CLOSEUP
thailand’s hua hin beach
FAHTHAI
49
About 30km south of Hua Hin, petite Pranburi
– which looks like nothing so much as Hua Hin in
the old days – is home to low-rise resorts and retro
holiday homes. Dogs doze in the middle of the quiet
beachfront road, chickens scratch around on sandy
verges and Thai families putter by on motorbikes,
shouting greetings to passersby. In the distance,
colourful fishing boats bob in the bay.
Here, the laidback beachfront Aleenta exemplifies
the sustainable small resort. Initiated by owner and
managing director Anchalika Kijkanakorn, Aleenta’s
green philosophy and wide-ranging eco-initiatives
include energy and water conservation, solar water
heating, bio-degradable water bottles and slow food.
“It’s important,” she says. “It’s something we have
to do. There’s no question.”
At an experimental organic farm where seeds
and growing techniques are tested before crops are
planted on larger plots, Aleenta sustainability guru
James Noble sips coffee with the resort’s chefs,
farmers and gardeners. They hold weekly meetings
while seated on boulders amid the fragrant greenery.
The peanuts they picked earlier will be used to
make satay sauce, Massaman curry,
som tam
(green
papaya salad) and satay ice cream, the latter a star
on the avant-garde Thai-inspired sushi board.
“We go together to the garden to see how things
are growing, share ideas and plan our menu,” head
chef Pronporom Khanwong says. “When we have
meetings here, we look around and feel very proud.”
Aleenta’s farms operate like community co-
operatives. Aleenta provides seeds and equipment,
villagers farm the land, crops are shared and the
surplus is sold at the market. A new “five-star
kibbutz” experience sees guests stay for free in
return for volunteering to work the farm, teach
the village kids, mend fishing nets and perform
a number of other tasks. One of Aleenta’s two
restaurants, The Cellar, stocks local wines and is
dedicated to zero-carbon footprint, farm-to-table
Useful to
know
CENTARA GRAND
BEACH RESORT
1 Damnernkasem Rd
centarahotelsresorts.com
CHIVA-SOM
73/4 Petchkasem Rd
chivasom.com
HUA HIN HILLS
VINEYARD
1 Moo 9, Baan Khork
Chang Patana, Nong Plup
huahinhills.com
ALEENTA
Paknampran Beach,
Pranburi
aleenta.com/huahin
YAIYA
1390/19 Petchkasem Rd,
Cha-am
yaiyaresort.com
COMPANY
GATHERING
Aleenta chefs
meet to discuss
eco-initiatives
