Exploring Southeast Asia

After our tremendous scare in the Thai capital , we were relieved to be flying to Chiang Mai, one of my favourite spots in the country and a place I have fond memories of. As I mentioned in a former blog, it is home to one of our good family friends, Phil, and his family. Coincidentally, Phil’s nephew, Freddie, his nephew’s girlfriend, Harriet, and their friend, Will, were visiting from Australia, where Phil’s sister migrated from England years ago. Me and my new friend, Freddie, at a cooking class, Chiang Mai The evolution of Southeast Asia For me, when I think of Chiang Mai, I think of the square moat that surrounds the old city and the wonderful variety of culture, food, bars, shops and markets inside its water walls. Unfortunately, Kea didn’t have the best memories of Chiang Mai from her previous visit, so I was even more enthusiastic to show her the best places and help her fall in love with the magical northern city, like I had. The southern side of the square moat, Chiang Ma...

The closer that I knew we were to landing in Thailand, the more and more I began craving Thai food, for me, the tastiest food on the planet. I had even started dreaming of it. Coming up to our two months in, my Dad was coming to the end of his two-month trip and he was flying home from Bangkok, so it worked perfectly to meet and explore for two days. He arranged for us to stay at his favourite hotel in Bangkok, the elegant yet affordable Atlanta Hotel – a German hotel built in 1952 still boasting a timeless interior; it felt like you had travelled back in time walking it's stylish hallways, dining at the chic restaurant and investigating the graceful library (and usefully for me, the writers corner). It claims to have the oldest swimming pool in Bangkok. The Atlanta Hotel, Bangkok The food capital of the world The first thing I did when I woke up was to search for the best Thai green curry in Bangkok – my favourite dish of any cuisine. The first blog I came across, written by tota...