Bangkok - Vana Nava Water Themepark

When you travel to Hua Hin, then you have to visit the water themepark – Vana Nava.

For those staying with InterContinental Hua Hin, this trip will be included in your booking with the hotel. And the hotel will arrange private pickups to and fro to the themepark.

If you have been to Adventure Cove in Sentosa, then this is not much of a difference. Similar rides, lazy river, wave pool, kids’ water playground, etc.

Boomerango
Turn and turn and turn when you experience weightlessness shooting up then down the wall at up to 45km/h before splashing down into a pool over 20m below. At 179m, this is the longest slide in Thailand!

 

Freefall
Looking for some defying gravity slides? Try this one that takes you 18m high then drops you straight down at up to 50km/h. Be sure your swimming wears are secured tightly.

AquaLoop
Still looking for faster slides? This slide is the only vertical looping slide in Thailand. And it can speed up to 60km/h for the real thrill seekers.

Abyss
Not brave enough enough for the single-pax rides, or simply too boring to scream alone. Then the Abyss is suitable for up to 6 people soaring up to a height of 28m, share four to five near-vertical spins and then plummet into a huge funnel at speeds of over 45km/h.

I think you have the idea of the ‘fun rides’. Here are some other activities for you.

Ropes Course
Standing at 13.4m tall, this is definitely not for those with acrophobia or simply fear of heights. However, all safety precautions are taken seriously, so it is suitable for all ages too.

Surf Zone
Imagine the seas in Australia, the waves and the sun, and the surf board! Pit your skills on this surf simulator, with the on-site team to guide you as you maneuver on either body boards or surf boards.

RainFortress
The number one place all kids will rush to in all water themeparks. Seven different slides that splash down to a child-friendly pool, where the big giant bucket awaits you with immerse amount of water.

Only less than 30mins, the girls are already so tanned. Remember! Put on lots of sunblock!!

Another sure hit activity for children.

AquaCourse
Hailed as the only one of its kind in Thailand, this obstacle course of ropes combined with water guns, will surely be fun and entertaining for all kids. Just think of how to get them down after you get them up.

 

After all the running around, sit back and relax in either one of these places.

Lazy River
About 345m long, bob around the entire park checking out on the various parts like the tropical jungle landscape, caves, waterfall, under bridges, etc. probably a good idea to take the lazy river to check out what rides have you missed or which ride has a shorter queue.

If one of your plan is to get a tan, why not do it in style? On a rattan bed located all over the place. If only, the ground is like the sandy beach, the experience would be complete (with a small umbrella cocktail).

Coconut Beach
I don’t really understand the meaning behind the name, but you get the idea. It’s the wave pool. Plenty of beach chairs for suntanning. Plenty of floats for all to share, single or double-seated. Enjoy the waves and regain some energy or let your heart rate return to normal (after all the exciting rides), before you go for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th round.

Lots of food and eateries scattered around the place. No worries on being hungry.

Signing off with a selfie! Hope you have a good time when you visit.

Bangkok - Hua Hin

It is becoming more popular for visitors to Bangkok to visit Hua Hin. This is not a new shopping mall or night market, but one of the eight districts of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. By road, it is 199km south-south-west of Bangkok.

There are a few ways to get from Bangkok to Hua Hin, all depending on your level of comfort and budget.

Minibus or Minivan to Hua Hin
Cheapest way is to take the public minibuses. These minibuses or minivans can be found at Victory Monument, leaving approximately every half hour from 4am to 6pm. In practice, the minibus or minivan will depart once it is full. Price is expected to be around 180Baht (S$7), time travel is 2.5-3 hours. One thing to note, if you are carrying bulky luggage, then the driver may ask you to buy an extra seat for it. Each minivan usually accommodates up to 10 pax per trip.

