Travelling is all about new sights and smells - but the tastes can be what stays in the memory longest



Memories of my vacations are always packed with the food I enjoyed along the way - even more so than the places I visited. For me, good food shared with close travelling companions is the best recipe for any holiday.

These same ingredients were behind the success of a recent visit to Hua Hin - the hip seaside town that I've munched my way through on countless previous trips. But this time was a bit different, thanks mainly to the culinary tour laid on by the team of chefs at Asara Villa & Suite - a new beachside resort that's a five-minute drive from Hua Hin town.

Asara sits on a vast 22-rai plot of land with pool villas and suites stretched across the beachfront. They have three restaurants and a large bar, but it's the room/beach service that makes the place a heaven for lazy vacationers whose idea of free time includes sea, sun and savouries. Yes, Asara is place to relax and unwind - but it's also serious about food.

After settling into a one-bedroom suite, we were ravenous, and decided to take it easy with a big Thai dinner at the Asara Thai Bistro. On the terrace overlooking a lotus pond we selected from a menu of familiar favourites and sat back, not knowing what to expect from our first taste of the holiday. We got a delicious surprise - it turned out to be one of the best Thai meals we had ever eaten.

Thai dishes are prepared traditionally at the Asara - that is, with lots of spice. The presentation is detailed but unpretentious, each plate decked out as a five-star treat of elaborate tastes and textures.

Our table groaned with large and delicious plates of pomelo salad with prawns, spicy lemongrass salad, fried fish with chilli sauce, stir-fried prawns with cashew nuts, and spicy chilli-shrimp dip with a big basket of assorted fresh and steamed vegetables. The restaurant even managed to make a memorable dish out of something as simple as a Thai omelette, serving the comfort food with a spicy green-mango sauce. Savouring the first mouthful, I immediately stored the flavour away in my memory, to be drawn on when I got the chance to imitate the recipe in my own kitchen back home.

Later at dinner, we met Asara's executive chef Christophe Maillard, a Frenchman from Brittany who's settled in Hua Hin with his Thai wife and baby boy. He came out of his busy kitchen at Asara by Choice and greeted us with the day's specials, offered according to what was fresh that day in the market. Asara by Choice is perched on an outdoor terrace on the second floor of a beachfront pavilion - great surroundings for a romantic dinner. The two of us decided on the three-course meal at Bt1,800 per person, which comes with a glass of Kir Royale cocktail. We shared a dish of sole in creamy, smoky morel sauce and a plate of grilled marinated rack of lamb with mint sauce. Both were lip-smackingly delicious.

Over a breakfast of scrumptious buttery croissants served with assorted home-baked breads the next morning, we learned that Maillard is from a family of chefs, and honed his skills in the Compagnon du Tour de France, France's most prestigious guild of artisans. Maillard's resumé runs from the Le Jules Verne on the Eiffel Tower, to the one-Michelin-star Le Cheval in Nime, the Martinez Palace in Cannes and a tour aboard a cruise ship, where he collected local flavours from ports around the world. His secret, he says, is in the combination of five-star presentations with home-cooked flavours.

"You're average well-presented restaurant meal doesn't come close to the kind of tasty dish many of us remember our grandmas cooked at home. I want to combine both without any compromises," says Maillard. If you have a sweet tooth, don't forget to ask for the dessert menu. Maillard is generous with his portions - our favourites included the smooth caramel mousse and the chocolate soufflé served with Thai pineapple chips.

Sirin P Wongpanit
Special to The Nation
Xpress

Take a step back in time with a trip to Coconut Island: it's 2km from Phuket

Off Phuket's eastern side there's a small island with no resorts, go-go bars or tuk-tuks. It's a place where children ride bikes, where fish and rubber trees are mainstays of income and beaches are lined with homes instead of umbrellas. Koh Maphrao remains a little-visited time warp.

The only public access to "Coconut Island" is a boat from Laem Hin fishing port. Once across the 2-kilometre stretch of water, visitors can hire a motorbike to the village centre for Bt15.

This mostly Muslim community remains largely untouched by the tourism that has transformed Phuket.

About 150 families make up the island's population, most of whom work on the rubber plantations or as fishermen.

