Oh well, better late than never.
Anyway, this time, again, I flew back to explore my beautiful Thailand.
And this was way before all those riots came about just so you know.
It was sad to hear those news happening, seeing photos of my favourite places burning down and being destroyed. It was disheartening but I wished Thailand every bit of its luck to gain back its glory days.
I love Bangkok. It's one of my favourite cities in the world.
The country excels in Hospitality like no other country in the world, perhaps other than Japan.
And really friendly people.
even the director and marketing manager of TAT Malaysia are super down-to-earth
It offers culture (and modernity),
it offers food
most importantly it offers pork, everywhere.
and shopping experience like none other in this region, or even most part of the world.
It's a country I would gladly migrate to if I speak its language.
But this time, I'm not going to talk about Bangkok.
This time, I am going to bring you off-track. To the unbeaten road.
Like I always said, there are so many amazing places in Thailand that even people who travel for years in Thailand could never fully explore the country.
Let's get unconventional and allow me to bring you to Ratchaburi, a province slightly to the west of Bangkok city.
I don't know how to describe to you what is there in Suan Phung, but it's like an uncharted paradise known only to the locals. I intend to head back there this year. It's utterly beautiful.
In fact, I am going to dedicate a few posts specially to my other very special stay in Suan Phung in the posts after this journey. But for now, let's focus on this trip.
There are a number of quirky restaurants and shops that were worth visiting in Suan Phung, places that worth re-visiting again and again.
One of them was this restaurant of which name I have no idea of (it's in Thai), but just enquire the local hoteliers about a restaurant that's opposite the candle shop (will talk about that in a bit) and you should be led here.
First thing first, the place was eco-friendly, traditional, and romantic.
The whole place was surrounded by plants and ponds and stones, things oddly placed, messy items cluttering around but yet in a way that's rather harmonious.
Then there were the food. Old-school,
authentically local,
and with a touch of nature.
Best part was, every customer gets to bring back his/her own bamboo cup as long as they ordered this drink, which was awesomely nice. Tasted like sweet dates with sour plum and yet like nothing I've ever tasted before.
The bamboo were freshly chopped everyday so you'd always be ensured a new cup every time you order.
My favourite has to be the coconut ice cream in bamboo cup, with bamboo carved spoon.
Right after your lunch, walk across the restaurant and you'll come to this wooden shed with a really eco-zen entrance.
Where you'd find the most wondrous colorful array of candles display. E.V.E.R.
Rows upon rows of candles bursting with colors of rainbow arranged neatly on every shelf. This shop made me realized I could have a addiction to collecting candles.
Which could possibly explain why I have probably gazillion candles of all shapes and sizes and colors and countries at home (KL and Melaka).
I bought at least there of these
They were ridiculously cheap, seeing that it's the factory where they mass-produced these candles.
I still ended up spending more than a couple of thousand baht in the shop alone.
In fact, if the owner is in, make sure you get him to let you try out the candle workshop to create your very own candle.
Choose your favourite color and with a friend/partner, make a candle under their instruction.
This might come as a shock, but never did I know that with just ice and wax, you can churn out such a creative block of candle!
I made this. *proud*
And it's mine to take home. For free! (probably because I already spent so much at the shop)
The next time I step foot in that shop again, I'll probably wipe the whole shop clean.
After lunch, we left the restaurant and the candle shop and visited a conservatory area where the Princess of Thailand carried out many of her projects.
Like platforms to convert sun light into energy and electricity, reserved parks and this really unique green house that's built to .... well... product preserved banana snacks.
To sell.
The project not only created new product for the export industry, used green concept in production, it also created employments for many workers.
Now why can't we have royalties like that?
Anyone up for sweet preserved bananas? :D
Now before I end this post, leave this place and move on to the next destination on the map, I want to talk a bit about Suan Phung.
The first thing you'd realized when you're driven into Suan Phung, apart from the shrubs and trees everywhere, you'd find the place is swamped with resorts and villas.
Like I said, it's a weekend holiday destination for a lot of the locals, and just local tourists alone is enough to suffice the tourism industry.
I'd go into more details on a few villas available here and how creative some of them can be (in fact most of them are pretty unique), but let me just take ONE resort to talk about here.
I don't really remember the name of this eco-resort, and if you can find it out, let me know, but I was deeply intrigued by the center piece of the resort.
A tree house!!
And not just any tree house. It's one of their hotel rooms!
Climb up the stairs,
And you'd find yourself facing a double bed enclosed by windows overlooking the surroundings of the resort.
It's so totally romantic it's almost cute.
And if you need, there's a little lcd tv attached on the wall next to the bed.
haha!
Next to the tree house was a pond, and a bridge.
It'd almost make your feel like sleeping in a fairyland.
Surrounded by wooden chalets with different designs and oddly painted doors.
Two items I found my favourite in my room:
A tissue box, made of wood.
And...
a torch light holder.
Made of bamboo (which also acts as hangers)
Hahaha! Brilliant!!
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