Routing: Scenic Route 2021, along irrigation canal
The forecast was for a very stiff southeasterly again and I decided to have a very early start (to me that is 7 am) trying to have some kilometers on the clock before that headwind really starts developing. Therefore I got up at 5.30 am and walked down to the beach with a coffee as I felt obliged to bid farewell after the great time I´ve had there over the last three days. On the way out of town I stopped at my favourite little buffet restaurant for a noodle soup and at 7 am sharp I turned left back onto Scenic Route 2021, which is well marked for all the 30 km into Cha Am .
I never really liked Cha Am and after just a couple of photos I decided to move on, following the description of Jan Houtermans who had found a rather quiet road along the irrigation canal a bit inland from Hway 4. I wish to repeat the description here as this is well worth the extra 12 km into Hua Hin: Go down Cha Am Beach until you see a blue sign with white letters saying: Petchkasem Road (aka Hway4) 1 km to the right. Once up at the Hway you will see the "Cha Am Forest Park" on the other side of the road. Jan crossed here and rolled against the traffic for one kilometer. I know it´s basically no problem doing so but personally dislike it. So I went down the #4 towards Hua Hin until I could see the turnoff on the other side which Jan has described so well. Only 200 m from there on is a U-turn with huge green signs for a bakery called "The Baguette". Easy turning and just 200 m back towards Cha Am you go left immediately before the block of building starts. As Jan already said, don´t get concerned by a short section of unsealed road, it´s very soon back to perfect asphalt once you crossed the railway lines. From there on I really enjoyed the ride into Hua Hin with just one more left turn at the actual irrigation canal. In case you wish to pitch your tent: About 2 km from this turn is a nice looking campsite but mind you no shop whatsoever for kilometers in both directions.
Keep going straight until you get to the T-junction in Hua Hin, one more left turn and you are right in the town center. Thank you very much for that Jan, really made my day. Regarding the wind: I partly achieved my goal on the way to Cha Am; between Cha Am and Hua Hin I got it full on but it didn´t bother me too much as I was enjoying the ride itself so much.
I had booked my fan room in the Thassanee Guesthouse (with just one "s" on google maps) through agoda for 460 Baht and am as delighted with it as with the route getting there. Small but very clean room, good wifi and even a fridge. Fan is good enough even in the current very hot conditions as the two windows both have good fly sheets. I got to the hotel at 1 pm and as it is so stinking hot at the moment I immediately walked down to the beach, just to find several of the biggest jelly fish stranded I have ever seen. Swim cancelled! Hua Hin itself doesn´t feel too bad this time as the low season seems to have started. See whether the nightmarket does impress me as much as it did 20 years ago....
Hua Hin nightmarket didn´t disappoint me. An acceptable combination of excellent seafood restaurants and tourist stalls. This display belongs to the "Chili Bird", which I would recommend....
Hat Chao Samran - Hua Hin. Google maps wouldn´t allow me to pull that blue line accurately along the roads taken. That´s why I described in detail up in the narrative
