We hopped in our taxi at the airport and found this sign on the door. I don’t think the driver was kidding — we didn’t try to find out.

Thai massage uses hard pressure and is generally offered for head, foot, or full body. Let’s hope they go easy on this one.

Bathroom, restroom, powder room. Everyone wants to give the toilet a more pleasant name. What could be more pleasant than happy?

Somehow not as graceful as the stone versions you might see in Europe.

And finally, not directly related to Thailand, but found posted in one of the ‘happy rooms’ — in case you aren’t sure if you are a member of the Taliban. (Click to enlarge for easier reading).

Railay is a short drive via longtail boat (5 mins) from the Krabi pier. A thin peninsula, rather than an island, there are two sides of the beach which are 5 minutes’ walk apart: the western resort bit with a white sand beach and the eastern backpacker bit with a muddy beach. We stayed on the eastern side as the room rates are easily half…and the walk to the other side is literally 5 minutes and were so happy with our choice. By the end of our time there, we were spending our beachy days on the western beach and our nights (for dining and drinks, etc) on the more authentic eastern side.

It worked perfectly for us as we don’t spend much time in our room and are more keen to spend our time and money on food and activities (coconut smoothies being the key splurge in Railay ).

Comparatively, the views make Railay, and Krabi unique. The way in which the landmass has formed has created mammoth undercut mountains which tower near and at a distance, off shore. These towers of rubble make the region particularly picturesque and colourful with threads of orange clay and various greys running through. Combined with the crystal clear emerald waters, the traditional longtail boats on shore and the traffic free status, the backdrop couldn’t really be any lovelier.

The only shameful point is that the snorkeling is a bit rubbish. Sadly, overfishing, the use of dynamite fishing in previous years, anchor damage on the coral reefs, the fall out from the 2004 tsunami and general ocean health issues have led to a near empty sea with bleached coral fields. We did go out for a day of snorkeling and spent about 4-5 hours in the water, but what we saw around the Phi Phi islands and Railay saddened us. The fish that were there were ADORABLE and oh, so friendly and curious…they would literally follow you about, almost like puppies. But, after visiting a healthy and thriving reef in the Maldives last year, we did become a bit sad that the fish weren’t more numerous and that the coral reef was so incredible damaged. No wonder the fish we saw were curious and friendly, they were lonely…

On our final day, we rented a kayak to make our way around the peninsula and to explore some of the towering offshore mountains. It was fun to explore the caves, deserted beaches and crevices that we found. And, I was pretty impressed with my nearly 6-month pregnant self. We were out for two hours on the kayak in waters that were, at times, choppy and rough. Not only did we hold our own, but we passed two other kayaks, each with two grown men paddling. Not bad for a preggo /big strong man combo

Though it doesn’t fit nicely with any of the above, I also feel it worth mentioning our FAVOURITE restaurant and our FAVOURITE splurge in Railay. While during the first day or so, we stuck close to the western beach resorts for meals, we ventured a bit further by the end and found cheap, simple, delicious food in a stellar location on the East end. Like a tree house towering above the Eastern beach, our favourite place served Indian and Thai curries for about 1/3 of the price of meals on the other side. All served piping hot, the food is perfectly safe and absolutely delicious…and they even give you popcorn as an appetizer, free of charge! This, paired with an after drink (smoothie) at a chill overwater, open-air loungy place below and a banana rotee (kind of like a crepe) made for a perfect night, all for a total investment of under £10. So good, in fact, that we decided to repeat it…and we aren’t ones to repeat these types of things.

And our splurge…afternoon tea during a rainstorm on our final day (in the ‘Posh’ resort next door to our own). Not only was the food lovely and the surrounds in my favourite colour palette (plum, scarlett, harvest yellow, terracotta, lime), but they sent us away with a parting gift…a couple lovely fish origami made from palm leaves just before our eyes. We took our baby books and lounged, making us the first to arrive and the last to leave. Thereafter, we lingered alongside their koi ponds and made our way to their private beach for some sunset photos. Heaven, and a perfect end to our perfect stay! Hopefully, Baby will like Railay…as we may well be back…

Now, going big picture, our recent favourite beach destinations (Maldives, Croatia, Goa) are hard to beat. So, we kept our expectations suitably low during planning. But, while the competition is fierce, Railay has found a sound place in contention at the top of the list.

The food in Thailand is delicious. We enjoyed eating it the entire time and even had the opportunity to learn how to cook a few dishes while in Chiang Mai. Pot and Nancy, who run Siam Rice Cooking School, picked us up with their adorable son Peter Pan, and we headed off to the market.

