take me back to Thailand...

If after my last post about Thailand you still need some tips, these are for you!

Bangkok:

This trip we stayed at The Eugenia. It's charming, and a little bit quirky, and we loved it.  Only 12 rooms, all with their own unique mix of antiques and artworks, so its always fairly quiet (a good thing in this bustling city), and the pool is surrounded by palm trees and feels like your own private oasis. We ate at the hotel restaurant the first night and the food was fantastic. I highly recommend it.



One of the charming suites at The Eugenia Hotel, Bangkok

We ate at Gaggan the second night. We were recommended the tasting menu, being first timers, and were not disappointed. We had a 12 course tasting menu and loved every single course...honestly, it may well be in the top 10 of the best meals of my life. I have to say I think the fact the chef is Indian, and the fact they call their food "progressive indian", may be slightly misleading...I think even non-curry lovers will love this place.  Oh, and did I mention the building and interior? Super cute.


On the third night we ate at Issaya. Also located in a charming building, this place is much more colourful, which happens to be a great back drop to wonderful Thai food, a mix of traditional and more modern style dishes. Everything we had was amazing...especially the Passionfruit and caramel cocktails. Who knew those two flavours would work so well together!?

And I finally managed to get my husband to Agalico...a seriously cute tea house just off Sukhumvit Road. My second visit, but I think it may become a regular when we go back. Great selection of tea and cake, and the view of the garden outside is to die for.



Agalico, Bangkok



Apart from eating, we did a fair bit of shopping (I LOVE Bangkok for shopping...seriously one of the best cities in Asia...there is literally something for everyone, and it won't break the bank), and a bit of sightseeing.

We checked out Mr Kukrit's House, which is the home of an ex-priminister that has been maintained for visitors. Each of the pavilions serves a different purpose and all are still as Mr Kukrit left them. The gardens are alsoo quite amazing, and the feeling of standing amongst lush tropical greenery in the middle of a concrete jungle is quite surreal.  Still mostly untouched by the crowded bus tours, this is a nice way to spend a morning...and there's a Dean & Deluca naerby for lunch afterwards...which is exactly what we did.

Mr Kukrit's House, Bangkok



As for shopping...my favorite shopping malls in Bangkok are definitely Emporium and Siam Paragon...even though they are full of a lot of the same brands you see in every major city you still see a lot of stores with local designers.  Also, the department stores inside the malls are great, and carry a great selection of local designers which are very well priced.  I've somehow managed to visits twice during sale time and have picked up some ridiculous bargains.  As well as the malls there are lots of great shops scattered around the city and walking around back streets to find them is part of the fun and the experience of Bangkok.  My tips for furniture and home wares? The department stores I just mentioned, as well as Decor Mart in Siam Paragon (Barbara Barry, Ralph Lauren and many other big American brands not available in other major Asian cities), The Promenade (Christian Liaigre etc.), as well as my three favorite stores in the city: Incredible, Indelible and Unforgettable. Absolutely crammed full of amazing designs, each of them with their own slightly different mix, but owned by the same person. You will find them on Sukhumvit Soi 23. Take your credit card, and a few empty suitcases. They're just that good.

Phuket:

We were in Phuket for a friend's wedding, and while the actual ceremony was held elsewhere, most of the guests stayed at the Sala.  We shared a 2 bedroom pool villa with friends, and it was heavenly. This was our first resort holiday as we tend to be city people and my husband gets bored quickly, but I think this place has converted us.  There are lots of things to do if you want, otherwise they make it very easy for you to relax. We ate at the hotel almost every night and the food was great. I would definitely come back and stay here again.

Sunset on our first night over the pool at Sala, Phuket



Sunset on the beach, Phuket



The wedding itself was at the Sri Panwa resort, further south of the island, set on a cliff with THE most spectacular views. The ceremony was atop a building on the cliff, surrounding by an infinity pool. It was like something out of a James Bond movie, and I'm sure we weren't the only guests half expecting the bride to arrive by helicopter. Just stunning. A bit pricier than the Sala as you can imagine, but so secluded that I think anyone looking for a romantic secluded getaway this would be the place!