Got sea, got sand, got quiet

Rustic look in tropical style

If the bustling, muscling weekend crowds at the Hua Hin night market make you yearn for the peace of the beach town's golden days, head to the Ban Krut Resort.

Yes, it means another two hours' driving southward, but the long, golden beach in Bang Saphan district still honours the word "tranquil".

The twoyearold Ban Krut, one of the handful of hotels along the small coastal road, offers clean and basic accommodations. The rooms face onto a lush garden, with the sea just across the road, with beach chairs waiting beneath pine trees.

Guests arriving by train are picked up at Ban Krut station 10 minutes away. The railway is a brilliant way to travel in these fuelconscious days.

Back to the rooms: There are four types, all at budget prices. A standard costs Bt900, including breakfast, and Bt1,100 on long weekends.

They're on the first floor of the rear building, in which the ground floor has the twobedroom family rooms renting for Bt2,500.

There's a line of Bt1,300 bungalows suitable for two people in Villa Zone A, and two big bungalows in Villa Zone C that can accommodate 12 people dormitory style. They're Bt5,000, including breakfast for a dozen.

You get the basics - television, fridge, hot water, air conditioning and a small terrace out front. No decorator's fantasy here.

The villas have shiny terracotta walls and white curtains on the terrace, simple but private enough to get away with shabby shorts.

There are a few wooden salas as well where you can perch quietly and gaze at the sea, and next to reception is a small dining area where you have your daily American breakfast.

Later on you can grab a big, black rubber tube and head to the water for a restful float, or go biking along the beach road, maybe even up Khao Thongchai hill to see the big sacred pagoda, Phra Mahathat Chedi Pakdee Prakas.

There's no restaurant at the resort, but directly opposite is Pramong, one of the most famous beachfront restaurants in the area. It's served seafood at reasonable prices for more than a decade.

Evening dining at Pramong is all the more pleasant if you keep an eye on the soothing galaxy of green lights far out at sea - the squid boats scooping up fresh ingredients for tomorrow's tom yam.

You have that to look forward to, and perhaps some snorkelling off Koh Sing. Ban Krut is a place you know you want return to again and again.

AT A GLANCE

High points: Complete relaxation away from it all at a wellrun, locally owned place with decent rooms at reasonable prices.

Low point: You're not right on the beachfront.

Pay for it: Rates run from Bt900 to Bt1,300 for two, with breakfast, rising to Bt5,000 for a 12bed dorm.

Find it: Ban Krut Beach, 212 Moo 2, Tambol Thongchai, Bangsapan District, Prachuab Khiri Khan 77190

Book it: (081) 421 1186 or (032) 695 076 or email info@bankrutresort.com

Browse it: www.BanKrutResort.com