Hua Hin, Thailand

This is the first article in a six-part series about Hua Hin, Thailand, a coastal city near Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand. Hua Hin hosts the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, a fun and unique sporting event. The 2012 tournament inspired me to write the children’s picture book Ellie the Elephant about an elephant that dreams of playing in the tournament. Enjoy these travelogues about this diverse area of Thailand.

Hua Hin is a town in Prachuap Khiri Khan province on the northern edge of the Malay Peninsula that stretches from Thailand to Singapore. Situated on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin is located about 2.5 hours by car southwest of Bangkok. Best known as the site of Wang Klai Kang Won royal palace, Hua Hin is a convenient getaway for city dwellers who want to get out of town or hit the beach. It’s not as touristy, and the beaches aren’t as nice, as more popular destinations such as Phuket or Ko Samui, but Hua Hin has steadily developed as a tourist magnet in its own right. The Venezia, an Italian-style shopping center and Santorini Park, a Greek-themed shopping and entertainment complex in nearby Cha Am, opened recently and have helped put Hua Hin on the map.

Below is a sweeping view of the Hua Hin waterfront from Wat Khao Takiap, one of the city’s prominent Buddhist temples atop Chopsticks Hill (Khao Takiap).

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This is a view of the Gulf of Thailand from the waterfront.

The city’s main street, Phetkasem Road (Highway 4), runs north-south through town past shopping malls, hotels, and a night market. It looks like many busy business districts in Thailand.

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A stone building near the rocky beach below the temple offers great views of the Gulf of Thailand and the city.

The foothills of the Tenasserim Range straddling Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand crowd Hua Hin with worn hills that serve as pedestals for Buddhist sites such as the Wat Khao Krailas temple.

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The traditional architecture contrast with the modern high-rise hotels and condos hugging the Hua Hin waterfront.

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Although the sky was overcast when we visited Hua Hin in November 2012, the air was warm enough to enjoy the beach. Our son enjoyed making sand castles and sculptures. Vendors flocked to this little boy on an almost-empty beach, begging him to go on horse rides and buy souvenirs. He was having too much fun in the sand to pay much attention to them.

2012_09_16 Thailand Hua Hin (12)

2012_09_16 Thailand Hua Hin (13)

2012_09_16 Thailand Hua Hin (15)

You never know what you’ll find when you visit Hua Hin. You might stumble upon some delicious Thai food like we did near the waterfront or see a cute cat sleeping on the beach without a care in the world, or…

…Ellie the Elephant playing elephant polo!

Cover 6

Ellie the Elephant is now available as an e-book or in print from Amazon and other booksellers!

Map picture

 

clip_image002M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and a short story collection called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. He also wrote and illustrated Alexander the Salamander and Ellie the Elephant, two books in the World Adventurers for Kids Series. His books are available in e-book and print from Amazon.com and other booksellers. Edwards graduated from the University of Washington with a master’s degree in China Studies and a Master of Business Administration. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers. Contact him at me@mgedwards.com, on Facebook, on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.

© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.

Ellie the Elephant Now in Print!

The print edition of my children’s picture book Ellie the Elephant is now available to purchase for $6.99!

Book two of the World Adventurers for Kids Series, Ellie the Elephant is an illustrated picture book that encourages children to follow their dreams. A young elephant named Ellie who lives in Thailand dreams of joining the elephant polo team and playing in the Elephant Cup polo tournament, but her parents want her to work in the rice fields. Will she realize her dream of playing elephant polo?

Inspired by my adventures in Thailand and real elephant polo matches, the story features Ellie and her family, Monk the Monkey, and human boys Wasan and Wattana. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story will introduce them to the amazing game of elephant polo and inspire children to dream big.

Print Edition

The paperback version of Ellie the Elephant features 21 full-color illustrations. It is now available to purchase in print for only $6.99 (or equivalent in other currencies) from these booksellers:

Ellie the Elephant (cartoon)

 

Amazon.com ($6.99)

Amazon UK (£4,61)

Amazon Germany/Austria (€5,84)

Amazon France (€5,55)

Amazon Italy (€5,40)

Amazon Spain (€5,40)

Createspace ($6.99)

 

 

E-book Editions

I released two ebook versions of Ellie the Elephant, one with illustrations and the other with cartoon photos. Both feature the same story. The print edition features only the illustrated version of the story.

