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Don Hoi Lot & Amphawa Floating Market Trip 6.09.08

Though I am 8 months pregnant, I was still game enough go for a day trip to Don Hoi Lot (Gulf of Thailand) and Amphawa Floating market. We had lunch at one of the restaurant near the sea and feasted on a buffet of exotic seafood which we couldn't get in Bangkok. There was the dinosour crabfish, yabbies, curry crab, fresh steam fish, Ota-ota (fish dumpling), hot tom yum goong and of course my favorite crab with grass noodles in the hotpot.

Afterwards, we wandered around the fish market that sales bulk dried seafood like fish stick, dried squid and shrimp which my sister bought to bring home and share with family back in Singapore.

We continued our journey to Amphawa Market and there's just so many people. Hubby Philip went to check out the resort around the area while we walked from one end to another enjoying the sights of locals buying local produce and fresh food. We tasted thai dessert which is similar to Leong Fun back home but with a dash of palm toddy and syrup.

Mione had fun with her stick ice cream and was reluctant to share it mum wherelse Mummy Uaa and Daddy Wee Lee was busy capturing Mione's antic through their digital camera lenses. You can see a collection of the photos in the slide show above.

Enjoy now.

Vientiane, here I am - 17.07.08

Vientiane! We finally arrived here at 1.30pm, 17.07.2008 and I love the city. It reminds me of the old Kota Kinabalu.

The journey started at 9.00am where we lined up at the Thai-Lao International bus counter for an hour just to be told that there's only 1 seat available for the 10.30am 2nd class coach. While waiting to buy tickets for the next trip, the officer announced that the first bus had an accident and we have to come back at 10.30am to buy the tickets.

So we had a leisurely breakfast near the terminal, bought the tickets at appointed time and rushed back to the hotel to check out & get our luggages. Lunch was a hurried affair of pork noodle soup and boarded the bus at exactly 11.28am. The bus depart at 11.34am! Talk about on time!

Upon reaching Nong Khai, we hurried down to get our passport chopped by the Thai immigration, then we boarded the bus just to go down again after a short 30 minutes ride at the Laos immigration. Here we were given arrival & departure card to fill at the immigration check in (details are not thoroughly checked) and proceeded to the entrance fee counter to pay a bht10 each. I think there's a luggage scanner but nobody seems to use it. Then it was home free. It took us another hour of nice and scenic ride to reach Vientiane.

We went straight to our hotel at Mali Namphu Guest House at 109 Pangkham Road, tel: +856-21-215093 for a standard room priced at USD19.00

Hungry for Laos cuisine, we walked left of our hotel towards the river and found a nice riverside restaurant and ordered jeun khai with muu (omelette with pork), khao phat muu (fried rice with pork) for me and khao neung (plain rice) for Philip, piing muu (grilled pork) and maak phao (coconut), YUMMY!

Passing through Intercity Hotel, we saw a banner for a 2 hour Laos Traditional massage for USD10.00 or RM33.00. So Philip decided to try it out while I went in search of a cyber cafe!

And here I am......

Hope you guys enjoyed my story!

Udon Thani, Thailand - 16.07.2008

Currently at Udon Thani which is on the north east Thailand for a nite before crossing the border to Laos. Staying at one of the best hotel (Charoensri Grand Royal Hotel) in town for a double bed standard room costing bht1400 in town.

Will catch the the 2nd class coach at 10.30 but we would have to go to the terminal by 9.00 to get our passport checked and tickets (bht85/pax/way). A good thing we are Malaysians because visa is not necessary. I would have to update as to why later. This will be my last overseas travel before baby comes into the world so am excited with this trip.

OK wish us luck.

Hanoi, Vietnam Trip - 14.06.2008!

I was so excited to be in Hanoi, Vietnam. I had so many friends from Vietnam back at Uni years and it's like visiting their hometown. Of course the fact that it's Philip's & my 1st wedding anniversary made the trip more romantic!

Upon arrival we straight away went in search of Pho, the famous vietnamese noodle soup and it was just as good as we have imagine it. Then we found pathfinder magazine that helped us a lot in reference to local street fares that we saw locals consumed with such gumption.

My favorite dish is called Com Rang - wok fried, often served with beef/chicken, spring rolls and cabbage at 39 Ma May near Handspan Adventure Travel Agency. We also tried Xoi - yellow sticky rice topped with healthy options like coconut, sesame or sliced bean cake (the greasier version is with pork ribs, chicken or chicken sausage), Pho Bo, Vietnamese spring roles and Nuoc Mia Da (sugar-cane juice freshly squeezed served together with a pinch of lime), YUMMY!!!

