We chose to add Düsseldorf to our list of destinations for our October 2018 trip to Europe because we wanted to see part of Germany that was different than the Bavarian region that most people initially think of. The first day consisted of a four hour drive from Strasbourg, France past dozens of vineyards and the Black Forest. Upon our arrival to the city, we checked into a HUGE extended stay hotel called House Hyatt and went somewhere nearby for lunch. I was excited to finally try a currywurst which is essentially a sausage with a curried ketchup on top. After lunch we walked the riverfront and attempted to get tickets to a Burlesque show but they were sold out. As a back up we got some gelato and hit the gym at our hotel.
On the second day of our time in Dusseldorf we discovered a really cool open air market with stunning florals and delicacies. We enjoyed some gelato by the river, did a ton of shopping and ended the day bar hopping. Drinks began at the riverfront with a gorgeous sunset, moved on to dinner at a Thai restaurant, included some breweries and ended at a hookah bar.
Walking through the market
Gelato by the riverPretty cocktails at sunset
Delicious dark beers at a local breweryEnding the night like a local at a hookah bar
Every time we visit a larger city that we’re not familiar with, we try to take a Hop-On-Hop-Off Red Bus Tour. They’re super fun, informative and convenient because they provide your transportation for the day, as well. The next morning we took our red bus tour to get to know Düsseldorf, visited the Aquazoo and the Japanese Gardens, and Erica and I ended the day with a yoga class at Shivasloft. The yoga class was very different from what I’m used to in the U.S.; the teacher started by handing out a paper with a chant written on it and accompanied the chanting with a tiny little piano. There was also a lot more breath work than I’m used to, but it was a really fun experience and I still use some of his posture ideas in my classes today.
One of the tanks at the Aquazoo
Fountain at the Japanese GardensExploring the gardens
Yoga in a foreign land
The next day was one of the most hilarious days I’ve had while traveling. We began with another trip to the market, visiting a cafe and shopping. Then we went to Capella Breidenbacher Hof for High Tea. The hotel made for a stunning setting for an elegant and delicious afternoon tea with champagne.
One of the attractions in Düsseldorf is their Tonhalle venue, and we really wanted to experience a show during our stay in the city. We were able to find a Symphoniker show on one of the nights we were going to be in town. However, when we tried to buy tickets through our hotel concierge they said that the Tonhalle wasn’t having any events that week. We ended up calling the venue directly and purchasing tickets. We should have listened to our hotel staff because when we arrived, all dressed up, for the “symphony”, we found ourselves at some kind of community recital. We had a glass of wine at a Lions Club event that I’m pretty sure we weren’t supposed to be at, and another in the lobby surrounded by senior citizens, and tried to sit through a terrible show that ended up putting us into fits of laughter that couldn’t be controlled. When the show ended, we rushed out of there and found a bar playing Raggaeton music where we got Pisco Sours and danced by ourselves for the rest of the night.
Exploring the city at nightDressed up for the “Symphony”
At least we still got to experience a really special venue!
The next morning I woke up incredibly sick. We assume it was from the egg white foam on our Pisco sours from the night before. I spent the entire day in bed while Erica and Scott did laundry, worked out and went out for lunch. Eventually I kept down some chicken nuggets from a German McDonald’s at the very end of the day. The following morning we left Düsseldorf for our final destination on our trip: Amsterdam!
We had a great time in Düsseldorf getting to know the more urban side of Germany as opposed to Bavaria. We had some great laughs, amazing food, and unforgettable experiences.
The third leg of our October 2018 trip to Europe was spent in the stunning Alsace region of France. Alsace is known for vineyards, medieval towns, and a unique blend of French and German culture.
Our first day was full of driving through the fall foliage of Switzerland and France and trying to navigate the medieval streets and walls to get into our hotel. We stayed at the Regent Petite France in the heart of Strasbourg and the historical guard towers and stone walls were all still in place, making driving up to our hotel very challenging but totally worth it. After a lunch outside in a cobblestoned square (I had a salad with fried goat cheese that was to die for) and a glass of regional Pinot Noir, we spent our afternoon in a laundromat and watching Netflix in our pretty hotel rooms.
