Travel With Lizzie to Pranburi Beach, Thailand

Pranburi Beach Town:

Our family decided to ditch Thanksgiving at home in favor of a week in Thailand, and I have to praise international travel during an American holiday. We missed the insanity at home, and our emails were relatively quiet. We had originally planned on flying to Phuket and taking a speedboat to Koh Yao Noi, where we would enjoy White Lotus–esque beaches and views, but unexpected late-season monsoons on the islands derailed that plan. Instead, we drove about two and a half hours south of Bangkok (I was happy to skip the additional flight) to the relaxed beach town of Pranburi. The beaches here are admittedly less breathtaking than those of Phuket, but we were very charmed by the region and relieved not to be in a monsoon.

Stay:

Aleenta Pranburi: A boutique resort just three hours from Bangkok, with transportation coordinated back and forth to the city. We loved the beachfront cottages, the pool overlooking the shoreline, and the golf carts that ferried us to the main building where breakfast was served.

Aleenta Hua Hin Pranburi Resort via aleenta.com

Eat: 

We ate many of our meals at Aleenta, which had excellent food. The restaurant was a short golf cart ride, or an easy walk down the beach town’s sandy main road, from our room, and Ruby obviously loved the golf cart rides. Another highlight was the hotel’s small coffee bar and bakery on the main stretch of road. Excellent coffee became a theme for me in Thailand, and we stopped here daily.

We also loved Pranberry Cafe for a cocktail, or coffee and cake. The Thai love of sweets is very real. It’s also located on the main road, just steps away from the hotel.

To Do Near Aleenta Pranburi: 

Borrow bikes and cruise North along the main drag (if you can call it that) towards Hua Hin. You’ll pass coffee carts, small, eclectic beach bars, and a handful of cafes and hotels along the beach. We loved exploring: 

Visit Pak Nam Pram, just a short drive from the hotel. You’ll find lots of traditional Thai boats in the water at this small fishing village where the Pran River meets the sea. There are a few temples and local restaurants nearby, and the colors of the boats silhouetted against the mangroves and coastline are absolutely picturesque:

Venture to Sam Roi Yot National Park, where you can hike about two miles over a rocky headland with spectacular ocean views to Laem Sala Beach. From there, climb the rocky trail to the famed Phraya Nakhon Cave, which houses the Kuha Karuhas Pavilion. Built in 1890 to commemorate King Rama V’s visit to the site, the pavilion is a masterpiece of Thai craftsmanship and is illuminated by the natural skylight in the cave’s ceiling.

Visit the Cicada Night Market, held every weekend just outside of Pranburi. While the crafts for sale weren’t particularly notable, and I usually love a craft market, the food vendors were incredible. The absurdly cheap pad thai, cooked in a wok right in front of us, was the best we’ve ever had.

My Pranburi Beach Inspired Shopping Finds: 

I left aiming to take a little of this zen into my packed work week in Bangkok (guide coming soon!), and into the holiday season that awaited me back in NY. Still holding on to the delightful vibes of this cool seaside town, I rounded up a list of finds that hark back to the tranquil ease of Thailand’s beaches; beautiful things for yourself and your home that convey calm and harmony – just what we need as we enter the New Year. 

Discover my finds here on Substack and follow along for more!