these legs aren't just for show.

northeast chiang mai

i recently had the chance to retreat up to chiang mai and i LOVED IT. next time, i'm leaving more time to explore. i think i finally found out what these legs are for; needless to say, i trekked a lot.

first things first: lodging. i should mention that the purpose of going up to chiang mai was to retreat and pray, so we found a great retreat center that i would recommend to anyone looking to pray and practice silence/solitude.
seven fountains spirituality center on hway kaew rd, near chiang mai university is a jesuit center specifically for contemplative retreats. it's simple, affordable, and has thought of everything. rooms are 500B or 600B (AC) per night (they only have single rooms), includes all meals (simple but good and satisfying), there's free laundry service available, library, labyrinth, coffee/tea/ovaltine available all over the grounds, and simple well-kept gardens and landscaping. the only thing they don't have that you should not forget is mosquito repellent.
strict silence observed. daily mass in english at 6 for retreatants, mass in thai twice daily. spiritual direction available.
the simplicity and serenity of the center is super conducive to a slower paced life and i felt very cared for. love jesuits.
seven fountains spirituality center @ 97 hway kaew rd, 50300
tel: 053 211076, 053 892545; web: htty://7fountains.wordpress.com; email: jesuits@cmnet.co.th
proximity to other places of interests is another plus...keep reading.

doi suthep-pui national park
just a little walk up hway kaew road, you reach the chiang mai zoo where you can catch a songtaew up the doi suthep mountain for 40B. if you want to use those things-they-call-legs, walk past the songtaews, and take a left at the fork in the road to reach the hway kaew waterfall, which is free! hway kaew waterfall is a series of waterfall starting at the entrance and other spots to stop about .5-2km up the mountain, including wang bua ban pond (named after a woman who committed suicide over her lover who moved to bangkok) and pha ngerb which is a rolling waterfall over large boulder and rock formations. and a beautiful view over chiang mai at an overlook on the path. up the road another 3km, you'll reach the entrance to mon tha than waterfall. it's another 3km into the actual waterfall, so if you walk, expect a lengthy hike.

babylon italian restaurant
this is where "thai godfather" should be filmed. very dimly lit, a little dingy, and homey yet with a tiny creep-factor. this place has to be mafia because of how good the food is. their homemade pasta is fantastic, their sauces so comforting and spot-on with flavor, and they don't skimp on the size or ingredients. standouts were the spinach malfatti (gnocchi) in marinara (140B), extra-wide fettucini which we had with their osso bucco (220), and their macaroni siliciliana (180) with eggplant, piquant meatballs, mushroom, and basil in marinara. wait, let me wipe me drool off my keyboard.
i highly recommend anything with their robust tomato sauce and pastas made on-site. simply fantastic.desserts were decent, but a little amiss. all their ice creams (50) taste a little goaty (i guess thai cows produce goaty milk) and on the icier side of the spectrum. blackprune ice cream was very icy and so pruny, that once it was topped with prune sauce, it was just as if we were eating a frozen prune. you'd be better off heading down to milk garden after the meal.
babylon restaurant, 100/63 hway kaew rd.

milk garden (suan nom)
milk garden, also on hway kaew rd., in between seven fountains and babylon restaurant, is a hip, eclectic little cafe packed with students.
come for toast, smoothie, or yogurt. because it's right down the street from a dairy, it has wonderful milk offerings. the yogurt (35B) was a delicious, refreshing bowl of yogurt mixed with crushed ice with whatever fresh fruit you want.
in addition to their menu, milk garden also sells handmade mugs, dolls, bracelets, and other crafty items. think: cool DIY crafts, not your grandma's embroidery crafts. this whole place feels creative and trendy, but not without its requisite thai cuteness. instead of having table numbers, you pick out a stuffed doll so your server can identify your table.

happy hut
honorable mention of the trip: coconut based ice cream from happy hut. homemade by a friend of the owner, the ice cream (20B) comes in a smattering of intriguing flavors: black sesame, black sticky rice pudding, pomegranate, thai ice tea,etc.). very tasty, and since it's coconut based, lacks the heavy coated aftermath. bunch of coffee drinks, too.
happy hut, corner of nimmanahaeminda soi 3

it's all about how you present yourself

vanilla cafe

stepping into the vanilla compound, i mean, courtyard, is walking into a fantastical hidden alcove. forget feeling like you're in bangkok. it's no surprise that there's japanese behind this place; they've mastered aesthetics.
hedging the meticulously manicured lawn and courtyard, we've got the trifecta: sauce bookstore on the left, vanilla cafe in the back, and royal vanilla restaurant on the right.