Exploring Strasbourg
On our first full day in Alsace, we got to check off a major bucket list item: wine tasting in France! Coming from Eastern Washington I was expecting the bold red wines of the Bordeaux region, but we learned right away that Alsace specializes in all white wines (Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat and Gewurtzraminer) and one red, Pinot Noir. However, these were not the sweet varietals we know in the states. They were dry, crisp and refreshing. Our favorite discovery was by far the sparkling variety, Cremant d’Alsace, and we continue to look for this stuff on any wine list we come across.
The wine tour we chose (VinoRoute Strasbourg) also included scenic stops in medieval towns, viewpoints of the incredible vineyards showing off their fall colors, and some spot-on lunch recommendations. Specifically, we visited Specht, Frey-Sohler, and Zeyssolff wineries and spent time in the towns of Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé, where we had lunch.
Samples in a barrel roomVineyard villagesAmazing vineyard views
Walls and towers from the Middle Ages
Getting excited about some macaroons!
After sleeping off a long day of drinking wine, we awoke on our second day in Alsace to have brunch, visit the Cathrédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg (not to be confused with the Notre Dame in Paris), and walk by the canals.
When we got back to the hotel we got in a quick workout to prepare for the massive feast we were expecting for dinner. Scott and I really wanted Erica to experience a Michelin rated tasting menu and we all love French food, so we found Au Crocodile while we were planning our trip. The meal did not disappoint and we even got to meet the chef, but we definitely needed to go in with an empty stomach!
The prettiest dessertHanging out with the chef under a crocodile
The next day was our final day in Strasbourg. We spent it shopping for treats to take with us, walking the beautiful canals and parks, finally eating some crepes, drinking Cremant d’Alsace, and capping it all off with a very authentic dinner in an old cave where we sampled Escargot.
An amazing view of Strasbourg
We will be dreaming of bubbly wines, coq au Riesling, and crepes until the next time we are in this beautiful place!
The second leg of our October 2018 Europe Trip with my sister, Erica, was Switzerland. On October 7th, we had a delicious breakfast in Munich and began the drive to Zurich. Strangely, we were waved over by some semi-official looking traffic officers and were charged 120 euros for not having a road pass. We Googled this phenomenon shortly after to be sure we weren’t being scammed and to this day, we still aren’t 100% sure. Once we arrived in Zurich, we had to drive tiny, cobblestone streets to get close to our hotel and were reprimanded by some locals about idling our vehicle. Switzerland is very strict about environmental protection! Eventually, we were able to check in to the Marketgasse Hotel in the heart of Zurich.
We took the afternoon to rest and then Erica and Scott went to the hotel gym while I went to check out Atha Yoga. My experience here was fascinating. The teacher, Ben, appeared to be British though he had previously taught in New York. The room was full and there was no music. We did an abnormal amount of breath work for a Vinyasa class, but the most interesting part was Ben’s adjustments. At certain points it felt like he was literally moving my bones around and he managed to adjust every student several times. Overall, it was different from what I’m used to, but in a good way.
That evening we ate dinner at a French style restaurant called Louis Brasserie. We weren’t particularly hungry so we decided to share some different French wines, scallops, goat cheese and Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (a Zurich favorite: veal in a creamy mushroom sauce served over a hash brown patty called a Rösti). This dinner turned out to be incredibly memorable for a couple of reasons. First, it was outdoor dining on a cobblestone street, what could be more European than that? Second, the Zurich veal dish turned out to be one of our favorite things we’ve ever eaten and this was our first opportunity to sample it. We have since tried recreating it at home and we will definitely be looking for it at European restaurants in the future.
Enjoying one of several restaurants with outdoor dining on the cobblestone streets.One of the best things we ate on this trip: Veal in a creamy mushroom sauce served over a hash brown patty called a Rösti.
The next day was one of the greatest and most exciting days of our travels (and, probably, our entire lives). Why? Because we went SKYDIVING over the Swiss Alps! Skydive Switzerland is located in Interlaken (the name of this town means between the lakes and it’s located in the Bernese region of the Alps). As the name implies, the drive from Zurich to Interlaken was stunning. We had to be ready for skydiving early so we drove during sunrise amongst the lakes and mountains and tried to remain calm. The weather was definitely brisk, but the skies were clear. Once we arrived at the airplane hanger we were outfitted with gear and shown how to position ourselves when jumping out of the plane and landing. We were then assigned our tandem partners (I was with the only female being the smallest person there to jump), and put into groups for the plane. We were grouped with a young Australian man who, like Scott, had jumped once before. Erica and I were first-timers.
