Food and travel blogger Not Quite Nigella recently visited Hua Hin and travelled from there to Bangkok, exploring the local cuisine, markets and sights along the way.

Every winter, escaping the cold is my top priority. As much as I try to become a winter person, the sun and warmth of tropical countries beckon, and Thailand is one of my favorite travel destinations. This time I'm visiting a place I haven't been to before: Hua Hin, a three-hour drive from Bangkok.

"You love winter. Bring on all the roasts... and, uh, the cold and damp," I tell myself every year from June to August. And no matter how hard I try to prepare for winter, I ultimately succumb to my love of warm weather and travel abroad. The very word "winter" fills me with dread. But sometimes winter in Australia is the best time to travel, for example to Thailand, where temperatures hover around 31 degrees Celsius and you feel enveloped in cozy warmth. And you're only wearing a summer dress.

We arrive at Bangkok airport and immediately board the van. Our group of writers is engaged in lively conversation and is happy to leave the winter weather behind. I receive a message from Mr. NQN: It's rainy and cold in Sydney. He'll be joining us in seven days, so I'm not too disappointed. But next week I'll be traveling through Thailand with the other writers. Our first stop is Hua Hin on Thailand's west coast.

Click here to read on and admire all the beautiful photos NQN took along the way…