While Nancy picked up the veg that we’d need, Pot gave us a tour of the market showing us all the different vegetables. While many of the vegetables are the same as in our markets in London, there are several that are native to Thailand that we hadn’t seen before. It was interesting to learn that most restaurants in Thailand buy their curry paste and we saw plenty for sale in the market. We also saw how they make coconut milk and coconut cream — a key ingredient for Thai food.

After the market tour, we headed back to Pot and Nancy’s house to start cooking. We each chose seven dished including a salad, soup, dessert, curry and our choice of some classics such as pad-thai, stir-fry and spring rolls. We made a lot of food and there was no way we could eat it all. Fortunately we could take some of it with us which made for a nice dinner the next night.

We also learned how to do a bit of food carving. We carved a flower out of a carrot. Our creations looked suitable, but not as good as Pot’s example and it took us twice as long. I suppose we’ll need a bit more practice.

We’ve taken a couple of other cooking courses in our travels, but I have a feeling the recipes from this one will be the most well used. The whole experience was fantastic and authentic. In addition to the cooking lessons we felt like we got an insight into the life of a real Thai family.

After our cooking class, we headed up to Doi Suthep, a temple perched on the mountain above Chiang Mai. We weren’t sure what to expect and were a bit put off by the throngs of vendors set up out front ready to snare any tourist passing by. There are temples on almost every corner of the city and we started to wonder if it was worth the journey.

It was. This was by far the most impressive temple that we saw. The gold plated fixtures and buddhas glistened in the sunlight under the swirling smoke of the incense. The prayer bells gently jingled in the breeze. The whole atmosphere was incredibly peaceful and introspective.

• Chiang Mai

• Elephant Day

• Railay

Walking out the front gate of our countryside haven tucked amongst the canals and rice paddies of rural Chiang Mai, we expected the day to start just as our others had…a short drive. Little did we realise that we would be ‘driving’ with pedal power from the start.

Our guide, a beautiful and kind Thai who goes by the western name Bud, met us outside the front gates with bicycles perfectly fitted to our height and weight in tow. While most ‘bicycle tours’ that his firm leads include 15-30 guests (as two other groups were sized on the day), Bud was ours and ours alone for the day. And what a gift that proved. We set out from our B&B, went at our own pace, had a mid-morning snack, paused for a long lunch and to appreciate scenic vistas, and were able to talk with him endlessly about the Thai culture and his 14 years spent as a Monk. G and I feel lucky every day, but this day with bud was especially charmed. We had the unlimited care and attention of our very own Thai local…

I hate lounging holidays…I really do. Given the winter weather in London, I prefer adventures and doing things outdoors when we’re away and able to score some sunshine. So, this was one of many such Babymoon ‘activities’ and ‘adventures’ to keep us suitably entertained. As such, we lost no time. We snaked our way through the rural lanes and dirt paths, avoiding cars and highways wherever possible. There were loads of lovely moments during our day on the cycles, but here I’ll focus on a simple few…

The River
There’s at least one river that runs through Chiang Mai. After a while cycling, we happened upon a few fishermen standing in the shallows, catching their dinner. The River was once the center of Chiang Mai’s commerce. While a 1 hour flight connected us to Chiang Mai from Bangkok, apparently most Thai people can’t afford to travel by Air and, instead, depend on buses. The ~18 hour bus journey to Bangkok may seem long. But, Bud said that not so long ago it would take WEEKS to reach Bangkok via the slow-moving river. Progress…

Teak
Once upon a time, Thailand struck peace with its neighbors by providing them with unlimited supplies of Teak. And the local supplies seem not to have dwindled based on the woodworking shops and furniture markets that abound around Chiang Mai. There’s GORGEOUS and inexpensive furniture available…enough that one could outfit their entire home in a single afternoon, no matter your style or taste. Sadly, though, shipping costs wouldn’t prove kind. Alas, we limited ourselves to purchasing a set of three connected photo frames for Baby’s Room…for the equivalent of £4!!!!!! If only a gorgeous dining set would’ve fit into our luggage…

Rice and Smiles
As is true through much of the East, rice is good as gold. Without it, people’s diets would be insubstantial. And, at times during our cycle, we saw seemingly endless paddies. Given the wonderful weather, farmers in Chiang Mai are able to reap 3 crops of rice per year. And, lucky for us, during our ride, workers were planting a new crop in the fields. Standing at the roadside appreciating the process, we were struck by how joyful the workers seemed. There was much laughter and carrying on amongst them…smiles all around. From our experience, it would seem that Thailand is called the land of smiles for good reason…it’s not just a baseless marketing campaign, afterall.