I can’t really put into words the anticipation and anxiety of arriving at the airplane hanger and riding the plane up. Similarly, I wouldn’t know how to begin to describe the exhilaration and beauty of the jump itself. Hopefully, these photos illustrate our experience to some degree.
Trying not to freak out……definitely freaking out…Amazing views of the alps!Free fall!!
Enjoying the glide and steering my own parachute.Celebrating a successful landing.Taking it all in.
After skydiving, we decided to head into a mountain town called Grindelwald. First, we needed to take a pitstop to absorb the craziness that was skydiving and get some refreshments. We found a Ristorante Pizzeria called Lido da Elío that was right on the lake and enjoyed some hot apple cider with some incredible views.
A pitstop on our way from Interlaken to Grindelwald.
When we first arrived in Grindelwald, we were starving after an exciting morning. We went to the Derby Hotel and got a classic dish for Switzerland: fondue! We ordered some spicy fondue with all the normal accoutrements along with some other mountain food and some wine.
Driving through the AlpsOur first real fondue experience!
After lunch we went through some exceedingly overpriced ski shops at which I got “Pretty-Womaned” (some snooty workers asked me not to touch the fur hats because they’re very expensive) and we caught a train up the mountain to Jungfraujoch. Jungfraujoch is known as the “Top of Europe” though it is not the highest peak on the continent. When we reached the top we found stunning views and ice palaces.
Exploring GrindelwaldAmazing alpine views from the train platform.Views of Bern from the train.
Reaching the viewpoint.Stunning alpine peaksChilling in ice castles
The sunset on the alps before a dark and winding drive back to Zurich.
The next morning, Erica took us to a café called Conditorei Schober. We liked it so much that we returned a few more times during our short stay in Zurich. The café was spread over several different floors with several different intimate dining rooms. Each was decorated in it’s own unique way. We all got cappuccinos and Peclard z’Morge for breakfast which consisted of several different breads/croissants, a variety of spreads, a hard boiled egg and muesli (a Swiss overnight oatmeal with fruit). This was my first real experience with muesli and it became one of my absolute favorite things. I’ve since made it at home and am slowly perfecting my own version.
An awesome breakfast place and the best Swiss hot chocolate of your life!Erica in one of their uniquely decorated dining rooms.Another dining room
Our next stop was Grossmünster Church. What I found interesting about this church was that it had very modern designs in the stained glass. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow us to take photos of the interior. We decided to climb one of the towers (not Erica’s favorite part of the trip) and were rewarded with stunning 360 degree views of the city. Afterwards, we did some shopping and sight seeing throughout the city.
Grossmünster’s exteriorMaking the climb!Amazing views of Zurich
The rest of the day was spent eating and drinking our way through town. For lunch we had Raclette which is another famous dish in Switzerland (basically, it’s more melted cheese just not as runny as fondue) then we barhopped and finished the night with an Italian restaurant (Erica got a porcini mushroom salad here that she couldn’t stop talking about).
The next day was our final full day in Zurich and it consisted mainly of three things: food, shopping and walking. We started on Bahnhofstrasse, the luxury shopping street, and Scott got a Swiss watch while I got my dream Burberry trench coat. Then we visited the famous Sprungli chocolate shop which is famous for luxemburgerli (similar to macaroons) and Teuscher chocolate shop which is famous for champagne truffles. The best part, however, was the Viaduct Markthalle. We walked through the city to a market located under a viaduct structure. There were bakeries, butchers, cheese shops, etc. We collected bits of everything and walked to a local park to have a picnic in the grass and taste all of the delicacies that piqued our interest. While enjoying our picnic we watch families play and were interviewed by a local camera crew (we still have no idea why).
Shopping on BahnhofstrasseThe famous Sprungli sweets shopWe had to touch the canal
Walking the canal to the market
So many amazing cheeses!
Our picnic at a local, family parkWalking along the canal back to our hotel.
After a ton of walking, we took a brief rest at our hotel. Then Scott and I went out in downtown Zurich to try and find a piece of art as a souvenir and enjoyed viewing the carousel. The three of us ended our last full day with a traditional Swiss dinner at Zeughauskeller and started to prepare for our drive into France the following day.