Ellie the Elephant (Illustrated Ebook Edition)

The illustrated edition of Ellie the Elephant is now available to purchase as an ebook for only $0.99 (99 cents or equivalent in other currencies) from these booksellers:

Ellie the Elephant (cartoon)

Amazon.com ($0.99)

Amazon UK (£0,77)

Amazon Canada ($1.01)

Amazon Germany/Austria (€0,89)

Amazon France (€0,89)

Amazon Italy (€0,89)

Amazon Spain (€0,89)

Amazon Brazil (R$2,00)

Amazon Japan (¥99)

Apple iTunes ($0.99 for iPad)

Barnes & Noble ($0.99 for Nook)

Barnes & Noble UK (£0,66 for Nook)

Goodreads ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

Kobo Books ($0.99 for Kobo)

Scribd ($0.99 for PDF)

Smashwords ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

Ellie the Elephant (Photo Ebook Edition)

The photo edition of Ellie the Elephant is now available to purchase as an ebook for only $0.99 (99 cents or equivalent in other currencies) from these booksellers:

Cover 8 (small)

Amazon.com ($0.99)

Amazon UK (£0,77)

Amazon Canada ($1.01)

Amazon Germany/Austria (€0,89)

Amazon France (€0,89)

Amazon Italy (€0,89)

Amazon Spain (€0,89)

Amazon Brazil (R$2,00)

Amazon Japan (¥99)

Apple iTunes ($0.99 for iPad)

Barnes & Noble ($0.99 for Nook)

Barnes & Noble UK (£0,66 for Nook)

Goodreads ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

Kobo Books ($0.99 for Kobo)

Scribd ($0.99 for PDF)

Smashwords ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

What Kids Are Saying

clip_image007Ellie the Elephant is kid tested and approved! Here are what some early readers had to say about the picture book in their own words:

“This one is the epicle of EPICNESS! The cover is cool and the pictures inside are the best.”

“I love this one! It is awesome! Cool! I like how you made the pictures detailed.”

“I love this one! I like the cover.”

“I like Ellie the Elephant because it has pretty good animation and it is a really good book.”

“I like dis 1 ‘cause U put GR8 detail and U cartooned everything.”

“This one is awesome! Great cover.”

“Detailed pictures. Good detail. I love the book it is so good.”

“Love this one. It is awesome!”

“I like this one because it’s attention grabbing!”

Alexander the Salamander

Alexander Cover (front mid)You may also want to pick up the first book in the World Adventurers for Kids Series. Alexander the Salamander, is also available to buy for just $0.99.

Alexander the Salamander is about a salamander named Alexander living in the Amazon who joins his friends Airey the Butterfly and Terry the Tarantula on an unforgettable jungle adventure. Set in the Amazon region of Brazil, the story teaches children the importance of listening to teachers and other authority figures. Co-authored by M.G. Edwards and his son Alex, the story was inspired by their 2008 visit to the Amazon.

 

clip_image010M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and a short story collection called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. He also wrote and illustrated Alexander the Salamander and Ellie the Elephant, two books in the World Adventurers for Kids Series. His books are available in e-book and print from Amazon.com and other booksellers. Edwards graduated from the University of Washington with a master’s degree in China Studies and a Master of Business Administration. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers. Contact him at me@mgedwards.com, on Facebook, on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.

© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.

Ellie the Elephant Now on Sale!

My children’s picture book Ellie the Elephant is now available to purchase as an e-book for just $0.99!

Book two of the World Adventurers for Kids Series, Ellie the Elephant is an illustrated picture book that encourages children to follow their dreams. A young elephant named Ellie who lives in Thailand dreams of joining the elephant polo team and playing in the Elephant Cup polo tournament, but her parents want her to work in the rice fields. Will she realize her dream of playing elephant polo?