Train to Hua Hin
Most trains leave Bangkok to Hua Hin from Hua Lamphong and Bang Sue Railway Stations, between 8am to 10pm daily. However, the traveling time is around 4 hours, price at 100Baht (S$4). Read on many travel sites, traveling by train to Hua Hin is really not the best option, with longer traveling time and not so comfortable seats, this option is not the best.

Taxi (private cars) to Hua Hin
Private taxis are easily assessable in Bangkok. This is also my personal recommendation for traveling to Hua Hin. Prices ranging from 1,800Baht (S$70) to 3,000Baht (S$116), traveling time is about 2.5 hours. Do your own research, but we hired Mr Toom who is quite well known for his good services, reasonable charges and very reliable.
Mr Toom 081-482-7148 toom@39msn.com.

Chartered plane to Hua Hin
The only way I heard of if you want to fly in from Bangkok to Hua Hin, is to book with InterContinental Hua Hin Resort. The hotel provides a chartered place service for 50,000Baht (S$1941) one-way, which is only a 35mins journey. The plane sits 6 guests, so if you are traveling with friends, that is approximately 8,400Baht (S$326) per pax.

 

So we were staying in InterCon Hua Hin, but we definitely did not chartered the private plane.

A spacious connecting room for our family of four. The girls had their own beds and open concept bathroom.

 

The pool view we have from the rooms.

Kless and my room has a slightly different layout, with a separate living space from the bedroom, this becomes our common space for meals or TV time.

Too bad the bed was queen size but the pillow selections was a pamper.

The bathroom was also an open concept for us, personally I still prefer to have some privacy when I’m taking my bath.

We were housed at the new wing – BluPort Wing. So to get to the main building, we need to cross over via the connecting overhead bridge, which makes the stay a bit more exclusive.

Taking a stroll from our rooms to the beach after a nice meal.

 

The girls prefer the cooler water at the pool, which is also safer cos the waves along the beach was pretty rough.

Thankfully both Kless and I are not the adventurous type, we are happy to just take photos of the people trying out the Para-sailing acts. For the adventure-seeking peeps, this is sure a hit.

We are cool with just a selfie.

A good night’s rest and breakfast beckons.

There are a few note-worthy places to visit in Hua Hin.

Santorini Park Cha-Am
Classic whitewashed buildings with colorful painted windows. (photos from the web)

 

Cicada Market
Art, handmade crafts, all in an open air market. The market is only opened on Friday-Sunday. (photos from the web)

 

Plearn Wan Shopping Village
Plearn Wan is a themed shopping complex located not far from Klai Kang Won Palace. The unique brown wooden building features cafes, shops and some guestrooms decorated in the 1960s Thai style. (photos from the web)

Kless and I visited the Hua Hin Railway Station while the girls spent their afternoon at the hotel’s Kids Club.

Check out the old railway train counter. Seriously, I didn’t think I would see this again ever since the Tanjong Pagar Station was closed in Singapore.

We arrived just in time to see a train pulling in. Surprisingly, there were a lot of people who alighted.

There were a few shutter bugs like us too.

And since you are there, if you are looking for some souvenirs or maybe just a cup of coffee , try out the Hua Hin Coffee Station. Don’t expect gourmet coffee but good enough to quench the thirst or addiction.

 

Traveling back home or to some other places.

Last but not least, is the Hua Hin Night Market. Situated in the centre of town between Petchkasem Road and the railway line, the market encompasses one street and comes to life after 6.30pm.

The fish spa here is only 100Baht for 15mins. It was so good, the girls tried it for 2 nights in a row.

Like mentioned, the night market is not as big as those in Bangkok, but little as it may seems, the products are actually much more unique and we spent more here than the markets in Bangkok.

Just right up the market street, we found a tucked away little room that sells drinks. Fruit juices and various types of cocktails. A prefect place to rest the tired legs and enjoy some quiet time.

In fact, the girls spent their resting time talking about their school lives like a couple of adults.

It was a great trip again to Bangkok and Hua Hin. Any trip with the family is always a blessing.