Scott and I saw pictures of the Super Trees of Singapore and have wanted to go ever since. We realized once we got there, however, that we really didn’t know what to expect from this little island city state. It is an absolute haven for people who love to shop (over 100 malls on a 278 square mile island), foodies, and lovers of modern architecture. It is a very clean and organized city with fantastic transportation, a lot of history and one of the most blended cultures we have ever experienced. Singapore does seem to lack some of its own identity as it focuses so much on tourism, but even that fact adds to its uniqueness. Usually Scott and I do a lot of outdoorsy and cultural excursions during our travels, but Singapore gave us an opportunity to explore our more luxurious side.
We found the MRT (Singapore’s public transportation train system) within our first couple hours in Singapore and it became our best friend for the duration of our visit here. Our first MRT ride was to Little India because we were starving and had never visited an Indian community before. We found a restaurant called Madras New Woodland soon after we disembarked from the train. I was expecting a curry house because we LOVE Indian food here in the states and that’s what we were used to. This restaurant was not a curry house and I didn’t recognize anything on the menu. This turned out to be our lucky day because we told the waiter that and he said he wold get us something delicious. The first thing he brought us was Appalam (you may know it as pappadam if you go to many Indian restaurants in the U.S.) which is something we’d seen before. This was the best Appalam I’d had so I knew the rest of the meal would be good. The next thing he brought us was a Dosa Thali for me and a Bhatura Thali for Scott. These were the exact same dishes with different breads. Scott’s was a thin, rolled, crepe-like bread and mine was a giant puffy ball. I also got Masala Tea which was delicious.
Our next mission was to pick up our City Pass (I highly recommend this if you’re going to Singapore). We took the MRT to Marina Square and when we got our City Passes we were told we could take a night bus tour throughout the city that night. We decided that seeing the city on our first night would be ideal because we would then know exactly what we wanted to do for the coming few days. We took the opportunity to explore the nearby area while we waited for our bus tour. We got tea concoctions at R+B Tea (peachy oolong was amazing), had a very American style lunch at a pub called Harry’s before walking over to the famous Esplanade Theatre.
The architecture of the Esplanade Theatre is very interesting because it is made to look like a Durian. Durians are famous in this region and are incredibly bad smelling (in fact, they are banned from many hotels and other public places), but some people find them to be a real treat. There are amazing views from the roof of this fruit-shaped building from which you can see many of Singapore’s most famous landmarks.
View of Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience museum (designed to look like a lotus flower)View of the famous Merlion fountain and boats in the bayDurian shaped Esplanade TheatreTrying to point out the amazing sights
Art in the courtyard outside the theatreWalking home through Clarke Quay
After a long day of walking and sight-seeing we were ready to hop on the bus tour, rest our feet and see the island. However, when we arrived at the pick up point for the bus, we waited around until we were finally told that we were an hour late. Apparently, Singapore is an hour off from Thailand and we had no idea. Thus, we took our tired bodies back to Clarke Quay (the area in which we were staying) and rested up for another try the following day.
The next day was full of activities. We went right across the street from our hotel to Fort Canning Park and ate at a café called Fabulous Baker Boy. I had the best French toast of my life! Then we caught the MRT to the Sentosa Express and went out to Sentosa Island. Our Singapore City Passes came with access to Universal Studios and the S.E.A. Aquarium which are located on Sentosa Island right off of Singapore itself. It’s basically an island devoted to family fun.
Best latte!My crazy French toast and Scott’s benedict
Our first stop was the aquarium. By far, the BEST part was a HUGE exhibit with a pod of manta rays in it. We watched the mantas do a choreographed dance for at least a half hour. They were so social and graceful, I fell in love with them.
Me and my new besties
Our next stop was Universal Studios. I have been to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, but I had never been to a Universal Studios. I was really excited to check it out! At first glance, I was amazed how they were able to create all these little worlds. From New York to Ancient Egypt to Jurassic Park, it felt like being on a million movie sets. Then we tried riding rides and chose a 4-D Transformers Ride. It was pretty intensely visual and shook you around a lot. I barely made it out without getting sick on everyone in my group. We then decided to try a 4-D, sit-down movie and went to a Shrek show where you are supposed to be in a Lord Farquad’s dungeon. After that, we saw the prices of all the food, drink and souvenirs and decided we aren’t really amusement park people. We rode the MRT back off the island and went in search of the next attraction.
Merlion statue in the park!
Since we were in the family fun mood, we decided to go to the ArtScience museum next. The lotus shaped building is so beautiful and intriguing, so we had to check it out. There were a lot of digital art exhibits where music was set to moving artwork. There were games where you could hold a handheld device and walk through the museum seeing different things (kind of like Pokémon Go), and interactive exhibits where kids could scan in their drawings and they would become part of the art. It was truly a place you could spend hours playing and discovering new things.
