The shimmering Grand Palace in Bangkok. © Aleney de Winter

While the garden of earthly delights that is Thailand used to be just a plane ride away, it is sadly out of reach for the immediate future. But the kids and I are hankering after the scent of temples filled with burning incense sticks and fragrant flower garlands. Oh, what we wouldn’t do for a whiff of pungent shrimp paste sizzling in a smoky wok, and the olfactory respite as fresh ginger, galangal and lemongrass hit same said wok.

In the silence of isolation, we’re even missing the beeping and honking of chaotic traffic and the cry of Thai market traders hawking everything from silk scarves to seafood on a stick.

We’re craving the bedazzlement of the glorious golds, reds and greens of the temples and the shimmering blues of the islands. And, of course, the smiles. How we miss Thailand’s smiles.

Exploring Wat Karon in Phuket © Aleney de Winter

And while we know they’ll still be waiting for us when the time is right,

And while we know that these things and more will still be waiting for us in dazzling Thailand when the time is right to travel, there’s nothing stopping us from enjoying all the colour, culture and cuisine that incredible Thailand has to offer, virtually. Here are seven ways to see and experience Thailand from your Sofa.

1. Take a virtual tour

Bangkok Food Markets © Aleney de Winter

Keep the cabin fever at bay with a 3D Virtual Tour of 10 fascinating provincial destinations around Thailand, including Wat Si Chum, one of the largest and most mysterious temples on Ancient Sukhothai, the delightful ginger bread house that is the Khum Chao Luang Museum in Phrae, and Wat Bang Kung, an ancient temple in Samut Songkrahm Province, built in the Ayutthaya period.

Or experience the highlights of Thailand on an immersive adventure with Contiki. Grab a coconut water (or a Mai Tai) and snuggle up on the sofa for a tour across the country, embarking on a food safari in tastebud-tingling Chiang Mai and tackling the street food markets of Bangkok before exploring leafy Kanchanaburi and the turquoise pools of Erawan waterfalls.

2. Learn the lingo

Get ready for your next visit by learning the lingo. You can download Thai language apps including the excellent Thai by Nemo, or head to l-lingo.com for a week of free Thai reading, writing and speaking lessons.

3. Order in

Thai Green Curry © Aleney de Winter

Speaking of food… While not all Australians are dining out again yet, and not every restaurant is open with the restrictions still in place, there’s no shortage of great Thai food available to eat at home. For Sydneysiders, Thai Town (in Haymarket) has a fantastic range of regional culinary specialties from the spicy Khao Soi and fresh and fragrant green papaya salad, to the ever-popular Pad Thai, to sweet Thai desserts available for takeaways and home delivery.

4. Cook up a taste of Thailand

Better yet, why not whip up your own Thai feast at home. Most Aussie supermarkets stock all the ingredients you need for authentic cuisine, and with plenty of inspiration to be found as Thai chefs have taken to teaching their tricks online. Our favourite virtual lessons are with Aroi at Home with Chat Thai x Hug Thailand, and not only because Chat Thai is our favourite Thai in Sydney. We’ve learned to whip up restaurant quality Thai dishes including pad krapao gai (stir fried minced chicken), yum nuea yaang (grilled beef salad with chilli jam), fried snapper with green mango salad, pineapple fried rice with prawns and more. The lessons have been streaming live on the official Hug Thailand FB page for the past eight weeks, but you can still find all the recipes and videos online! You can also try our own easy recipes for Thai Red Duck Curry or Mhu Grob Padt Prik Khing.

5. Learn the basics of Thai dancing

Thai Dancing © Aleney de Winter

Get immersed in Thai culture with a traditional Thai dancing session in your living room. Thai dance troupe, SiamSmile Group are introducing the elegant and expressive movements of Thai dance for kids online, with easy to follow instruction of a variety of Thai dances.

6. Master Muay Thai 

Muay Thai training with kids © Aleney de Winter

Get fighting fit with Muay Thai!  Thai boxing is the national sport and cultural martial art of Thailand, developed hundreds of years ago as a form of close-combat using the body as a weapon. Sydney’s own MuayThai Gym, PTJ – Photajaroen Muaythai Gym, is offering online training for those people who want to kick ISO’s butt!