Religion
Most Thai men serve as monks for 2-3 years in their youth. As monks, they go from door to door asking for alms (sp) and are obliged to eat whatever they’re given by their parishioners. This teaches monks to depend on others and to devalue material goods. In their eyes, they’re given sustenance through grace and must be kind, flexible and dependent. I’m probably misrepresenting things a bit here as my commentary is based on my impressions, but I will say that we found the Thai people to be some of the kindest, most helpful people we’ve encountered during our travels. Some part of this must be down to the fact that such a large portion of the population have experienced the humbling experience of life as a monk. By comparison, can you imagine an American teen eating only green beans and spam because that’s what they’ve been given? I know I wouldn’t have…but perhaps I would have become a better person had I been forced to endure such dependency (notice, I didn’t say hardship:)). More lightly, the temples are stunning. Every Single One.

Death
Cremation is king. But unlike the sterile western cremations, an overwhelming majority of Thai cremations are held open air in front of mourning friends and relatives (see photo at left). Before lighting the kindling, a coin is put between the teeth. And the skin is washed with the water from a freshly cracked coconut…believed to be the purest water. Floral garlands and decorations are placed atop the coffin and then the match is lit. A few family members sit with the body for the following hours and days as the smouldering coals cool and, finally, approach to gather up any large bones. The rest of the remains are left and the pit is never cleaned before the next service as locals believe that by cleaning the pit prematurely, you’re tempting the Gods to take another life. Most neighborhoods have their very own cremation site, making it easy for the community to attend the service and support their own.

Upon arriving back to our B&B, Bud informed us that we had cycled over 67 kilometers during our leisurely 8 hour jaunt, but I think it’s safe to say our learnings far outweighed the physical strain.

For those who don’t know…G and I aren’t morning people. And I become grumpy when hungry (not just while pregnant)…so grumpy that G regularly carries ‘Kimberly snacks’ to fend off my feisty when the lull between meals stretches too long.

At first we were a little bit concerned about riding the elephants. We didn’t want to contribute to poorly treated elephants for the sake of tourism. Our fears were quickly laid to rest when we saw Pat’s passion in caring for the animals. He explained that elephants have been domesticated in Thailand for over 800 years so riding elephants is nothing new and doesn’t harm them anymore than riding a horse. It is all about how the elephants are cared for and his farm takes good care of them just as a traditional Thai family would — only he has 26. Pat pointed out that elephants need exercise. One of the top causes of death for elephants is eating too much and doing nothing — I said that sounds like one of the top causes of death for humans as well. Even when the tourists are not there they take the elephants for a hike to keep them healthy their nails filed from the sand and rocks.

We learned a lot about elephants and how important they are to the Thai people. They are endangered and the population has been dropping fast. Thailand has a number conservation projects to preserve and expand the population. Patara Elephant Farm has piloted a program to introduce young elephants to the wild and it has been quite successful.

You can draw many parallels with Thailand’s elephants to how horses are used in other cultures. Today many Elephants have been replaced by cars and machinery but some are still used and they are all registered with the government, but not as a part of a conservation program. They are registered with the department of transportation! Elephants have full rights to use the public roads in Thailand. They don’t issue license plates for elephants though, only microchips.

In some ways, caring for the elephant was good practice for our baby. We had to feed it, bathe it, and perform health checks – like inspecting its dung. I understand we’ll be doing the same with diapers in a few months. Though we got to ride the elephants which we aren’t planning to do with baby.

We were matched up with two elephants. I cared for the big, calm and mellow mother May Bon Di. K cared for a small, spirited and young elephant Champu. With the smaller elephant, she didn’t have to strain to reach the top. Then we switched for the ride as Champu was a bit ornery and May Bon Di was calm and stable.

We also met Qwan, who was 23 months pregnant. As elephants are pregnant for 19 to 24 months, Qwan was ready to give birth any day. Touching her side we could feel the baby elephant kick inside. It made us glad we only have to wait 9 months (an not giving birth to an elephant).

Breeding is a big part of the farm’s operation and they focus on doing it naturally. They have four male elephants that they send of on a ‘honeymoon’ with a female elephant when the time is right. They spend 10 days in a romantic forested location away from the other elephants and tourists. Though we saw one couple that couldn’t wait for their honeymoon and put on a bit of a show for us.

To care for our elephants, we first had to approach them. We looked for
signs that the elephant was happy such as flapping ears, bouncing and swaying. Then we called the elephant by name and it answered with a trumpet. If an elephant spreads its ears, look out, it isn’t happy and best avoided. We saw this in Tanzania with mothers protecting their babies. Our elephants were all happy, so we could approach and feed them a basket of fruit to garner more good will.