A gorgeous water lotus pond in the courtyard of a lotus-shaped building!
Singapore has become a place entirely devoted to finance and tourism. Therefore, they have more malls than I have ever seen. After our time at the museum, we wanted to go eat at and shop one of their famous malls: Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. We went into so many upscale shops and got amazing Ramen and lemon tea for lunch. I even got an outfit for dinner the following night.
The entrance to a floating Louis Vuitton store
Finally, it was time for the Night Bus Tour that we had missed the night before. We drove all around the city including the shopping district, Orchard Road, which was decorated for Christmas. Having been in a Buddhist country before Singapore, we forgot that it was November and getting close to the Christian holidays. Singapore was our only stop on this trip that was Christian and primarily spoke English (although most things were in Mandarin, as well). These malls really went all out this time of year.
Riding on top of the bus.
Another very famous mall.
The final stop on the bus tour was Gardens By the Bay which included a show at the Super Trees. Being November, the show was Christmas themed and the lights danced to classic and contemporary Holiday tunes. I absolutely LOVED the light show and I belted out Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You (if we had been in The States, I definitely wouldn’t have been alone in my performance).
The Super Trees were so cool! Eventually, they will be entirely covered in living plants.
Close-up of the living plants!Jealous of the people who got to watch the show from the Sky Bridge.Christmas light show time!
Cool shot of Marina Bay Sands from the tour bus.
The next day was another LONG day of touring the island state. Our first stop was something I couldn’t miss in a place where Mandarin is so heavily spoken: Chinatown! We had been told that Chinatown was the best place to shop for souvenirs and art. Plus, I had to get Dim Sum in a Chinatown that was actually in Asia! We did quite a bit of shopping and got some really fun art pieces before finding a place called Yum Cha to get Dim Sum at. It did not disappoint! We had BBQ pork buns, mushrooms and veggies, Xiao Long Bao, steamed prawn dumplings and pan-friend chive meat dumplings. Basically, I became a dumpling fanatic on this trip!
View from Chinatown train station.
Chinatown from above!
Shopping in ChinatownTrying to select my dumplings.Literally can’t wait any longer!
After lunch, we went back to Gardens By the Bay to visit the other attractions besides the Super Trees. There are botanical gardens outside and two enclosed gardens: the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. Personally, I liked the Cloud Forest best, but the Flower Dome has every type of flower you could possibly imagine and was getting set up for a big Christmas event. The plant life was all breathtaking and there were also sculptures and art pieces mixed in throughout. The following is just a tiny sample of all the photos we took of plants, art, and the domes themselves.
Some views from the outdoor botanical gardens
Standing at the base of the cloud forest
A giant Lego display!
Looking through a waterfall
Later that night we had reservations at Ce La Vi which is the restaurant on top of the iconic Marina Bay Sands building. This was one of the best nights of the entire three week trip! We had Pinot Noir from New Zealand, Garam Masala Potatoes, Cashew Vegetables, Crusted Lobster and Rack of Lamb. Then we drank cocktails, made friends from all over the world and danced until the dance floor closed.
View of Gardens by the BayView of the bay and the skyline
The whole dinnerAmazing desserts!
The next day was our final day in Singapore before moving onto our final destination, Bali. We spent the day on a hop-on-hop-off tour getting some shots of some unique places around the city. During the tour we got off at one point and walked to the gigantic Paragon mall where we had sushi for lunch and experienced some incredibly high end shopping.
After changing and resting up, we ended our time with an incredible, seven course, French meal at Les Amis. We had the BEST time at Les Amis! Every course was explained to us and we asked questions about the food and the wine. We were having so much fun and it was pretty upscale, so we didn’t get any photos of the gorgeous food. However, the sommelier took us on a tour of the wine cellar which contained bottles of wine that would require an annual salary to replace and Scott got a couple of photos. I had a photo of us in the wine cellar, but my phone lost it…this is why Scott is the photographer. Nonetheless, it was a rich and delightful way to close out our time in Singapore.
The ground is covered in pebbles to prevent the sommeliers from breaking an expensive bottle should they drop one.Look at the size of that bottle of Cristal!