7. Enjoy a spa sanctuary at home

Wellness team at Chiva Som Hua Hin. Image © Chiva Som

While I’m sure like me, you’d like to actually be in Thailand being massaged by some skilful soul at at the sublime Chiva-Som Hua Hin, you can invite their wellness advisors, practitioners and experts into your home with some of Chiva-Som’s most popular sessions, including one-on-one yoga and meditation sessions, Natural Fertility Consultation and naturopathic consultations, now available via Zoom.

And if you’re still craving that massage, get your partner (or the kids) to master the art of Thai Massage via the online tutorials at Thai Massage Training.

8. Win a trip for later

Longboat on a Phuket beach © Aleney de Winter

The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways International are both celebrating their 60th Anniversary and are offering the chance for Thailand fans to Win a Thailand Holiday Now and travel later. The prize includes a return flight from Sydney to Bangkok with Thai Airways International or a luxury stay with one of their hotel partners in Phuket, Samui, Krabi or Bangkok. Entries are open until Sunday 31st May 2020 

The post How to enjoy Thailand from your sofa appeared first on boyeatsworld.

Travel doesn’t always have to be about the journey or the destination. Sometimes it’s more about the moments. Some of them are inconsequential in the grand scheme of things but others leave their mark on you forever. A pilgrimage to Nan, a province on the Laos border of North-Eastern Thailand, delivers just such a moment.  

Infrequently visited by foreign tourists, the undeservingly overlooked Nan is a pretty town fringed by tranquil valleys and forested hills. An unhurried and unsullied treasure of a place crammed with elaborate and eclectic temple complexes boasting frozen forests of gold-tipped spires, splendid reclining Buddhas, many a ferocious naga (mythological serpents) and ribbons of saffron robed monks.

It is precisely these riches that have inspired my visit to the remote rural town, as my somewhat depleted spiritual well is in desperate need of filling.

My magical mystical tour has already seen me visit many of Nan’s most splendid temples. Wat Ming Muang, enshrining the city pillar, is embellished in stucco relief like an elaborate white wedding cake, and the golden confection that is Wat Sri Panton, adorned as it is with shimmering seven-headed naga, is a stand out.

Then there’s Wat Phumin, a temple whose outward simplicity belies the treasures hidden inside. Famed for its interior walls, strewn with stunning 19th century murals illustrating the Nimi Jatakas (the ten previous lives of the Buddha), I get lost in the scenes of local life and left wide-eyed at a suitably discouraging representation of hell … complete with ritual torture, snakes consuming humans and a set of massively engorged testicles.

But amongst these unnerving images there is also love, the Wat’s most famous image being the more romantic, and thankfully genital-free, “Whisper of Love.”

But while I am suitably moved by each, none of these is the temple I am looking for.

A glimpse of saffron robes and the ameliorating  hum of chanting monks meets me as I arrive at Nan’s Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, a massive complex that sits in a walled enclosure on top of a hill overlooking Nan and the surrounding valley.  As serendipitous as the soundtrack is, it isn’t until I stroll along a walkway flanked by two massive naga, that I feel the spiritual charge that has thus far been eluding me.

Dating back to 1355, Wat Phra That Chae Haeng is the most sacred wat in the Province and certainly beautiful, but no more than any of the other elaborate temples I’ve explored. But I feel a spark. A sense of connection. And then I see the sign that unbeknownst to me I’ve been searching for. Rabbits.

Yes, rabbits. Hundreds of cute and quirky bunny figures are secreted around the temple grounds. It turns out this complex is dedicated to the lunar year of the rabbit, which is not only my daughter’s lunar sign, but my mother’s. It just feels right.

I smile at the temple’s gloriously languid reclining Buddha, admire another eight mythological naga entwined over the exquisite Lanna-style assembly hall, and am left in awe of its 55-metre spiral-shaped chedi, said to house seven relics of the Buddha.

But it is when I am told of the seven miraculous events that occurred after the arrival of these relics, that I am struck deep in the soul. This is the one. For it is a miracle that I am seeking.