After feeding and health checks, it was bath time. Before getting in the bath we had to brush off all the dirt. With a few commands, the elephant would lie down so we could brush off its back. Then it was off to the river. Using a woven basket, we splashed water on the elephant and brushed it until it was clean. Then, at the coaxing of the staff, the elephants gave us a quick bath.

Without a saddle and given its height, mounting an elephant sounds difficult. Fortunately, the elephant is very helpful and we had one of three choices to climb on — the front foot, the trunk and telling the elephant to lie down. I opted for the front foot and K went with the lie down option.

After a quick instruction on how to steer we were on our way. We used the commands for forward, stop, back and “don’t do that” to guide our elephant, but they certainly knew the trail better than we did, so I’m not sure how well they listened. K’s elephant was well behaved, but mine was a little fiesty at times. The elephant in front of us was more interested in eating than walking which caused a traffic jam a couple times. We rode our elephants through the woods up and down some pretty steep hills until we came to a waterfall where we stopped for a picnic lunch.

The elephants drank from the flowing water while we ate more delicious Thai food. There was so much that we couldn’t finish it all, but luckily the elephants were happy to eat what we couldn’t including our ‘plates’ made of banana leaves. Before heading back, we all went for a quick swim.

This was a truly amazing experience and we have tons of great photos and videos. Once we get our gallery posted for this trip, you’ll definitely want to check them out.

After all that shopping, it is off to the spa. (This really doesn’t sound like one of normal trips, does it?) You might be thinking a tranquil, zen-like place with Thai Massages, but we found a different kind of spa where dozens of little fish ate our feet!

It sounds crazy, but the little swimmers snack on dead skin. Your feet dipped in the water become an all you can eat buffet and ignite a feeding frenzy. It is a very strange feeling and not recommended for the highly ticklish. After a few minutes, we got used to it and could relax a bit. And it really worked — afterwards we had nice, soft, exfoliated feet. K said they just opened one in Chelsea in London which I imagine charges typical spa prices, whereas we got ours for cheap.

We also happened to be in town for the Bo Sang Parasol Festival. This small town just outside Chiang Mai is known for producing parasols and in this local festival the whole town comes out to celebrate. We toured the factory and saw first hand the craftsman constructing and painting the parasols. Then hit the streets to sample the tasty local food, watch traditional Thai dancing, and do a bit more shopping (gasp). It was a bit like a Thai-style state fair. And there were hardly any foreign tourists which made for a real authentic cultural experience.

Our overall impressions of Thailand — fantastic. They have great food, great culture, great people, great history, great architecture and of course elephants. Everyone we met was so happy and helpful. Everyone in Thailand smiles. And we were never hassled for money as in India or Morocco. Thailand is cheap, but not third world. They have plenty of modern technology and reasonably good infrastructure. Chiang Mai was a great first stop as well. It is a city full of culture and activity without the big city bustle of Bangkok. It is no wonder this is a popular tourist destination and now we know what we have been missing.

The food in Thailand was incredibly delicious. We enjoy eating Thai food in London from time to time and were looking forward to a week of the sweet, spicy and savory dishes. What was even more incredible were the prices. Typical main dishes were 80-150 Bhat (£1.60-£3) in the nice restaurants with local places charging 30-60 Bhat (60p-£1.20) and road-side stands charging as little as 15 Bhat (30p)! We skipped the road-side stands on this trip (baby and all) but had several multiple course meals with drinks for both of us for less than £8.

It turns out that people in Thailand don’t cook. They pick up their dinner on the way home in plastic bags. And why not when it is so cheap and so good. It is actually cheaper to buy prepared meals than to buy the ingredients and cook it yourself. And have I said how amazingly delicious they were?

We’ll be posting the full gallery of photos from our trip soon. We have thousands, so it may take a couple days to get through them all.

* K doesn’t like this word. It isn’t a ‘theme’ but perhaps a loose motif.

As we approach the last travelable weeks of the pregnancy, we’ve planned a trip to Thailand as our last big trip before the sleepless nights begin. We actually looked at going to Thailand a couple years ago but abandoned our plans. There is so much to do in Thailand that we couldn’t decide what to fit into a single holiday. And Thailand seemed to be a well-traveled and potentially touristy destination. A bit discouraged, we put down the books and opted for some more adventurous trips. But now, planning a babymoon, safe and easy is exactly what we are looking for.

We have settled on two destinations — Chiang Mai, a northern city in the mountains full of culture and activities; and Railay, a beach near Krabi in the south. Hopefully this provides the right mix of culture, activity, sun and relaxation.

