For my first blog I decided to focus on my vacation in Thailand. This trip inspired many new homemade dishes, including a simple 4-flavor Thai sauce (salty, spicy, sweet, sour) that I use on chicken, vegetables, and rice, and a healthier homemade Pad Thai recipe.
If you are planning a trip to Thailand, I hope my itinerary will give you some ideas! I know many people who took a cooking class while visiting Thailand. Unfortunately, I did not take a class, but if I return to Thailand one day I hope to do so! However, I learned a lot about Thai cooking while I was planning my trip. I also watched a lot of cooking videos when I returned home since I was so inspired by the street food and markets that I experienced!
The Inspiration Behind the Meals
Thailand had been on my bucket list since I was a child. Growing up with all brothers, I remember having special "girl time" dinners with my mom at a local Thai restaurant near my ballet studio. Thai food soon became my favorite food with its complex flavors and variety.
In January 2017 my husband and I decided to fulfill my desire to take a trip to Thailand. Although we had done plenty of travel around the U.S. and Europe, it was our first time to Asia. For months we watched Youtube videos on our Apple TV and read books from the library to decide on the perfect beach location for our personality - Thailand has so many beaches to choose from! We finally decided on Koh Phi Phi because my vision of Thailand included the majestic cliffs and jungle of that island. If you decide to visit Koh Phi Phi Don, keep in mind that it is known for it's vibrant nightlight. In this instance we opted to stay at a wonderful little hotel away from the downtown area. We also decided to spend our first few days in Bangkok to enjoy the street food, sites, and take a day trip to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. We also knew that we had to visit Chiang Mai to see the old wats and experience the famous markets. Read our itinerary to learn more about our trip to Thailand. I hope you find a little inspiration for your next trip!
ITINERARY:
Day 1: Bangkok | We arrived after a long flight from SFO to Bangkok (with a layover in Japan) on EVA air. I highly recommend this airline! We checked into the Plaza Athenee and ventured straight outside to try some street food! I opted for the spicy papaya salad and mango sticky rice. Warning: the papaya salad is just as spicy as everyone says it is!
Day 2: Bangkok | We woke up early and took a tuk-tuk to the tourist area of Bangkok to do some site seeing! The day began at Rattanakosin (old town) with the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha, Wat Pho (where we got a Thai massage), and the Reclining Buddha. After lunch we took a ferry across the river to Wat Arun.
Day 3: Ayutthaya Day Trip | Ayutthaya was the capital of the Siamese kingdom from about
1350 to 1767. My husband and I both love visiting historical sites so this was definitely on our list. It is roughly 80 kilometers, or a bit over an hour away from Bangkok. We opted for public transit (taking the train and then a shuttle), but in hindsight I would recommend getting a private driver from your hotel. It is very affordable in Thailand and it would have saved us so much time!
Day 4: Bangkok | During our last day in Bangkok we visited the weekend market to buy souvenirs, went to the National Museum, and then walked around Chinatown. We also relaxed for a bit at our beautiful hotel pool!
Day 5: Koh Phi Phi | We woke up early to for our 1.5 hour flight on AirAsia to Krabi. There is a shuttle at the Krabi airport to take you directly to the ferry. We boarded the ferry for a beautiful trip to Koh Phi Phi! When we arrived our hotel had a boat waiting to take us to Viking Nature Resort. We reserved the waterfront grand deluxe hut with air conditioning. It is one of the more expensive rooms at the resort - costing only about $80/night at the time! The resort has it's own private beach and restaurant. My husband hates eating at the same place more than once during a vacation, but we ended up eating breakfast and lunch there every day! The resort is an easy walk to downtown and other local beaches.
Day 6: Koh Phi Phi | We took an island hopping boat tour around the island to places including: Phi Phi Leh, Mosquito Island, Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach, Wang Long Cave, and it included snorkeling at many of these sites. We booked the tour directly through our hotel.
