Hua Hin หัวหิน is one of eight districts of Prachuap Khiri Khan province in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula in Thailand. Hua Hin district is in the middle of what the Thai government is promoting as the "Thai Riviera", the stretch of coastline between Phetchaburi in the north and Chumphon in the south.
In 1834, before the town was named Hua Hin some agricultural areas of Phetchaburi province were hit by severe drought. A group of farmers moved south until they found a small village that had bright white sand and a row of rocks along the beach. They settled there and gave it the name Samore Riang, which means 'rows of rocks'. The name was changed to Hua Hin in 1921.
Regarded by many as one of the nicest beaches near Bangkok, Hua Hin is immensely popular for locals and international visitors. The popularity is mostly thanks to the flat stretches of beach, plenty of things to do, and ease of travel from Bangkok.
The beach slopes gently into the gulf, so although it’s ...
The Ruins of Pompeii: A Frozen Snapshot of Ancient Rome
Pompeii was a thriving ancient Roman city in Campania, Italy, near modern Naples. Founded around the 7th–6th century BC (possibly by the Oscans), it grew into a prosperous port and resort town with a population of about 10,000–20,000 by the 1st century AD. On August 24, 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted catastrophically in a Plinian eruption, ejecting ash and pumice high into the atmosphere before unleashing deadly pyroclastic surges.
The city was buried under 4–6 meters (13–20 feet) of volcanic material, preserving it remarkably well—streets, buildings, frescoes, artifacts, and even casts of victims in their final poses.
This rapid burial created one of the world’s best-preserved ancient sites, offering unparalleled insights into Roman daily life: homes with gardens, bakeries with loaves still in ovens, theaters, baths, brothels, and graffiti on walls.
Rediscovered in the late 16th century and systematically excavated from 1748, ...
The Pantheon in Rome—one of the Eternal City’s most mesmerizing wonders! This ancient marvel has stood for nearly 2,000 years, blending engineering genius with timeless beauty.
Built around AD 126 by Emperor Hadrian (though it bears an inscription crediting Marcus Agrippa from an earlier version), the Pantheon started as a temple to all the gods (“Pan-theon” means “all gods” in Greek). It survived fires, floods, and centuries of history thanks to its conversion into a Christian church in AD 609. Today, it’s the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs, making it the best-preserved ancient Roman building in the world.
The real showstopper is the massive unreinforced concrete dome—the largest of its kind ever built, at 43 meters (142 feet) in diameter and height. It’s perfectly proportioned, with a 9-meter (30-foot) oculus (open hole) at the top that lets in natural light and even rain (the floor has tiny drains for those sunny showers!). The interior feels ethereal, especially ...
Castel Sant’Angelo, also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, is a towering cylindrical landmark on the banks of the Tiber River in Rome. Originally commissioned by Emperor Hadrian around 135 AD as a grand tomb for himself and his family, it served as a burial place for Roman emperors until Caracalla. Over nearly 2,000 years, it transformed into a medieval fortress, papal refuge, prison, and now the Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo.
This remarkable structure began as an ancient mausoleum built between 123–139 AD, featuring a spiral ramp leading to the burial chamber where the ashes of emperors like Marcus Aurelius were interred.
In the Middle Ages, it evolved into a defensive stronghold, incorporated into Rome’s walls, and controlled by powerful families before passing to the papacy. From the 14th century, popes used it as a secure residence and treasury vault, connected to the Vatican by a secret elevated passageway known as the Passetto di Borgo, an 800-meter-long corridor famously used ...