We are back and had a fantastic trip. We’ll be bringing you posts, pics and vids over the next couple days.

“Dolphins!”

Half dressed in our pajamas, we clung to the edge of the sun deck on our over-water bungalow watching a half dozen pointed fins bob and dance through the water. They followed the edge of the reef, where the water turns from paradise aqua to a majestic blue. It is the same path we snorkeled daily. Ah, if only we were swimming there right now…

But wait. Why can’t we? Quickly trying to think of the cons, all we got were pros. Beautiful morning light. No sunburn. No other snorklers to dodge. Breakfast wasn’t for a couple hours. No waiting for food to digest after breakfast.

Perhaps K found one, “But isn’t it feeding time? What if we run into a shark and it eats us?”

“That’s silly,” I replied. “And that’s better than being eaten by an eel.” K doesn’t like eels–they’re creepy.

With nothing standing in our way, we jumped in our suits, pulled on our masks and fins and descended the stairs from our bungalow down into the cool morning water. As quick as we were, the dolphins were quicker and had passed out of sight. We wouldn’t be swimming with Flipper and his friends this morning. Perhaps tomorrow we should sleep in our swimsuits?

That first snorkel was charmed. We could have been visiting an aquarium with the laundry list of wildlfie we saw during our stay–sea turtle, a ray, varied trigger and banner fish, pipe fish, varied parrot fish, anemones, clown fish, lion fish, barracuda, puffer fish, box fish, tuna, eels (ick!), surgeon fish, manta rays, unicorn fish, almost every fish imaginable for the region. And it was seen just outside our bungalow.  Though, luckily, no shark, yet. Though, in the end, we saw three.

Stepping back in time, the highlight of our magical first day was arriving by sea plane. At this point, we have traveled enough that truly unique and novel experiences are getting harder to find. We often draw parallels to previous trips or a combination of other experiences. The sea plane, however, was definitely new.

Out of an endless expanse of sea, we recognized our island through the small porthole of a window. The barefoot piloting duo pointed the nose down at the water. There was no runway or buoys. Only water. I could see it through the front window rapidly getting closer. “Don’t planes usually point the nose up when landing?” I thought to myself. If I hadn’t known better I’d be reaching for the life jacket under my seat.

Our sunsets were so vivid that they rippled like ribbons of brighly coloured sorbet through the sky. And just when we thought we had reached the nirvana of heaven on earth, two shooting stars appeared over our bungalow’s sundeck at night. They literally landed in the sea so close that we could hear the sound of their last moments being snuffed…bringing our most wonderful holiday to a close. Magical.

To see more photos from the Maldives, click here.

Imagine. A warm slab of marble, the echo of smooth stone water basins at the surround, steamy humidity and stars and moons of light exposing the room to filtered sunlight. Add to it complete strangers and you’ve pretty much got an accurate picture of the pampered experience of being in a Turkish bath. The one obvious negative is the presence of strangers. But the positives of the relaxing experience far outweigh the slight discomfort of being unclothed in such surroundings. Not to mention the baby soft skin that follows.

As compared to the Indian ayurvedic massage, the Turkish bath is a clear winner (please, can someone open one in London…or the US!). While you might know I’m a big fan of the gym’s steam room and that I use it as a substitute for North Carolina’s balmy, humid climate, the Turkish bath took things to a whole new level. Someone bathes you in bubbles (granted…a stranger), exfoliates your skin, and finally drenches you in cool water. This is precisely how our second day in Istanbul began. Needless to say we were well groomed for a relaxing day.

Next up, a festival of local  culinary delights as we paraded the city’s main modern boulevard, a stop at Mac to reapply my make up (nothing like it for a quick fix following the drenching bath), a restful lunch in a local garden cafe (set in a turtle-friendly lemon grove), and a whirling dervish service (a local religious sect that dances their prayers). Before heading back to the Old District for a relaxing seafood dinner in the city’s ancient candlelight water reservoir, called the Cistern (now dry, obviously J).We had local Turkish delight (yummy with nuts—though an odd texture, perhaps), not so yummy nut extract formed into a loaf (we think?), elastic ice cream (it holds together a bit more than the usual because it includes a bit of orchid extract, making it slightly elastic), apple tea (the London version tastes like apple cider—while authentic Turkish apple tea is less tart and more subtle).

A couple tips for the road for any future ventures to Istanbul: skip the outside stalls at the market and head straight to the stalls at the center (that have been there for hundreds of years). This is where you’ll find the established, confident vendors with quality, appropriately priced products. And, with their confidence, they don’t need to coax or badger.