I scrawl and attach wishes to strings under the Boddhi tree and purchase a bunch of artfully folded lotus flowers, incense and a candle from a kind-eyed lady with a smile stained red from chewing betel quids.

Barefoot, I solemnly enter the temple with my symbolic offerings, my progress observed only by the omnipotent all-seeing eyes of the Buddha images that fill its inner sanctum.

I place my candle carefully in front of the chedi and the flowers in water as I’ve been instructed. Then I light the three incense sticks from the candle and hold them between the palms of the hand, the smoke stinging my eyes. A convenient excuse for the tears that suddenly sprout from them.

I wind my way three times clockwise around the perimeter of the chedi in sun so blazingly hot it leaves my feet blistered. And all the time I pray for my mother. For her pain to lessen. For the cancer that has ravaged her to her very bones to slow. For her to find peace.

I leave emotionally spent. But I am forever spiritually bound to this temple and certain that I have been heard.

I’m just a little surprised when I discover by whom.

“You found it, didn’t you?” my mother asks when I return home a few days later, knowing I had been seeking spiritual comfort. I tell her of the rabbits, expecting her to laugh at my whimsy. But instead with a small knowing smile she names the day and the hour of my Wat Phra That Chae Haeng visit, telling me she knew when I’d found what I’d been seeking because she’d heard my wishes and, for a few fleeting moments, felt no pain and a great sense of peace.

They say two out of three is a good result.  And while the result was indeed miraculous, it didn’t deliver the outcome I sought. Sadly, as I was winding my way around the high, slender chedi, the cancer continued to do the same to my mother’s body. No amount of wishing or praying could slow its ferocity.

Just a short shocking week after my visit to Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, my brave, beloved mother left us, taking a sizeable chunk of my heart with her.  But I hold much comfort in that fact that even in a moment where thousands of kilometres had separated us, somehow, via a Buddhist temple filled with rabbits, my mother and I found connection, peace and love, together.

That moment. That small miracle. That is what I choose to cherish. That and a small golden rabbit who now accompanies me everywhere I go.

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When my mum came back from Thailand last year she literally wouldn’t shut up about some hotel called The Siam in Bangkok, and all the food she stuffed in her face while she was there. And you know I am happy that she liked it but seriously I am hardly the right person to tell about an awesome food experience that I missed out on. Hmmmph!

Anyway, when we got to go to Bangkok with mum a few months later, I pretty much pushed her in a cab and made her take me straight to The Siam to see what was so great about it.

Luckily, she didn’t need a whole lot of convincing to go back. But on the way she told me that I had to earn my lunch by making it myself. Wait, what?

Before I tell you about that experience, I have got to tell you about the hotel, because Mum was right, it is insanely cool.

The Siam Bangkok is cool for kids

First of all, it’s totes styling! It’s all cool white black and there’s an amazing inside garden that is like three storeys tall and surrounds a glassy water feature.

That alone sold me the minute I walked in. But this place just gets better and better. Somehow while staying clean and modern, there are amazing treasures literally everywhere.

This place has more artefacts than most museums, and the best things is that they’re more interesting artefacts than you’d find in most museums. You know stuff like old posters and sports stuff, even older cameras and books, and wild musical instruments and vinyl albums… seriously there’s old everything. And every bit of it is super interesting.

It’s all super kid friendly and there’s a movie room, Muay Thai lessons, kid-friendly Thai cooking lessons and just a whole bunch of general niceness directed towards kids.

I was happy just getting lost just cruising around all the bits and pieces in the public areas, but mum shuffled me out the door and into the garden where it got even better. I mean, even the lawn was cool. It looked like a giant green chess set, and the timber buildings and giant old doors were like nothing I’ve ever seen.

Apparently, they’re all old too. And don’t get me started on the pool. It is a thing of epically stripy awesomeness. I found it almost impossible to resist leaping in to it.

Sorry, so now I’m rambling and raving, just like mum did because The Siam is the kind of magical place that does that to you. I promise I’ll get to the point of all this, which is mum sending us to The Siam’s Cooking School, where my sister and I did actually have to make our own lunch. Not that we were complaining.

