Visiting Hua Hin

King’s Cup Elephant Polo

Hua Hin was originally named Samore Riang, which in Thai means "Rows of rocks". When one stands on the breathtaking almost white sandy beaches and sees the endless lines of boulders and giant stones, it is easy to comprehend its original name. I actually love the name Row of rocks, but obviously His Royal Highness Prince Krom Phra Naresworarit didn't feel the same as he renamed the beach Hua Hin.For many years I had been saying "I really want to visit "Hua Hin" Since I was spending rather too much time lolling around and vegetating in Bangkok,  and as we all know it's wonderful to do sweet nothing, but absolutely definitely not good for mind or body! Sternly taking myself in hand, one fine morning I finally decided to get off my backside and make the four hour train journey to my patiently waiting town.

His Majesty the King of Thailand when visiting Hua Hin resides in the palace "Wang Klai Kang Won" It was built in the reign of King Prajadhipoc who had the palace built for Her Majesty Queen Rambhai Bharni. The palace lays on the beach of Hua Hin Sub-district. When the royal family are not in residence members of the public may visit the palace  and enjoy the amazing oriental garden for 20 Baht

After a relatively comfortable but uneventful journey, I arrive at my destination and wow the station is just adorable, it looks like something that you would find in a child's toy shop. Really I am not kidding! it is gorgeous. I would even dare to say that it is one of Thailand's most beautiful train stations. According to a fellow backpacker, the wooden building used to be a royal pavilion in Sanamchan Palace, Nakhon Pathom province. It was rebuilt at Hua Hin in 1968. In other words the building has been transported, rather like what the Americans do with our English castles but on a smaller scale. If you know what I mean!

With some great shots of the station firmly recorded on my memory card, I opted to catch a taxi to my chosen guest house (The reviews were so good!) On arrival I have to admit I wasn't too impressed but as there was a such friendly young man called Chris and his Vietnamese girlfriend  How How..( Yes, that was her name!) who made me so welcome I mistook him for the owner when in point of fact, they were  guests of the hostel. I was persuaded to stay. Silly silly me, the noise at night from the bar below my room went on till about four o'clock a.m. I hardly slept a wink! Come seven the next morning the music starting blasting out again. (Perhaps they thought we all needed wake up calls!) Not to mention the bathroom, OMG it was almost sitting on the middle of the billiard table, consequently every time I wanted to go to the loo or have a shower... well you can imagine!!!  No don't imagine please.. as my nephew would kindly say "Too much information" I am seriously beginning to doubt all these fantastic reviews that they post on the hostel websites.. Perhaps you should all ignore what I wrote on "Why Backpack" in the section - how I find a hostel.. Sorry folks!

On reflection about the name "How How"  With my flight of fancy in overdrive I am picturing that poor girl if she ever goes to England! ... How would one say? "How do you do" to How How??? Imagine.. Hello How How, How do you do? or How How tell me how in heaven's name could your Mother saddle you with a  name like "How How" and tell me "How How"  How the hell do you stand it?   Poor How How, I will never again complain about my Mother calling me Geraldine.
 

That evening I went with Chris and How How to visit the night market and Oh my goodness gracious me! I was blown away. The seafood is exactly as the photo above portrays. Cross my heart no photoshop on this one! Now imagine the whole length of the night market road, a continual repetition of fabulous succulent shellfish and let me just inform those poor souls who can't or won't eat fish or seafood, they also had the most amazing assortment of enormous juicy steaks, vegetables, fruits etc. If you are a gourmet and love fine food as much as I do, then this is a one hundred percent must go go go.

On my trip to Hua Hin, I was very lucky to coincide with the tenth King's Cup Elephant Polo tournament. Already aware that this was something I simply couldn't miss, I accepted to join Chris and How How to see this unusual event. Chris was in charge and fortunately knew exactly where we had to go! onto the local bus we piled and we were on our way. Forty minutes later we alighted from the bus... and hey ho! You are not going to believe this! Yes of course.. we had gone in the opposite direction! Boy was I glad that Chris knew the way! Actually we had taken the bus to save a few bahts, (miserable paupers that we all were) but of course finally we had to take a taxi or we would still be looking for the flipping polo fields. The mere fact that the taxi driver wasn't very clear on how to get there either, is something I should perhaps mention. "By Jaesus" as my mother would have said, we finally reached out destiny. Into the polo match we marched with our lovely lady taxi driver in tow (Oh yes I forgot to add that small detail that the Taxi driver was female). As luck would have it, the match was just about to begin.

Just to fill you in a little about elephant polo. Each elephant is ridden by a player and a mahout. Mahout derived from the hindi words mahaut and mahavat,meaning the person who drives the elephant. Guided by their Thai mahouts, the elephants run down the field, Seated behind the mahout, is the helmeted polo player who wields a long cane with a polo mallet head at the end and shouts the instructions. This is a rather slow game compared to horse polo added by a lot of confusion in the middle of the field as the elephants collide and unintentionally kick the ball with their feet or trunk. But I loved every minute of the games. It was all very colorful, , very classy with a great atmosphere and something very different to what I am accustomed to seeing. I would highly recommend anyone who has the chance, go  to see the next King's Cup Elephant Polo tournament. For sure I will be there!

As every backpacker will tell you, when traveling there are always highs and lows, one tends to turn a few blind eyes to the lows, because the highs are so rewarding it's unbelievable.

Please note:_ it would appear the the King's Cup Elephant Polo has now changed locaton and is held at Anantara.