The Best of Thailand

As you can tell from my Instagram, I spent my holidays in Thailand. I saved up all my vacation days for this end of the year trip so I was pretty excited to get out of the states for a while. It was especially timely considering the state of our country post-election.

I always feel so refreshed traveling. Even though it does make me uncomfortable at times I come back home with a new perspective. This trip really got me thinking about what it would be like to live abroad in a country where you do not understand the language, culture and often the values are totally different than yours. I had a lot of time to think on the beach 🙂

I spent my time in Thailand in 3 different places: Bangkok, K0h Phayam and Sam Roi Yot. All places were unique and delicious in their own way. 🙂 I have broken down all the food in one section and then all the places I visited in another.

THE FOOD–

Thai is absolutely, hands down my favorite cuisine. If I had to pick just 1 dish, I would have Prawn Tom Yum Soup with Noodles forever. So spicy, lemony and the seafood really tops it off. Who knew breakfast could be so spicy ?

Wish I could tell you what restaurant this was from but it was SO GOOD. Fried squid, fried rice and Pad Kee Mao all for a grand total of $6. I wish good food were this affordable in the states.

Here’s another variation of Pad Kee Mao. Everyone makes it a little differently. Another name for it is Drunken Noodles. This infamous Thai dish was invented by someone with a bad hangover. He added everything he had in his kitchen to a wok and viola, out came Drunken noodles–or so the legend goes.

We also got whole fishies! They were SO fresh and SO cheap! This whole fish, beer and sticky rice was $12 for 2 people.

and now for street food/market food:

Squid and Shrimp?

Deep Fried Squid Balls

❤ Coconut Ice Cream 🙂 

Meat on a Stick at Chatuchuk Market- YUM

And of course, there was also drinking… Beer, coffee, Thai tea and more 🙂 

So food was a highlight of the trip. 🙂

But when we weren’t eating and lazying on the beach here are some of the places we visited.

PLACES TO GO–

Chatuchak Market: 
If you missed the real food memo, you can find some fake food at a stall at Chatuchak market. Not sure why you would need this but if you need ANYTHING, Chatuchak market has it. It may take 2 days to find what you are looking for as you wind through the labyrinth of the market aisles but the huge array of goods is quite amazing. You can find anything from china wear, fast fashion shoe and clothes stalls, restaurants, pet “adoption” stalls, stationary and soap stalls, as well as fresh food/fish vendors.

The Grand Palace/Temples in BKK:
If you are in BKK you should definitely visit at least one of the temples. If you have to choose try The Grand Palace. It’s so grand and ornate that its difficult to compare to other temples. PSA: if you go to the temples, make sure you wear conservative clothes. Pants and covered shoulders are advised. When we were visiting, it was a few months after the death of Thailand’s beloved King so most visitors wore black to mourn his passing.

Jim Thompson House in BKK:
In BKK you can visit the former home of Jim Thompson who was known to have started the Thai silk industry after WWII. The home is converted into a museum where you can see his vast collection of art. There is a tour if you are interested in walking through.

Spinning Silk

 

Dyed Silk

Koh Phayam:
Koh Phayam is a small island off the Western coast of mainland Thailand. This island is a very special place. It’s super distinct from one side to the other and offers both a romantic getaway feel as well as younger hippie, backpacker feel depending on your what you are looking for. The island has a few main roads but does not support cars–motorcycles, scooters or walking only.

It was a bit overcast during our stay but we got lucky and saw a few gorgeous sunsets.

Beaches perfect for throwing a frisbee around! 

Can’t forget about the 60 min Thai Oil Massage on the Island-the best!

Sam Roi Yot National Park:
This park is huge but you should definitely visit if you have the chance. Some breathtaking views, beaches and caves.

Sam Roi Yot – Caves

AND for probably the most stunning and unique part of the part. There is a temple INSIDE the cave! When the sun hits the temple it glows like someone has turned on the lights. Truly AMAZING. Saved the best for last! 

And with that, I will stop raving about my trip to Thailand.

I feel so blessed that I was able to explore the beauty of Thailand. But as always, there are still so many unexplored places that I’d love to revisit someday.

Until then, safe travels to all the adventurers out there!

XO