sauce's two levels of books specially feature cookbooks to provoke your salivary glands to pavlovian activity. i'm sure it's not accidental. especially for someone like me, who is the easiest sell when it comes to advertisements appealing to carnal appetite. fear not, you're close to vanilla's two restaurants, conveniently planted adjacent to the book store. aside from the cookbooks and japanese titles, sauce also has a nice stock of trendy-yet-simple tote bags, t-shirts, and gifts.vanilla cafe in the center has the feel of your father's office, if your father was into retro design and aesthetically anal in his collection of vintage action figures and clocks. in the area of refreshments, vanilla's selection is pretty wide - hitting a large japanese selection and dim sum in addition to their pastries and coffees and sandwiches. beautiful, but lacking in taste: macadamia latte had no macadamia flavor at all (i honestly thought they had just given me a regular latte) and their peanut butter brownie (40) was too sugary and not chocolatey or peanutty enough. i did really enjoy their strawberry daifuku (35B), though (fresh strawberry wrapped in red bean paste and delicately held in a soft mochi cover) and their lime frost.
also, one point off my experience of vanilla cafe: i had my notebook out and was taking notes on their menu and a waiter came to scold me and yanked the menu away. i asked for a reason and was refused the courtesy. boo.vanilla cafe, sauce bookstore, royal vanilla. 53 ekkamai (sukhumvit 63) soi 12
coffees 60-110B, smoothies 130-150B,

in the quest of a good sandwich...

landmark plaza: garden court/greenhouse/the terrace

i miss my nebbishy delis of the east coast. pangs of longing for thick, punchy pastrami and murturing matzo ball soup hit every so often. get me to a restaurant that serves a decent sandwich!
which leaves me asking: what about bangkok is not attractive to our judaic brothers and sisters? come and bring us food! (perhaps its the oh-so-not-kosher nature of thai food)

landmark plaza's selection of mention-worthy sandwiches fills a deli-shaped hole in my heart.

i'd heard that their reuben would make a new york deli blush. well, it won't. it won't even make an LA deli blush. but, it will make an american sigh with satisfaction. the reuben came on dark rye, under a generous layer of melted swiss and sauerkraut. it was delicious. well done, landmark.
the grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and pesto spread on focaccia roll was also delightful.
extra points for giving us unexpectedly free coleslaw when we asked for it as an extra side. all three landmark incarnations (garden court/greenhouse/the terrace) serve the same menu, so have your ambience your way: out on the patio, in a more traditional restaurant, or in the courtyard under palm trees. if you're not feeling into sandwiches, they also serve congee, dimsum, noodles, and salads.

landmark plaza: garden court/greenhouse/the terrace
138 sukhumvit (between 4 & 8). closest BTS @ Nana
165B for half sandwich and 240B for a full. comes with fries, curly fries, or wedges. say yes to curly!
free wifi in landmark plaza.

cheesecake factory: bangkok style

coffee beans by daoone thing i'm realizing about bangkok is that the names of restaurants don't always give a proper expectation of what the restaurant will be like. you name a place coffee beans by dao and you think "coffee shop." well, get used to being wrong. coffee beans by dao is just a restaurant with good desserts. coffee here is more of an idea and don't expect to lounge in plush seating all day.

entrees are decent, though nothing special; a mix of thai, chinese and a little western accent at times. save yourself some baht and eat dinner from a street stand before you come. especially since they tack on an extra 17% service fee to your bill.

the real standout is their desserts. an at-capacity glass case full of western-style cakes, cheesecakes, and pastries, you have to spend a drooly few minutes ogling the sweets. we chose 5 items: mango cheesecake, caramel cheesecake, new york cheesecake, and carrot cake. carrot cake wins out by far - fresh, aromatic, made with thick carrot shreds and iced with a tangy, non-sugary cream cheese frosting. all their cheese cakes were good; made with thick, crunchy, buttery crusts and on the lighter/creamier side of cheesecakes (don't expect your standard cardiac-arrest-via dairy new york cheesecake). all good, with my favorite cheesecake being the caramel (with glazed walnuts). i do have a penchant for nuts, though. take it as you will.

my best advice: come ogle the desserts and buy some slices to go.
coffee beans by dao. 47 ekkamai soi 12 (ekkamai is sukhumvit 63).
other locations at: central world, 20/12-15 ruamrudee (ploenchit)
appetizers/salads 90-335B, mains 140-650B (though generally around 200), desserts around 100-200B, ogling free.
don't forget to add 17% service charge.

Suvarnabhumi Sky Loft

Checking into our domestic flight with AirAsia, an orange sign with cool scratchity white font loomed overhead: "Sky Loft" With the promise of food and dessert, and with two hours until our flight, we took the escalator up one floor to check it out. Inside was a classy foodcourt of sorts, a sleek modern design, offering Western fusion food. We circled the court in awe of the massive sandwiches, fresh salads, beautiful-looking desserts displayed around us, and we decided to buy a food card, even though, in my case, I'd eaten lunch about 40 minutes before.



I got a Caesar salad, which was very fresh. The dressings were displayed so 1) I got to choose my own amount, saving me from the constantly overdressed state of caesar and 2) I got to mix it up a little: I added a garlic vinegarette which was delicious.

Then, I wanted to get a glass of wine. I walked over to the drinks bar, where they were advertising 6 types of wine by the glass- 3 reds, 3 whites, one of each from France, Australia, and Chile. The only bottle they had open was the Australian white, which was way too sweet. They wouldn't open the other bottles for me to taste. In this decision they lost: One point for customer service, and 200 baht I would have paid for a glass of dry wine.

