Cha-am

A small nature preserve as parks go, but it's still worth seeing. It's a splendid place for birdwatching, and if you're lucky you might see gibbons swinging around in the trees. All-terrain vehicles are available for guided tours of the park, with rental costing 500 baht for half an hour and 900 baht per hour. There is a restaurant in the park.

A resort and residential community. It boasts two free-form pools overlooking the gulf. It is free to the public and open 24 hours a day. A terrace restaurant serves Thai food for 100-300 baht. This place is seldom crowded so it's a good place to hang out and take a dip.

Was built in 1922 for the king and members of his royal household. Open to the public as it is no longer used by royalty. It is a group of teak houses on stilts and a maze of walkways connect them. The rooms are airy and the walkways are raised. There isn't much information available in English, so you may want to hire an English-speaking guide for the tour.

No elephant rides or circus tricks here—this wildlife rescue centre allows visitors to see a wide array of wild animals and interact with elephants in an ethical way. The animals at the park are rescued from the pet trade or the entertainment industry, or from being injured in the wild or by people, and many are released after being rehabilitated. The park has more than 900 animals from over 70 species; the exact cast varies as they are rescued and released, but you're sure to see lots of elephants and several species of monkeys, and likely also bears, peacocks, boars, cassowaries, slow lorises, orangutans, tigers, and otters. The standard one-day tour (with pickup available from Hua Hin, Cha-am, or Bangkok) includes a walking tour around several of the enclosures where you learn about the animals and the abuse they've endured, a buffet lunch (vegetarian/vegan options available), feeding and bathing elephants, a stop at the gift shop, and finally a bus tour around more enclosures. A half-day tour is also available with just the walking tour and lunch, or if you're really passionate you can stay at the lodge (includes breakfast with elephants) or volunteer at the centre.