Royal retreat

Want the frantic, all-night action of the sort of shady, techno-beat bar you find in Bangkok? Then forget Hua Hin. But if you're a frantic city dweller yearning for a shaded refuge from your daily hustle, Hua Hin won't disappoint.

Smiling seems to be a continuous part of life in much of Thailand - the Land of Smiles - especially in a place like this, Thailand's oldest beach resort. Sitting 200km and a three-hour drive south of Bangkok, on the west coast of the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin became a celebrated tropical paradise in the 1920s after the rail link connecting Bangkok and Malaya reached the town in 1911.

The resort was founded in the early 20s by King Rama VII, who found it an ideal getaway from the sultry metropolis of Bangkok. The tranquil fishing village became the royal resort and the place to be seen for Siam's nobility and upper class. Its comparatively low-profile image - Hua Hin is no Phuket - has helped the fishing port retain its quiet, simple air.

For this first-time visitor to Hua Hin, some of the most interesting diversions are its day and night markets, with their raucous trade in everything from household goods to food, and the chance to learn to cook a few traditional Thai dishes. That may seem easy at first, but the desired product can prove elusive.

The wonder of tucking into 'genuine' made-on-the-spot Thai food, which blends spicy, sweet, salty and sour tastes, can be so great that many visitors cannot resist trying to cook up their own storm. Various hotels have joined the cooking-class craze, providing an alternative activity for travellers. Although their pupils are novices, most teaching chefs are among the best in their hotels. I join a class led by Kitti Kantiwong, sous chef at the Sofitel Central Hua Hin Resort. Before any cooking is done, we visit a market to buy the ingredients.

A market can be a wonderland for tourists. Herbs and spices, the like of which you've never seen, abound, as does irresistible street food such as crispy golden crepes, little round coconut-rice pancakes and hot and sour soup noodles. For me, the best part is the personal touch of the vendors, their on-the-spot cooking demonstrations and the unreserved chatter of the Thai people.

Following the market tour comes the cooking, done alfresco outside one of the hotel's restaurants. The dishes are all traditional Thai, including larb gai (minced chicken salad), tom yam gung (spicy prawn soup with lemongrass), gai phad med mamuang (fried chicken with cashew nuts), and kluay buad chee (bananas in coconut milk) for dessert. Together they comprise a full selection of Thai delicacies, but whether it achieves world-class standard depends on the students' cooking.