Koh Samui, Bangkok

This is going to be a very long travel post again.

A new year holiday my mum decided to treat us to. January 5th to 10th, 2010.

You see, I had quit my job at GP 3 months in advance of the start of my school term with the intention of going on a month-long trip to Taiwan; food, shopping, walking, onsen...heaven. Alas, it did not happen. Time really does fly. Two months disappeared and I still found myself in Singapore... Thank god my mum has generously decided that we should take a family trip to somewhere near, since I was on a really tight schedule with driving. We decided on Koh Samui and Bangkok.

We took a connecting flight to Koh Samui via Bangkok. The waiting time is shorter though the tickets are alot more expensive. Some background information, Koh Samui is an island about an hour flight from Bangkok. It is now a popular travel destination for many westerners. When I got there, the first thing I noticed is: Ang Mohs! (the hokkien word for Caucasians!)

The lovely boutique resort we stayed in: Zazen Boutique Resort. Service staff is superb, goes all out to make you comfortable. Welcome fruit juice upon arrival. The resort has its own private beach and a pool (small one). We swam in both. Spa, is very expensive, and very good, hee hee. The restaurant in Zazen is unanimously the best place we have eaten. The Italian semi fine-dining is very good, excellent duck breast by the way. Thai room-service is great too. Damn, even coffee is good. We can actually stay in the resort for 3 whole days and not go out at all.

Moroccan style architecture with lots of plants and flowing water.

On our second morning, we went for the next best thing after Zazen, Canopy tree-top walk.

The little red bugger we saw running across a moss-covered rock.

The canopy tree-top walk is actually more like tree-top to tree-top flying fox. See the harness cradling our butts? It weighs a ton. We had to buckle up at the halfway kiosk on the hill, carry that weight and continue another 20minutes of climbing to the first "swing-off" point. It was the most tiring climb of my current short life. ._.

After a couple of practice, we went for the real thing. You slide off the platform and suddenly you find you are dangling above nothing, just trees and more trees and the occasional river. The wind blows against your face as you slide down the cable, you close your eyes and go "YEEEHAAA", like Tarzan.

For lunch, after all that swinging, we ordered room-service. Phat thai and pineapple rice.

Dinner at the Zazen Restaurant. We had to book to get a table, or else it'll be full-house since they also accept outside guests.

A refreshing Mojito and a Mai Thai (my first time drinking, I like!) The rest of the fantastic dinner cannot be published due to bad lighting. But I must say, if you come to eat at Zazen, you must try the ice-creams here, the Chef makes his own ice-cream.

A good cup of latte.

Another dinner at The Library, another boutique hotel. Completely over-rated. Looks good on the plate, tastes not-so-good in the mouth.

Tuna tartare is overpowered by pepper, petunia sea trout is overcooked...

Onto Bangkok. The real shopping begins. Muahaha.

Once in Bangkok, we dove straight into local fare. We were kind of sick of all that prissy fine international food in Koh Samui. First was dried wonton noodle, from the push-cart. Yumm-yumm.

Sausage wrapped in crepe, from another push cart, junk food material.

The standard traffic you see everyday in Bangkok. Even so, the taxi is real cheap. For a half an hour ride, you pay about S$6.

At this time of the year, you can find bags of strawberries everywhere, though they are not too sweet, and the local orange juice.

I don't know what is this called, but it taste qutie nice. A very sweet coconut kueh.

The best wonton noodle in Bangkok, so my mum says. Along street 19, opposite Phan Tip Plaza.

In this eatery, they only serve two things: braised pork with rice and wonton noodle. It is really good. Especially the braised pork! Just look at the fats...

At night, we found this really cute Japanese restaurant in one of the shopping strips in World Square. I like the interior of the restaurant, white walls and wood elements.

Matcha au lait, matcha adzuki shake, mabo tofu rice, tonkastu rice and salmon teriyaki rice. Not fantastic but for the price, I say it's fine.

Last morning in Bangkok, we headed down to Chinatown for breakfast.

Thai kway chap, anyone? In terms of the ingredients it is very similar to the kway chap we have in Singapore, pig's intestines, egg, beancurd, except that the soup base is slightly sour and the "kway" (flat rice noodle) that they use is thicker and curled.

Min Jiang Kueh, peanut pancake. I prefer the Singapore variety anytime. This pancake is uncooked.

Chinatown.

Arrival, Singapore- 8pm. End.