Overall the staff at Classic Street Hotel also known as Pho Cho Hotel were very helpful and the proprietress was nice enough to give us a room on the 3rd floor due to my condition (was 5 months pregnant). The puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet was so much fun and going to the 3000 years old village in Hanoi was a revelation. Now I know what they mean one product one village is! We were lucky that Handspan Adventure Travel was near the hotel, who's sales person & tour guide was great in suggetions & practical advices!

Dumneon Saduak Floating Market - 1.06.08

From Kanchanaburi, we got into a rented van for 1300bht to take a 2 hours ride to Dumnoen Saduak District, Ratchaburi Province (105km West of Bangkok). We stayed at Ban Suk Chok Resort at Thambon Tha Nat, tel: 03 225 4892.

We rented a 3 bedroom cabin for 1000bht. Do not expect a clean and new surroundings because it is not but still it is comfortable enough for a nite sleep.

That afternoon we went to Talat Nam Amphawa - a 2 hours hired boat trip from the resort at 1500bht return trip. It rained when we were walking in the market but I appeased my cravings for thai sweets with buying a lot of the coconut sauced goodies, cookies and sweet rice crackers. I've wrote about the market here also.

The next day, a Sunday again we took a 15 minutes boat ride and this time its to the largest floating market in Thailand - Dumneon Saduak Floating market. I was dissapointed with the fares available at this market because they are mostly souvenirs and light food & beverages. I only bought jackfruit & pomelo for the trip back to Bangkok and nothing else.

JUMP - Comic Martial Arts Performance in Bangkok

Yes! We are booked for the 21st June 2008 show in Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon, Bangkok.
I had so wanted to see Jump during my trip to Korea and I can't believe it that I finally get to see it here in Bangkok! The show starts from 18-22 June 2008 and if anyone wants to see them please visit www.thaiticketmajor.com for more info.
Here's an article about 'Jump' by Bangkok Post out on June 6th, Friday.

Thai Cooking Class at Kanchanaburi - 30.05.08!

We had another chance to go to Kanchanaburi, about 2 hours south of Thailand where it is famous for its River Kwai and Tiger Temple. Catch a bus at the Southern Bus Teminal in Bangkok and a one way ticket is around 105bht per person.
Upon reaching at our guesthouse (Ploy Guesthouse - a stylish tropical retreat at 79/2 Maenam Kwai Rd, Kanchanaburi Province, Tel: (034) 515 804), we decided to go for a cooking class which is around 750bht per person and it includes a trip to the local market and learn how to cook 3 traditional Thai dishes (green curry, phanaeng & pad thai) instead of visitng the temples again.
In this class we learnt that and more! Chef Mickey was such an entertaining host that we all enjoyed ourselves enormously.

PS: I've tried cooking tom yum goong, green curry & pad thai at home and let me tell you the lessons really worked in terms of self confidence and measurements! I made a mean tom yum & green curry! Though I might have to get more practice on the pad thai coz hubby thought mine was too sweet....;)

Kanchanaburi Tiger Temple Trip - 11 - 13.o1.2008

A continuation from my bus trip from the Southern Bus Terminal. We went on a trip to the Tiger Temple (Wat Luang Ta Bua Yanna Sampanno) and coincidently it is near the Mae Nam Kwai River where a movie titled 'The Bridge Over River Kwai' was made. We stayed next to beautiful River Kwai and I hope all will enjoy my video which I took with our canon digital camera.



It was wild and untamed, this forest monastry. I was unprepared when the volunteers started feeding the animals rite in front of me and was so afraid that I stood stock still with my video still recording. The results was magnificent! I can even now feel the rough fur of the wild boar as they brushed gently against me to get to the food next to my right foot.

The wat is famed for taking in wild tigers amids rumours that the abbot buy these animals for touristic purposes. Whatever the reason that maybe, I see an operation that is maintain by a mum and pop establishment and it is rustically appealing.

May it continue to stay and bring pleasure for all person who visits and believe that human and wild beasts can co-exist.

Southern Bus Terminal, Bangkok - 11.01.2008

After getting use to the havocs of old bus terminals in Bangkok, the new Southern Bus Terminal is a revelation. You can have a bus terminal as big as an airport with the same layout (though most of the signages are still in Thai with no English translation). Thank god for information booth. We took this trip to go to the famous Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi and hope the video can open your eyes as to how esay it is to travel by bus in Bangkok, Thailand.

Enjoy....!

LeBua At State Tower, Bangkok - 01.02.2008

It's true!!! We finally experienced why Sirocco was awarded for 'Most overwhelming restaurant experience with a great wow factor' by The Art of Travel (2007) and 'Hot Nights' & 'Hot Tables' list of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine (2005).

Try it or check it out at www.lebua.com or www.thedomebkk.com......

Enjoy my frenzzzzz...............