This blog took me weeks to write because we just did SO much in the four days we had in Singapore. We had the best time here! My next post will be chronicling our final stop on this trip: Bali!
Our final stop in Thailand was the wonderful and very popular Phuket! This place may be set up for tourists, but there is definitely a reason for its popularity: delicious food, bumping nightlife, stunning beaches, island excursions, wildlife experiences, and the list goes on.
Unfortunately, we had a rough start with our accommodations in Phuket. We were scheduled to stay at Centara Villas which overlook the ocean and are nestled peacefully into a lush mountainside. When we arrived, they had us wait over an hour before telling us that our villa had been flooded and drove us down the road to Centara Kata which was not our cup of tea. It didn’t have a view, our room smelled musty and it was full of drunk people and large, loud family groups. Clearly, this wasn’t a place to lounge at so even though we were tired from traveling, we freshened up and hit the streets!
Our first night in Phuket we walked around quite a bit and saw massage parlors, restaurants, open air bars, street food stands and shops. Eventually we came upon Palm Square and sat down for some drinks, Thai food and live music.
Enjoying a Chang beer and a shot of Jack after a frustrating day of travel
The next day we were pretty happy to have a full day of excursions so that we didn’t have to stay at our temporary hotel. We were picked up early by a minibus for some island hopping. It was a long drive to Phuket Marina, but when we got there we were served tea and coffee while introductions were made and boat safety was discussed.
Waiting for the boat!How cool is the Thai architecture behind the marina?!
The first island we visited was called Bamboo Island. Each of the islands we visited had something different to boast about. Bamboo Island had HUGE stretches of white sands, excellent snorkeling and rows of the picturesque traditional Thai wooden boats.
The new and the old: we were on a three motor speed boat like those seen here.
Trying to find our own little secluded spotMy turn with the camera!
Could have sat in that water all day
All aboard the three engine speed boat and on to Ko Phi Phi Don! Phi Phi Don was a much more populated island with huge, open-air restaurants. This is where our group stopped for a buffet style lunch with amazing massaman curry and rice. We didn’t have much time to explore this island, but of course Scott got some good shots in.
Continuing with the Phi Phi trend, our next view was of Ko Phi Phi Leh. We didn’t get off the boat at first, but instead watched monkeys jumping in the water off of the cliffs and then went snorkeling off of our boat. It was stunning and so much fun to watch the wildlife. So much so, in fact, that we didn’t take a single photo at this stop and just enjoyed the frivolity of it all.
The boat eventually anchored off of Phi Phi Leh’s Maya Beach. This beach was crowded and had several deadly jelly fish warnings posted, but it was quite a sight. There were massive cliffs, turquoise waters, white sands, and lush greenery to stare at through the crowds of bodies. I was all about risking the jelly fish to get back in that water.
Coming in off the boat.Ignoring the jelly fish warningsAwe-inspiring cave-like cliffsWalkin’ the beachCave selfie!
After a long and exhilarating day of island hopping, we traveled slowly back to our temporary hotel. We didn’t want to eat at the restaurants there so we hit the streets once again. We were so hungry that we stopped at the first thing we saw that looked edible and we were pretty stoked about that decision. Street food in Thailand is delicious and cheap! We sampled some BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, Pork satay with honey sauce (best thing every) and washed it down with some Chang for an appetizer. Then we found a live seafood restaurant and chowed down on some Phad Thai (we weren’t feeling adventurous enough to try one of the fully intact fish we were seeing on other tables). With full bellies, we walked back home and crashed out in a damp-smelling bed.
And just like that it was finally elephant day! I had been looking forward to visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary since we started planning this trip. This time, we were picked up in a pick-up with a covered bed and rode through the jungle with a few other girls.
Upon arriving at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Phuket, we were immediately able to feed a mother and her baby, Cho, pounds upon pounds of banana and watermelon. It was cute to see their preferences and personalities. As visitors to the sanctuary, we were also volunteers so we loaded baskets with more fruit than I’d ever seen in my life and fed it to 16 more elephants. We were taught the command, “Bon” to get the elephants to lift their trunks and open their mouths for a treat. Some elephants were calm, others were frisky, some were friendly, others swayed back and forth in a dance of anxiety. It’s clear that some of these elephants were rescued from less than desirable circumstances and it was eye opening to see them in recovery.
The look of pure excitement!
I loved the babies!
Had to give that rough pachyderm a kiss
Getting a back scratch in before mud baths.
