Next you decide to do a little shopping. You jump into the car or bus and
head first for Market Village in Hua Hin, about twenty minutes away. All
the excitements of an urban mall await you, but you pause for one of
those drinks they make in the blender at Starbucks and take a look at the
Bangkok Post before plunging in. The garment industry is a major factor
in Thailand’s economy and real designer brands are available in the mall
much lower in price than even those on sale in the west.
Now to Villa Supermarket,an institution in Thailand because it carries a world of imported
foods, wines—and the best local meats and poultry. A bottle of the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
for tonight sounds good.
foods, wines—and the best local meats and poultry. A bottle of the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
for tonight sounds good.
You browse through the book stores for a while. Just before you get home you stop at Tesco
Lotus to pick up some fresh produce for tonight. It’s located in Pramburi, of which Dolphin
Bay is a part, so only 10 minutes to home. Back at the Club you go for a dip in the pool. There
are little places right on the beach where a massage will have those muscles kneaded for an
hour or more at the price of a frapacino elsewhere. Or they’ll come right to your beach house
and you’ll have the best massage ever, right on your own terrace.
By this time, as you relax in your hot tub, the sun has dipped below the mountains that stand
behind the Club like sentinels.
A brisk walk on the beach is best before the sun’s really up –– when the breeze picks up it’s not uncommon to spot a school of the famous Irrawaddy dolphins, their dorsal fins glistening.
On the way back from the beach, an espresso, fresh orange juice and croissant at the Club restaurant is a popular light repast before heading home to answer a few emails or catch the day’s satellite TV news.
The whole surrounding area, for miles, allows for safe biking, hiking, horseback riding and jogging. Swimming, sailing and fishing are also perennial favorites in the warm Gulf, while the more energetic enjoy kite surfing, wind surfing or kayaking.
For golfers, a round at the Dolphin Bay course offers a quietness and a sense of closeness with nature that can’t be found anywhere else but on the edge of Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park.
But it is the waters of the gulf that hold the strongest attraction. Despite all the conveniences and amenities that await only a short drive away, it is the sense of refuge and peace that overcomes residents as they silently watch the fishing boats arrive on the beach at sundown that makes them truly realize why they’re here.