If after my last post about Thailand you still need some tips, these are for you!

Bangkok:

This trip we stayed at The Eugenia. It’s charming, and a little bit quirky, and we loved it.  Only 12 rooms, all with their own unique mix of antiques and artworks, so its always fairly quiet (a good thing in this bustling city), and the pool is surrounded by palm trees and feels like your own private oasis. We ate at the hotel restaurant the first night and the food was fantastic. I highly recommend it.

One of the charming suites at The Eugenia Hotel, Bangkok

We ate at Gaggan the second night. We were recommended the tasting menu, being first timers, and were not disappointed. We had a 12 course tasting menu and loved every single course…honestly, it may well be in the top 10 of the best meals of my life. I have to say I think the fact the chef is Indian, and the fact they call their food “progressive indian”, may be slightly misleading…I think even non-curry lovers will love this place. Oh, and did I mention the building and interior? Super cute.

On the third night we ate at Issaya. Also located in a charming building, this place is much more colourful, which happens to be a great back drop to wonderful Thai food, a mix of traditional and more modern style dishes. Everything we had was amazing…especially the Passionfruit and caramel cocktails. Who knew those two flavours would work so well together!?

And I finally managed to get my husband to Agalico…a seriously cute tea house just off Sukhumvit Road. My second visit, but I think it may become a regular when we go back. Great selection of tea and cake, and the view of the garden outside is to die for.

Agalico, Bangkok

We checked out Mr Kukrit’s House, which is the home of an ex-priminister that has been maintained for visitors. Each of the pavilions serves a different purpose and all are still as Mr Kukrit left them. The gardens are alsoo quite amazing, and the feeling of standing amongst lush tropical greenery in the middle of a concrete jungle is quite surreal.  Still mostly untouched by the crowded bus tours, this is a nice way to spend a morning…and there’s a Dean & Deluca naerby for lunch afterwards…which is exactly what we did.

Mr Kukrit’s House, Bangkok

Phuket:

We were in Phuket for a friend’s wedding, and while the actual ceremony was held elsewhere, most of the guests stayed at the Sala.  We shared a 2 bedroom pool villa with friends, and it was heavenly. This was our first resort holiday as we tend to be city people and my husband gets bored quickly, but I think this place has converted us.  There are lots of things to do if you want, otherwise they make it very easy for you to relax. We ate at the hotel almost every night and the food was great. I would definitely come back and stay here again.

Sunset on our first night over the pool at Sala, Phuket

Sunset on the beach, Phuket

What do you get when Rem Koolhaas teams up with David Collins? You get a pretty freakin fabulous building, that’s what you get! And it just so happens to be called MahaNakhon.

The MahaNakhon, when completed in 2013, will be an iconic landmark in the Bangkok skyline. The complex will consist of private residences by Ritz Carlton, a retail complex, and the new Bangkok Edition Hotel by Ian Schrager, operated by Marriott.

The MahaNakhon Pavillion, a stunning building in it’s own right (seen below), will house the sales offices of the Ritz Carlton Residences and a Sales Pavillion which David Collins Studio has designed. I’m excited to be able to share these just released photos of thepavillion, which were designed in a style which Mr Collins himself has termed ‘minimalist luxury’.

Collins has used his trademark touch of 20th century inspired glamour and a seriously cool colour palette that seems perfect for Bangkok. And I have to say, I’m so excited to see this style being adopted in Asia.

Stunning, no? I wonder what they’ll do with the show flat once the residences have all sold? That chaise longue is drop dead gorgeous. I might need to consider moving to Bangkok…

Oh, and, as if all that wasn’t already enough, there is a Dean & Deluca cafe in the ground floor. Seriously yummy. I wish they’d open one in Hong Kong!

All photographs by Richard Powers Photography, courtesy of David Collins Studio.

Following on from the Thai theme of yesterday’s post, I thought I’d share some pics I found of the Bangkok home of Agalico’s creator, ML Poomchai Chumbala. His stunning home was created by using remnants and pieces of over 5 traditional Thai homes that were otherwise demolished. The traditional floor plan of a Thai home is a square shape, with rooms surrounding a central courtyard. Chumbala has somewhat ignored tradition by laying out his home in a large ‘H’ shape, with two long annexes, joined in the centre – allowing a greater variety of views from each room, and better cross ventilation (a must in Bangkok’s tropical climate!). This was probably the only traditional element he has ignored, because the rest of the construction was done as close to traditional methods as possible – not a single nail was used! This is not to say that he was forgone modern conveniences – there is still running water, electricity, and air-conditioning – it just happens to be very cleverly concealed.

One quick look at the decor and you can tell very quickly that this is the home of an avid collector – and one with a very refined eye. Some of these pieces have been in his family for several generations, so they have quite a history as well as personal meaning. The dark wood interior is quite a contrast to the all white of Agalico, but it has such an exotic feel to it – I certainly wouldn’t say no to spending the night here! What do you think?

All images from Architectural Digest, November 2005 – Photographed by Robert McLeod.

For anyone that hasn’t been to Phuket, it’s a lush tropical paradise. The beaches are clean, the water is warm and crystal clear, people are friendly and it’s still pretty cheap. We stayed at Le Meridien with all the other wedding guests, and while I thought the resort was pretty well appointed, you may be a little disappointed if you are looking for a really traditional Thai experience. I guess it depends on what you want… I must add, however, they left a bit to be desired in the service department. The now happily wedded couple booked the hotel months back, and made sure to communicate closely with hotel staff about the guest bookings – as they had guests from afar as the US, UK and other parts of Asia. Many people arrived to find their reservation didn’t exist, others had to wait hours for their rooms to be available, and the worst part – they put the bride and groom in separate beds! If you’re a traditionalist, you’re probably thinking that’s the way it should be, and I respect that – but I think if you spend a tonne of money at a hotel for a wedding, and specifically ask for a double room, they should go all out to make sure you’re both happy. Anyway, I’m not grumbling too much – we got a free upgrade!

This is the view that I had to deal with all day for the long weekend from the beach. Pretty hard to deal with, hey 😉

My time in Bangkok this trip was purely in transit, however, I thought I’d share a place I found the last time I was there. Agalico (meaning ‘timeless’ in Sanskrit) is a simply gorgeous cafe/tea house, inside a colonial style building next to an old royal palace amongst a lush garden. Agalico is the brainchild of Poomchai Chumbala a distant member of the Thai Royal family no less, as well as a noted Interior Designer and hobby gardener. This place is more than just a respite from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, it’s a veritable oasis. The decor of the tearooms – as you can see from the photos below – is mostly white, apart from the lush green of the plants indoors and out, as well as the odd piece of blue & white china scattered around. It’s really quite breathtaking, and such a refreshing contrast to the rest of the city.

But, apparently it’s a closely guarded secret, so remember, this is just between you and me 😉