Michelle got an apricot tart, which was okay. Meh. Nothing to write home about. The crust was kinda dry, it was so sweet I thought they used dried apricots until Michelle corrected me that that's what happens to apricots when you bake them. The desserts lady was slightly rude to Michelle as well, which cost another customer service point.
>
But this is why I will never return to the Sky Loft:

After whetting my palette with garlic vinegarette, being denied my glass of vino, and scarfing down a dry-crusted tart, I was thirsty, so I went back to the drinks bar and asked for a bottle of water, handing them my food card. It wasn't until I was walking back, unscrewing the cap, and folding up the receipt until I looked down and saw this:

SEVENTY BAHT.

Yes, friends, seventy baht for a plain old bottle of 7 baht water. I choked. I sat down. I hyperventilated. I fanned myself. The moment passed, but still whenever I think of these words "Sky Loft" I cringe, thinking of 63 baht I could have saved. Thinking of the wine I could have had. And wondering if the garlicky Caesar was really worth the heartache?

spaghetti godfarther

farm fresh vegetable

generally, italian in bangkok means big baht. fortunately, the thai are particularly entrepreneurial and have a knack for reproduction; just walk through any night/street market and you'll find every kind of fendi, vuitton, or prada.

farm fresh vegetable is no different in appearance or thai cuisine than any other run-of-the-mill storefront restaurant in bangkok, except for its decent italian menu. nothing to call home about, but not bad if you're in the pridi area and looking for some italian food that you'd rather not cook yourself.their menu's pretty good, including a dish called "spaghetti godfarther" which essentially is chicken parm. pesto was the best sauce in my opinion, packing punch; marinara is on the sweeter end, and the alfredo is good by alfredo standards (though, you should ask someone else, since i'm not the biggest fan of alfredo), squid ink fettucine is nice.
a couple 'honorable mention' menu items are boar meat, curry spaghetti, fettucine panang, and thai esan style tagliatele. unfortunately, didn't get to try to the boar meat. boo.

round out your bill with some thai favorites (their tom kha is particularly creamy and aroy) and one of their many fish dishes and you'll leave satisfied with a wallet with some baht left in it.

farm fresh vegetable. 45 pridi 2 (sukhumvit 71)
4:30p-1am, closed sundays.
dishes ranging 50-220B

relax. you're in koh chang

koh chang
this is just to try to lure you to go to koh chang. oh, what great fun!

getting to koh chang from bangkok: you have to get out of bangkok sometimes. fortunately, it's not hard to find beautiful places in thailand. koh chang is easy to get to: via air (fly into "trat"), van (pickup at khao san rd.), private car (you're on your own with that), or AC bus (oh so many options).

we took a 5-hr bus ride to koh chang from bangkok's ekkamai station (473B roundtrip), which i recommend. buses also pick up at suvarnabhumi airport, mochit (northern bus terminal). try to take a bus to go to laem ngob or the center point pier and you won't have to pay for a taxi/songtaew like if you got off at trat.
you have to hop on a ferry out one of 3 piers, which runs every hour and costs 30B for 40-min ride to the island of koh chang. here's a helpful webby for the all transpo options possible to get to koh chang. i love the internet.

my recs for fun things:
khlong plu waterfall: about a 1 km hike in from the entrance, you reach a crispy, chilly waterfall with 2 swimmable pools. you definitely want to jump in the water after you hike up to the falls. great 2-3 hour excursion. if you're into hiking, you can take a 10km (ish) trail from khlong plu waterfall to tharn mayom waterfall.

baan chang offers elephant rides, trekking through the forest or along the river (you can bathe the elephants). 1 hr is 500B, 2 hrs is 900B. you don't trek that far, but they give you a good chunk of time either riding on the bench on the back of the elephant or riding on its neck. how often do you get to ride on an elephant? baan chang seems to try to take good care of the elephants, too, which is always a bonus. (on Klong Prao Rd. T: 084-863-8185, 081-761-1554)

unless you have a tried and true iron stomach, do not go on a day-long boat trip. every time i have been on one of these, someone has always thrown up and multiple people get seasick. if you can get a boat just to take you to one to three stops and hang out for a long time at an island, i think it's the best way to go. renting a speedboat for a full day runs around 7000-9000B. My recs are for koh nok, koh mak, and koh thong lang. koh nok is a tiny little island that has great reefs for snorkeling.
koh mak has the most beautiful white sand and crystal-clear water. and i swear it smells like fresh laundry and can feel incredibly serene (if there aren't other groups of people coming, too). stay as long as you possibly can.
koh thong lang has amazing coral and is packed with sea life. an island slightly larger than koh nok, it offers more fish and sea stuffs to snorkel through than koh nok, though it's also further from the main island of koh chang.

accommodations:
it's easy to find lodging in koh chang smack on the beach for all budgets. your best bet is to internet search for hotel deals. string of hotels along klong prao beach and white sand beach. backpacker hotspot at lonely beach.
we found a half-price deal for koh chang paradise resort and spa on the klong prao beach which has cute little bungalows at different ranges (their highest level has individual pools and are constructed in a blend of traditional thai and american southwest styles. oh, if i had money...