The last step of elephant care on our tour was giving the group a mud bath. Scott and I actually didn’t participate for quite a bit of this because the mud baths were full of elephant dung and super crowded. Some of the HUGE creatures were doing barrels rolls unexpectedly right next to people and it just looked like chaos. Eventually, however, I couldn’t resist going in up to my thighs and interacting with two of my favorite elephants while Scott kept his roll as bystander.
Excited for their baths!This loner was my bestie
This mama and baby were so funny! She kept doing barrel rolls and the baby kept throwing mud at the tourists.
Elephant day was amazing, but it wasn’t over yet. After a lunch buffet and a long ride back to the hotel we were originally supposed to stay at, our villa was STILL not ready. So they upgraded us to a villa with a view and a private pool (would have been nice to have that for four nights instead of two, but we settled right in). We took a dip in our private pool, napped in the villa with the doors open, and fully relaxed for a few hours. When the sun set, we were up and running again.
We had heard there was an amazing night market in Phuket and this, my friends, is very true. Naka Market was the best market we saw during our time in Asia and we visited many. We purchased tons of goodies here including some of our favorite art from the trip and some tasty pork buns.
When the market got too crowded we snagged a cab to one of Phuket’s most famous attractions, Bangla road. This is where this blog gets a little “explicit”. The sex trade is famous in Thailand and Bangla road is one of the epicenters of this kind of activity. As soon as you arrive on Bangla road, you feel a Las Vegas type atmosphere: loud music, peddlers trying to sell you a show, people walking around with adult beverages, go-go dancers, etc. Scott and I sat at one of the open-air bars with go-go dancers and had a few drinks while trying to absorb everything we were seeing. There were bracelets for sale with the most obscene expressions you could possibly imagine, advertisements for “ping-pong” shows, “husband daycares”, strip clubs of every type of intrigue, and you had to pay for most of the toilets. Overall, probably the best people watching I’ve seen.
When we’d seen all of the interesting sights we could handle for one day, we packed up our market purchases and took a cab back to our villa for the night. The next day was our last full day in Phuket and we decided to spend it relaxing.
There was a primitive pathway down to the beach right behind our villa so we were able to walk straight from our beds to the beach. It was an overcast day, but it was warm and perfect for reading and enjoying the waves without getting fried to a crisp. We could even see the famous Big Buddha from the beach and Scott was able to get a couple of photos of it. We ended the day with dinner with a view at the hotel restaurant and went to rest up for another day of travel.
Check out Big Buddha all the way in the top left!A bit better shot of Big BuddhaWalkin’ in from the wavesI have some awesome tan-lines from the cutouts in my one piece.He always takes walking shots of me, gotta get one of him!
He’s pretty dreamyLOVE to read on vacation, this was such a good day.
Our time in Phuket was scenic and jaw dropping. It was also our final stop in the country of Thailand before the city-state island of Singapore. It was time to trade in Thai food and beaches for skyscrapers and cocktails. Looking forward to sharing our time in that unique city in my next post ❤
Our next stop on our November 2017 trip to SE Asia was the bustling city of Bangkok. So far, Bangkok is the largest and busiest city we’ve seen on our travels. The traffic was INSANE so public transportation was a must! Since it was so hard to get around, we were limited to how much we could see in a short time. Most of our visit was spent eating and shopping and taking in the urban Asian culture.
The first day we were in Bangkok we spent most of the day in a taxi trying to get from the airport to the Riva Surya Hotel where we were staying. Driving through the city, we realized how dedicated the Thai people are to their king and that many people use some sort of smelling salt to stay awake while driving in the basically non-moving traffic. Once we finally arrived, we ate a nice lunch on the river, went to the gym in our hotel and pretty much relaxed the rest of the day away.
An intersection with tributes to the king
View from our hotel during lunchView from our hotel at night
Our first full day in Bangkok was a day of eating delicious Thai food. We weren’t sure where to go in Bangkok so we took a cab to the center of town where we found Siam Square and the Siam Paragon Mall. This mall was amazing. You could literally buy or eat anything you want in this place. Scott was enamored with a whole floor of the mall dedicated to luxury cars and I loved the apparel and the seeing the largest food court of my life. You could buy anything in this food court including whole chickens and sweet buns shaped like teddy bears. We also went into a gourmet market and picked up some teas, spices and durian products for my sister who has a love of foreign delicacies.
