Hua Hin

Neighborhood Tours

On this 3.5-hour tour, go off the beaten track with a friendly guide. Eat with the locals, reinforcing the age-old adage that "locals always know where to find the best food in town." Experience venues that have a high standard for food hygiene, are family-run with family recipes, and offer truly five-star flavors without a five-star appearance. Your tour begins in a traditional, two-story Thai house where three generations work. There is a steady stream of hungry customers dropping by for takeout, or sitting at the tables slurping freshly made noodles, always with fresh Nam Prik Pao chili jam. It's in no way fancy, but there's a reason for its popularity: super tasty food with fast and friendly service. At the next stop, taste dishes from the Isaan region in the Northeast. These dishes are designed to challenge the taste buds a little. The depth of flavor exhibited by this region's cuisine is astonishing. Next is finding some street food, whether something sweet like Sap-Bpa-Rot Thot (fried pineapple and Gluay thot) or fried banana, or something savory like a Yum Naem Khao Tord (rice ball salad with pork). Continue to a local eatery located just opposite Glai Kangwon Palace. This restaurant exclusively serves Northern Thai cuisine and there is no menu in English. True to the palace's translated name, Far From Worries, let your worries slip away as you sample two of the North's most famous dishes, Khao Soi (Chiang Mai noodles) and Sai Ua (Chiang Mai sausage). It's not so easy to find great Northern food south of Thailand, but here, the owner has been serving up amazing Northern dishes for over 20 years, and it's easy to taste why she has kept it up so long. Your final destination is another restaurant in the back streets of Hua Hin, where excellent Thai food is served in a serene garden setting. Here, your tour guide will select dishes from the Central region that you may not have tasted before.

Start the tour at a local market. To say this market is an inside tip is an understatement; it is where locals prefer to purchase all their evening meals, as the vendors and produce are of the highest quality. Discover the suite of fresh ingredients that make up the flavors of Thai food. Your passionate foodie guide will lead you through the market, as you sample different flavors along the way. Simply try whatever looks tasty to you on that particular day. Taste dishes like Sai Krok Isaan, fermented pork sausage from the northeast region, Khao Kriap Pak Mor, steamed rice dumplings with pork, and seasonal tropical fruits. Be warned that the atmosphere in the market is absolutely electric, bustling with hundreds of locals picking out their evening meal. If it has rained, the walkways may have puddles, adding to the fun of the experience. Spend over an hour at the market before traveling to a local eatery. Sample great dishes from Thailand's central and northern regions at an off-the-beaten-path restaurant serving up some interesting cuisine you've probably never tried, but which may become your new favorite. The next stop is at a restaurant specializing in Bplaa Phao, salt-crusted grilled fish, along with other Isaan dishes. The last stop is an area popular for its street food vendors. Here you will learn about what makes Thai street food so good and how to choose the best menu item. Savor some tasty Thai sweets that will excite and challenge your taste buds from a spectacularly colorful roadside vendor.