Well hey there. It’s me. I am jet lagged as ever (we’re talking bed before 7pm and 3am wake up calls) but I made it back from Thailand. A beautiful country it is, filled with gorgeous sights, delicious food and the kindest people. I gained so much from traveling across the world to see the curiously chaotic and seamlessly chic cities I’d heard so much about. Over 13 days of traveling has landed me in a state of trance, yes. But I am here to share some of my fondest (and tastiest) memories from my adventures abroad that I hope you will enjoy!
After landing at nearly 2 am and arriving to our hotel almost an hour later, sleep was the only thing on our brains. So after a nights rest and a few cups of coffee we embarked on our first days of sightseeing. The Peninsula Bangkok is one of the most amazing hotels I have ever stayed in. Between the attention to detail, room design and overall classy feel, it’s like being in a dream. Needless to say, the beds were exceptionally comfy as well! Helps when you’ve traveled 23 hours to get there. Right, back to the fun.
One of the experiences that The Peninsula provides is a traditional Thai cooking class. Our experienced started by visiting the fresh market to select the ingredients via the Peninsula Tuk Tuk (the only way to get around the bustling city). This intriguing three-wheeled taxi is synonymous with Thailand and is a fast and fun way to get around the city. The hotel’s brand new, bespoke Tuk Tuk includes complimentary Wi-Fi, drinking water and cold towels on board for guests. No roughing it here! We zipped through bustling streets and alleys of Bangkok to local markets where we purchased fresh ingredients for our cooking class. There was so much to see and eat! I’d heard so much about Thai street food but sampling was a whole other level of cool. Fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and more. We chose our ingredients and headed back to get cooking…
I am a true lover of Thai cuisine and was thrilled when we found out what dishes we would be preparing for the afternoon. On the menu was an assortment including Som Tam (papaya salad with tomatoes and cashew nuts), Tom Yum Goong (Spicy and sour prawn soup with lemongrass), Phad Thai (Thai rice noodles and prawns, bean sprout and chive) and Khao Nhiew Ma-Muang (Fresh Mango with coconut infused sticky rice). Knowing we picked out all the parts to make the dish made it that much better. Our expert chef guided us through each dish before we sat to enjoy it. I felt immersed in the Thai way with the spice, flavors and cooking methods being explored.
After finishing the cooking class, we enjoyed a traditional Thai lunch prepared by the restaurant’s chef at Thiptara restaurant, literally translated as “heaven on water”. While we savored Thai dishes served in open-air traditional Salas set among lush tropical gardens overlooking the banks of the Chao Phraya River, we knew this was a bite of Bangkok we wouldn’t soon forget.
