused night. She said Booking.com wouldn’t let her refund it, so we still had to pay for both nights. I offered to accept the unused night’s cost in cash, but she wouldn’t do that either. She dodged the question and hung up. I’m disappointed that I was so badly misled through Booking.com at a rental property that was operating illegally.