More traffic on the way to Siam Square
A display in the mall…I couldn’t resist
My favorite part of Siam Paragon, however, was our stop for some tea. TWG stores are all over the world but I’d never had the pleasure of visiting one. Not only does it have the largest selection of loose leaf teas I’ve ever seen, but we were able to sit down and each have a pot of tea made especially for us using tea perfecting techniques. Of course, we had to buy a whole bunch of it to share with friends and family and each other.
This is JUST the tea menuScott’s drinking White Passion Tea and I tried Immortal Tea
After tea time, I bought a new dress and we took a cab to the COMO Metropolitan Hotel to eat at their restaurant, Nahm. Nahm is the only Thai food restaurant to be listed amongst the top 50 restaurants in the world, it has a Michelin star and it consistently ranks in the top 10 restaurants in Asia. Since Thai food is my favorite cuisine, I was dying to try this place. It truly did not disappoint! The atmosphere was actually pretty casual and inviting, but the food was AMAZING! Scott had a Strawberry Mule while I sipped a glass of Rosé. We were served an amuse bouche of pineapple and spiced meat and we ordered a pork and lobster canapé (spicy and so flavorful). For our main courses I got the coconut curry with blue crab and Scott ordered chicken with ginger sauce. By far one of the best lunches I’ve ever had.
Lobster and Pork CanapéExcited to dig into our main courses
We went back to our hotel after Nahm and rested our stomachs before a quick afternoon workout at the hotel gym. Then we got ready for yet another culinary experience. For dinner we wanted to get the best view of the city possible so we chose to eat at Saffron at the Banyan Tree hotel and then get cocktails at The Moon Bar. The dinner at Saffron didn’t really compare to our amazing lunch at Nahm, but The Moon Bar was incredible! This lounge was on the 59th floor and had 360 degree views of Bangkok. The service was really nice and the atmosphere was swanky and fun.
The next day was our last full day in Bangkok and my favorite day in this city. We finally discovered the Sky Train public transportation and getting around the city became much easier!
I dabble in cooking my own curries at home and when we first started planning our trip to Thailand, a cooking class was top of my list. We found Pink Chili Cooking Class in Bangkok and it was more of a cultural experience than just a cooking lesson. We met our guide and she took us through a local market which was much larger and more foreign than the ones we saw in Chiang Mai. There were huge stalls of fresh produce, bins upon bins of rice, sauces and spices I couldn’t begin to name and pretty fascinating (or maybe even disturbing) displays of meat. We saw full pork heads, every part of a chicken, live toads, and live eels just to name a few delicacies displayed. Another interesting thing is that nothing was kept over ice. I’m assuming the goods sell so quickly that preservation isn’t an issue, but it was odd to see a slab of meat just perched on a tile countertop. I could have stayed in this market for hours, but we were there only to purchase the freshest ingredients possible for the meals we would be cooking for lunch that day.
Poor toads…maybe they were being sold as pets? There was gold everywhere you looked in Thailand!
We took our super fresh ingredients straight back to Pink Chili’s kitchen where we began chopping and slicing immediately. The first thing we made was our own red curry paste with mortar and pestle. We then continued on to make sweet and sour chicken, crispy spring rolls, red curry with chicken and eggplant, a sweet chili sauce and pumpkin in coconut milk for dessert. I thought absolutely everything was DELICIOUS! I just wish we had some of these ingredients back in Seattle so that I could recreate this curry.
The cooking set-upReady to slice and dice!The freshest ingredients
Grinding that curry pasteSmelling our delicious curryShowing off our sweet and sour chickenThe full meal (except dessert)
We made some fun friends during our cooking class and one of them took a polaroid photo of us newlyweds before we all went our separate ways. Scott and I took the Sky Train back to Siam Square and wandered around for a while and then decided to check out a Thai movie theatre.
We went to a 3-D Imax showing of Thor Ragnarok and sat in a love seat style chair at the very top of the theatre. They had amazing popcorn and some funky tasting Sprite and, of course, some Hello Kitty decor. One of the more unexpected things about seeing a movie at a Thai theatre is that they do a tribute to the king before the previews where everyone stands up. The movie was great and exactly the relaxing night we needed to end our time in such an intense city. The next morning we would be getting up and catching yet another early flight to Phuket! That will be a much longer blog full of AMAZING photos by Scott. As always, thanks for reading and going on our adventures with us!
Adams Adventures 