Thailand - the foody heaven

Our curiosity for the Kingdom of Thailand started when three Thai ladies became our neighbors. After spending some time in their company, cooking, helping out with gardening and hearing stories about their country, we started to imagine Thailand as a land of paradise beaches, smiley people and mouth-watering food. Thus, we knew what our next destination was going to be and it definitely was Thailand. All our imaginations were spot on, the country spoke for itself. But all that was just icing on the cake. The kingdom had to offer way more to make our trip a journey full of adventures, quirkiness and fun.

The only non-colonized country in the South-east Asian region creates plenty of contrasts comparing to neighboring French-influenced Laos and British influenced Burma. The pulsing heart of Thailand, the capital Bangkok welcomes you with a slight chaos, concrete jungles, delicious smells and the culture you have never encountered before. The City of Angels – this is how the locals call Bangkok, the invincible city, abundant with Royal palaces, the majestically built capital. The number one thing that overwhelms you in Bangkok is the energy. The city can offer you anything from low budget to top notch, from delicious street food to high-end, fancy restaurants and amazing rooftop bars, scattered throughout the city. While taking the tuk-tuk ride through the buzzing streets of Bangkok or visiting glittering and gleaming temples, you will never have a dull moment when exploring the Bangkok lifestyle. Finding your way through the maze of local vendors on the floating markets of Bangkok, selling everything from local handicrafts to snacks and natural products from the farms, can get you the real scene of the hustle.

The smiley, warm and welcoming friendly people make your day, when hitting the streets and you will never grow tired of this exciting vibe and the contrasts that will blow your mind. Getting a dazzling selection of delicious street food in one corner of the neon-lighted street and a selection of relaxing spa procedures in the other one, make a great example of what a perfect day of vacation should look like.

Thailand has something for everyone. Beneath the sense of poetic chaos of the capital, the kingdom of fertile land, lush rice fields, turquoise water crawling through the chain of islands, amazing architecture and full moon parties, creates countless diverse experiences for any visitor. Whether you are interested in snorkeling or diving, relaxing on the idyllic, palmy beaches, exploring deep rooted Buddhist culture or discovering the Elephant and tiger sanctuaries, you can explore it all at once.

Thai culture has absorbed multiple culture influences from all over Asia and the West, yet managing to remain unique and authentic. Thailand is the country of celebrative rituals, which let you travel centuries back, with the colors, visuals, mysticism and excitement. The festival culture is crucial for the locals. It gives them the opportunity to gather the merit as it is widely believed that it helps them to go to paradise. The culture formed itself to be quite modest and conservative, valuing respect and courtesy. The land of smiles lives up to those words as having one of the most smiley and welcoming people. Thais greet with Wais, showing the respect without a handshake. These people have a rule in life, never to show negative emotions, living with a principle of mai bpen rai – no problem. But Thai smiles do not always show happiness, they can sometimes be used as a mask, covering up the gloom.

Thailand’s food culture is above exceptional, especially if it comes to ubiquitous street food. Aaa-hăan tai – The tai food packs a punch when it comes to smells, flavors and tastes, tracing you through all the influences it has obtained, proving that this country is a true foody heaven. The taste and smells of curry paste, fish sauce, golden fried shrimps and prawns, shredded green papayas and crunchy beans are a great way to start of on Thailand’s food scene, while strolling through plenty of vendor stalls at Chatuchak, Asia’s largest outdoor bazaar. Although the country offers you plenty of fancy places to enjoy your dining, street food is just another part of the journey and it is a true must-go experience of your trip.

Long story short, if pleasure was the key to happiness then it would be found in Thailand, maybe somewhere in the sand of stunning tropical beaches, or under the Statue of smiling Buddha, but it would lay there, and you should give a try to find it!