Hua Hin, Thailand

Hua Hin is a town of roughly 60,000 residents on the Gulf of Thailand, about 200 kilometers south of Bangkok, and it holds the distinction of being Thailand's oldest beach resort. The 1928 Klai Kang Won Palace, whose name translates to "Far from Worries," was built by King Rama VII and remains the royal family's primary coastal residence. The original 1920 railway hotel, today the Sofitel Centara, established the area as a getaway for Bangkok elites, while the 1926 Hua Hin Railway Station houses the country's most-photographed Victorian-style wooden waiting room. Sixty kilometers west lies the 1993 Pala-U Waterfall, which descends through 16 tiers in dense forest. How much of this royal coast you can fit into a single trip may surprise you.