Wallop Khamhaeng, of Koh Kaew Tambon Administration Organisation, said tourist traffic remained low because it lacked basic facilities, such as electricity. Koh Maphrao isn't on the Phuket power grid;:most of the power comes from small solar panels.

Untouched beauty

The beaches are not as long as those at Patong or Nai Harn, but are refreshingly empty of beach chairs and sun-soaked bodies. Crabs stray across sand still strewn with seashells, yet to be picked clean by tourists.

Local motorcycle-taxi driver Ason Abdulamum says the most beautiful beach is Yao or "Long" Beach, though it's only about 30m long.

"Not many people come to this beach because it is at the back of Koh Maphrao, but some days small tour groups visit. It's a favourite fishing spot for locals," he said.

There are a couple of small restaurants serving standard fare. Visitors are usually day-trippers who pedal a rented pushbike, taking in the village life. However, there are two home-stays for those wanting to spend a night.

By Sangkhae Leelanapaporn

Phuket Gazette

The 10th International Kite Festival celebrates a popular Thai hobby of yesteryear

The sky above the beach at Cha-am will be coloured by hundreds of kites from around the world at the annual International Kite Festival, which is hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The event is taking place tomorrow and Sunday for the 10th consecutive year at Rama VI Camp in Cha-am, Phetchaburi.

Flying kites has long been an annual activity in Thailand. From late March till the beginning of the rainy season in May when the sky is clear and windy, fields all over the country - Rattanakosin's Sanam Luang in Bangkok among them - are dotted by kite lovers doing their thing. Though kite flying is not as popular as it once was, enthusiasts can still appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into making each traditional kite and the skill that goes into flying them.

Soaring and swooping alongside wacky creations from around the world will be traditional kites from all four regions of Thailand. There will also be competitions for the "fighting" chula and pak-pao kites. Other events include demonstrations of giant 3D-kite flying, stunt kites, remote-controlled aeroplanes, balloons and night kites.

The event draws participants from countries all over the world including Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, Belgium, England, Germany and Holland.

The festival starts with a kite caravan from Bangkok to the festival site at 7am on Saturday. On Sunday the fun kicks off at 10am. Both festival days end with a night-kite and balloon show at 6.30pm.

Call the TAT in Bangkok at (02) 250 5500 ext 3477 or in Cha-Am at (032) 471 005-6.

Flying times

Saturday

7am: Caravan sets out from Bangkok bound for Cha-am

10am: Opening ceremony

10 to 11am: Parachuting show

11am to 6.30pm: Shows by international kites, stunt kites with music, fast kites and Thai kites and a contest between chula and pak-pao kites

6.30pm to 8.30pm: Night-kite show, balloon show.

Sunday
10 to 11am: Parachuting Show

11am to 6.30pm: Shows by international kites, stunt kites with music, fast kites and Thai kites and a contest between chula and pak-pao fighting kites

6.30pm to 8.30pm: Night-kite show, balloon show

By Manta Klangboonkrong

Daily xpress

The lush and colourful gardens of a former royal retreat lure visitors with their bursting blooms

When people talk about Mrigadayavan Palace, the summer home of King Vajiravudh (King Rama VI) close to Hua Hin in Phetchaburi province, they usually rave about the beautiful architectural style of the buildings, but ignore the surrounding gardens. That's a shame, because the gardens are a great attraction in themselves, well worth a visit for their peaceful atmosphere.

The 40-rai grounds were designed by ML Poomchai Chumbala, a celebrated landscape expert.

Each garden has its own unique character, with different kinds of plants, flowers and lay-out. For example, the Venice Vanich Garden has an elegant fountain with benches that make a fine spot for relaxing with a drink or a snack, while the beautiful lawn of the Sakhuntala Garden overlooks the Gulf of Thailand and is bordered by thousands of Ixora plants of all colours. But a must-see for any visitor is the Matanapata Garden, home to a great collection of Carmona plants.

Plan a visit

Mrigadayavan Palace is open from 8.30 to 4, Monday to Friday, and from 8.30 to 5 on weekends and public holidays. Admission is Bt30 for Thais and Bt90 for foreigners.

By Ryo Vaanich

Special to Daily Xpress