Hua Hin

Hua Hin is popular with both kiters and wingers, and international kitefoil teams are often on site for training. Windsurfers are only found occasionally. The windy season runs from November to April, with rain at this time being a rarity. The size of the beach, weather, and the direction, strength and reliability of the wind vary depending on the month. The best time for kiting is from February to April. December to February are the “cool” wind months, around 30 degrees. From March onwards, the daytime temperature is well above 30 degrees. The water temperature is around 28 degrees. Windfinder and Windguru wind forecasts are accurate, although the wind speed is always slightly stronger than forecast, and sightseeing trips can be reliably organized around the wind forecasts.

Hua Hin has two very different faces depending if the wind blows from the north or south. From November to January the wind blows from the north. Then the first two weeks of February are usually a mix between a few days of north wind and a few days of south wind alternating. In mid-February, the south wind stabilizes and blows reliably every day until the end of April. I like February because of the variety. The north wind builds over the morning, peaking around noon, then decreases in the afternoon. It is sideshore from the left, stronger than the south wind, but less reliable. There can be waves and sometimes strong currents, there is often little to no beach due to a high water level, and the weather is mostly hazy, cloudy weather. The north wind is for more experienced kiters, with lessons rarely possible.

The south wind is a thermal, constant, very reliable wind from the right, starting at 11 a.m. – you can almost set your watch to it – peaking between 2 and 4 p.m. During the day it turns from side-onshore to sideshore to side-offshore in the evening. Around 6 p.m. it is time to end the session, as the wind can stop abruptly. You will need larger sizes than for the north wind and the best month is March. Depending on wind strength there is smooth water or chop, cloudless summer weather, and a wide, fine sandy beach without stones. I highly recommend getting up for the beautiful sunrises when the sea is at its best for swimming and SUP, before the south wind sets in.

I have counted up to 90 kiters on the water at the same time. However, there is enough space on the 6km-long beach, as long as you don’t perform your tricks directly in front of the kite schools. You can kite as far as the Hua Hin Marriott Resort, with the beach to the north of the Marriott reserved for bathers. The end of the bay is not suitable for kiting due to large reef slabs and wind shadow. It is forbidden to kite further north after the fishing pier, as the Royal Palace is located here. Several water sports enthusiasts have been taken off the water by the navy…

Some other words of advice: smoking is prohibited on the beach in Hua Hin and in restaurants. There are heavy fines for offences! Furthermore, insulting the king is a punishable offence. You also need to be careful of jellyfish. The number varies depending on the season, wind direction and weather, and is higher in November and December than in the south wind months. A long-sleeved Lycra shirt and long Lycra trousers are recommended. I wear long 2mm neoprene myself, so I can relax and forget about the jellyfish. The small brown jellyfish are the most painful and the most effective remedy for a sting is vinegar. If you need medical help the “Bangkok Hospital”, just a few minutes’ walk from the beach, is excellent, as I found out this trip when I needed 11 stitches…

South of Hua Hin Bay there are two quieter spots with plenty of space on the water, ideal for day trips. One is at the Chill Out Anchor Bar in Khao Tao, 12 kilometers from Hua Hin. Downwinders to Hua Hin can be undertaken from here, although caution is advised due to the fishing nets. Then there are the popular kite spots in Pak Nam Pran and Pranburi, 30 kilometers from Hua Hin.

Hua Hin currently has four permanent kite centers, plus additional mobile kite schools. My favorite spot, the Surf Spot, is the only center with a building and beach terrace, plus a jet ski for rescues. You can join as a temporary member and use the gym and rooftop pool in addition to the storage, compressor, shower and rescue facilities. There is also a sushi restaurant and dance classes! Nearby is Pa Yoon’s Café, one of our favorite restaurants where you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner with like-minded people – at least 50% of the guests are kiters! The hosts are very friendly, the food is excellent and reasonably priced, and the portions are large.

I think the culinary offering in Thailand is one of the best in the world. My favorite dish is Pad Thai, a noodle dish with egg, vegetables, tofu, seafood or chicken. There are food halls in the Blueport and Market Village shopping centers. In the evening, food stalls are set up in front of the Market Village and live bands provide entertainment. I also recommend the fish restaurants at the Hua Hin night market, or the Cicada Market for good food. But my favorite food market for a real taste of Thailand is called Baan Khun Poor. There are few tourists, very tasty food and a stage where well-known Thai music groups perform. A Thai BBQ, where meat, seafood, vegetables and noodles are prepared on a charcoal table grill, costs 300 baht for three people, which is the same amount you pay for a cocktail at the Hilton Hotel!

When you need a break from kiting or eating there are endless excursions possible:

• Wat Khao Takiab, south of the bay, is an extensive temple complex with a 20-meter-high Buddha statue. Next to it is a steep climb up the steps to Monkey Mountain, where, as the name suggests, there are lots of monkeys. Beware though, they are masters at stealing objects! If you are careless, they will not only take your food, but often also the souvenirs you have just bought, sunglasses, mobile phones and the like. Further back on the mountain there are additional temple buildings and a great viewpoint.

• Near the Khao Tao kite spot there is a large Buddhist temple complex with many statues in caves and on the mountain. There is also a lookout point with a beautiful view of the sea and the beach.

• 50 kilometers south of Hua Hin is a must-do: the mystical Phraya Nakhon Cave. This is reached by a one-hour, sweaty but beautiful hike through a national park. Set off on a sunny day by 9 a.m. at the latest – not only will there be fewer tourists but the pavilion in the cave is illuminated by the sun between 10 and 11 a.m.

• If you want to see elephants, I recommend a visit to the elephant care center Hutsadin, which takes in and cares for orphaned and old elephants.

• Then there is the Vana Nava Water Park, well worth a visit, especially with children. My daughter and I spent five happy hours there.

• You could even visit Bangkok where I recommend visiting the temples of Wat Pho and Wat Arun, as well as a boat trip on the Chao Phraya River. A good place to stay is the Buddy Lodge with rooftop swimming pool at 265 Khaosan Road. The crazy Khaosan Road is worth a visit anyway with shopping, eating and partying late into the night.

And so it comes to the end of our trip. Hua Hin is without doubt one of my five favorite kite destinations in the world and I will definitely be returning soon. We’ve had a month of constant wind, 30 degrees and sunshine. After my last session, I treat myself to a Thai massage, one last pad Thai, then take a taxi to Bangkok airport. After a 12-hour flight, I recognize the snow-covered Swiss mountains at dawn and the loudspeaker announces that the temperature at Zurich Airport is zero degrees Celsius. It’s time to put on socks and shoes for the first time in four weeks…