Inspired by my adventures in Thailand and real elephant polo matches, the story features Ellie and her family, Monk the Monkey, and human boys Wasan and Wattana. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story will introduce them to the amazing game of elephant polo and inspire children to dream big.

I decided to release two editions of the book, one with illustrations and the other with cartoon photos. Both feature the same story. Choose one or both. It’s your choice.

Ellie the Elephant – Illustrated Edition

The illustrated edition of Ellie the Elephant is now available to purchase as an ebook for only $0.99 (99 cents or equivalent in other currencies) from these booksellers:

Ellie the Elephant (cartoon)

Amazon.com ($0.99)

Amazon UK (£0.77)

Amazon Canada ($1.01)

Amazon Germany/Austria (€0.89)

Amazon France (€0.89)

Amazon Italy (€0.89)

Amazon Spain (€0.89)

Amazon Brazil (R$2.00)

Amazon Japan (¥99)

Apple iTunes ($0.99 for iPad)

Barnes & Noble ($0.99 for Nook)

Goodreads ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

Kobo Books ($0.99 for Kobo)

Scribd ($0.99 for PDF)

Smashwords ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

The Wordshop ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

Coming soon to Google Play, Sony ReaderStore and other booksellers.

Ellie the Elephant – Photo Edition

The photo edition of Ellie the Elephant is now available to purchase as an ebook for only $0.99 (99 cents or equivalent in other currencies) from these booksellers:

Ellie the Elephant (photos)

Amazon.com ($0.99)

Amazon UK (£0.77)

Amazon Canada ($1.01)

Amazon Germany/Austria (€0.89)

Amazon France (€0.89)

Amazon Italy (€0.89)

Amazon Spain (€0.89)

Amazon Brazil (R$2.00)

Amazon Japan (¥99)

Apple iTunes ($0.99 for iPad)

Barnes & Noble ($0.99 for Nook)

Goodreads ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

Kobo Books ($0.99 for Kobo)

Scribd ($0.99 for PDF)

Smashwords ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

The Wordshop ($0.99 for multiple ereaders)

Coming soon to Google Play, Sony ReaderStore and other booksellers.

Ellie’s Tour of Thailand

Stay tuned as Ellie goes on a virtual tour of Thailand! Here’s Ellie enjoying the scenery in Khao Yai National Park east of Bangkok.

Cover 13

What Kids Are Saying About Ellie

Ellie the Elephant is kid tested and approved! Here are what some early readers had to say about the picture book in their own words:

Heart“This one is the epicle of EPICNESS! The cover is cool and the pictures inside are the best.”

“I love this one! It is awesome! Cool! I like how you made the pictures detailed.”

“I love this one! I like the cover.”

“I like Ellie the Elephant because it has pretty good animation and it is a really good book.”

“I like dis 1 ‘cause U put GR8 detail and U cartooned everything.”

“This one is awesome! Great cover.”

“Detailed pictures. Good detail. I love the book it is so good.”

“Love this one. It is awesome!”

“I like this one because it’s attention grabbing!”

Pick up your copy of Ellie the Elephant today!

clip_image003You may also want to buy the first book in the World Adventurers for Kids Series, Alexander the Salamander, is also available to purchase for just $0.99. Alexander the Salamander is about a salamander named Alexander living in the Amazon who joins his friends Airey the Butterfly and Terry the Tarantula on an unforgettable jungle adventure. Set in the Amazon region of Brazil, the story teaches children the importance of listening to teachers and other authority figures. Co-authored by M.G. Edwards and his son Alex, the story was inspired by their 2008 visit to the Amazon.

clip_image004M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and a short story collection called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. He also wrote and illustrated Alexander the Salamander and Ellie the Elephant, two books in the World Adventurers for Kids Series. His books are available in e-book and print from Amazon.com and other booksellers. Edwards graduated from the University of Washington with a master’s degree in China Studies and a Master of Business Administration. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers. Contact him at me@mgedwards.com, on Facebook, on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.

© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.