Day 7: Koh Phi Phi | We spent the day getting lost on the island. We hiked up to the viewpoints on the island, enjoyed massages on the beach, and I drank the best pina colada of my life!
Day 8: Koh Phi Phi | We spent another day relaxing on the beach with drinks in hand! At night we ventured downtown to eat dinner, do some shopping, and enjoy some very interesting people watching! We also saw a fire show on a beach.
Day 9: Chiang Mai | It was finally time for our last location. We flew from Krabi to the beautiful northern city of Chiang Mai. This was surprisingly one of my favorite parts of the trip. Chiang Mai is a large city with a relaxed atmosphere. We checked into the Le Meridien, Chiang Mai which was perfectly located.
Day 10: Chiang Mai | On our first full day in Chiang Mai we learned our lesson from our
Ayutthaya adventure and hired a driver for the day, costing only about $50 USD! We visited Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and a few other sites that were on the outskirts of the city. In the evening we walked around the Night Bazaar to enjoy street food, music, and shopping. I purchased a few fantastic LV knockoffs!
Day 11: Chiang Mai | In the morning we walked around the Old City and visited countless wats. In the afternoon we visited an elephant sanctuary - there are several in the Chiang Mai area and I recommend that you do some research into an ethical option!
Day 12: Chiang Mai | On our last day in Chiang Mai we walked around the Old City to tour any wats that we had missed and then went to the popular Sunday Market. At night we also watched muay thai.
PLANNING TIPS:
Visit in December-February. We went in January and it was still 95 degrees in Bangkok!
Bring notecards with both English and Thai directions to your hotels. This way you can show them to your driver if they don't speak English! (they probably won't)
Bring a scarf in your bag. You will need to cover your shoulders when entering temples (wats) and a scarf is lightweight and takes up little space in your bag.
Wear lightweight pants. You will need to cover your knees when entering temples. Also, lightweight pants will keep you cooler than shorts since it will shade you from the sun. You can buy these pants when you arrive in Thailand to save space in your suitcase!
Simple Thai Recipes
#1 Homemade 4-Flavor Thai Sauce Over Chicken, Vegetables, and Rice
Total time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients: Olive Oil, Rice, Chicken, Vegetables of Choice, Fish Sauce, Honey, Chili Sauce, Lime Juice (see alternative options in directions)
Step 1: RICE | Add rice and water to a rice cooker (or however you choose make your rice).
Step 2: CHICKEN | Add olive oil to a pan and cook chicken breasts while covered until chicken is cooked through (about 10 minutes on each side).
Step 3: VEGETABLES | Add olive oil to a pan and cook whichever vegetables that you'd like to include in your dish. Tonight I chose broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, and carrots.
Step 4: SAUCE | In a small bowl mix the four Thai flavors: salty (fish sauce), sweet (honey OR sugar), spicy (chili sauce OR crushed Thai chilis), and sour (lime juice).
[amounts: equal parts fish sauce and lime juice, and then add your desired amount of sweetness and spice]
Step 5: PLATE | Scoop desired amount of rice onto your plate. Top with chicken and vegetables. Then drizzle the Thai sauce. Enjoy!
#2 Healthier homemade Pad Thai
Total time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients: Olive Oil, Garlic, Rice Noodles, Shrimp, Soy Sauce, Fish Sauce, White Vinegar, Bell Peppers, Peanuts, Jalapenos, Cilantro, Limes
Step 1: RICE NOODLES | Cook rice noodles according to the directions on the box.
Step 2: SHRIMP | Add olive oil and 2-3 cloves of diced garlic to a pan on medium. After a minute add shrimp and cook until done.
Step 3: MIX INGREDIENTS | In a bowl, mix the noodles with equal parts soy sauce, fish sauce, and white vinegar. Add sliced bell peppers and the shrimp. Mix well.
Step 4: GARNISH | Top with peanuts, jalapenos, cilantro, and fresh squeezed limes. Enjoy!
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