Thai Cooking with kids at The Siam

I love cooking because I like eating. And I really love learning to make the local food I try when I travel so I was actually pretty excited to do a Thai Cooking Course. And this particularly cooking course was extra awesome because my sister and I got to select the dishes we wanted to make, so I got to spice things right up.

Sugarpuff isn’t quite as daring as me when it comes to spicy food, so she chose Pad Thai Goong (stir-fried rice noodles with tiger prawns), which I was totally up for because I love that stuff. I chose a hot and soupy Khao Soi curry, of course, and we both agreed on a Yam Som O Goong (pomelo salad).

Our teachers were the hotel’s executive Chef Damri Muksombat and his assistant Moo. It’s not every day a kid gets to learn straight from a legit top chef, but Chef Damri is a mega chef who has cooked at some of Bangkok’s best restaurants. And, as a bonus, he’s as nice and funny as he is brilliant at cooking. I couldn’t believe he was going to share his epic kitchen skills with us, but he totes did.

One of the best things about this particular cooking school  is that Chef Damri takes you through every tiny detail, step by step, at a pace that suits you. This was no demo, this Thai Cooking class was the real deal! We made everything from scratch and used real equipment including knives so sharp that my mum was wincing every time we waved one about.

Chef Damri was so patient as he taught us about all the fresh Thai herbs and spices we were using like galangal, lemongrass, coriander and pandan, as well as how to prepare them.

Then we got cooking. We chopped, we mixed, we stirred, we fried, we simmered, and we danced. Seriously, we actually danced. Sugarpuff invented a new thing she calls twerkcooking, where she dances while she while she cooks. Soon enough she had everyone doing it, even the actual chefs. My sister’s twerkcooking skills are so awesome that if MasterChef and Dancing with the Stars ever want to team up for a new series called Dancing with the Chefs, she would have to be the host!

By the end of the lesson we were plating up Thai Masterpieces that we’d made all by ourselves. I mean, when a crazy twerking seven-year old whips up a Thai Curry like she’s been doing it for years, you know you’re in the hands of pretty amazing teachers.

This was the best cooking class I’ve ever done and when we return to Bangkok, I’ll be signing up to learn more dishes from Chef Damri and his team, because I reckon if you’re going learn something, you may as well learn it from the best.

The Siam Hotel Bangkok
3/2 Thanon Khao,
Vachirapayabal, Dusit, Bangkok
Tel: +66 2 206 6999

Disclosure: While I was privileged to be a guest of The Siam Cooking School, all chopping, stirring, twerking, general kitchen wizardry and opinions are my own.

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Our recent visit to Bangkok was full of unexpected surprises, not least of which was the brand new and boldly beautiful  Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4, a green, serene oasis secreted amidst Bangkok’s towers of concrete, right in the heart of the bustling business and entertainment district. 

The sleek, modern hotel is a brilliant choice for families with great facilities and spacious rooms, just a short walk from the Nana BTS SkyTrain station making it ideal for easily accessing the city’s popular attractions. They also offer an on-demand shuttle service which is great for those toting tots.

A stunning rooftop pool, kids menus, activities and more make staying at the Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 with kids a dream.

But it is the VIP welcome from the amazingly friendly staff that takes this place to the next level for kids. Raffles and Sugarpuff feel like rock stars from the moment we are picked up from the cavernous Suvarnabhumi airport, after our Thai Airways flight and delivered into the waiting arms of the welcoming hotel staff who have many surprises in store.

Related: The complete guide to Backpacking Bangkok

Fab family accommodation at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4

We’re escorted to our adjoining rooms, which are beautifully appointed and quite spacious by Bangkok standards. Both rooms offer exceptional city views, a chaise lounge and an ergonomic desk, and are still rocking that awesome “new car smell”.  My Grand Deluxe room has a deliciously comfortable King size bed that I could happily spend the 24-hours curled up in, except I am here with children and that’s never going to happen. In fact, I’ll be lucky to nab 6 hours as no doubt one of them will insist on sleeping on top of me like a starfish.

Which is a shame as they have an equally spacious adjoining room of their own with twin beds, where two utterly gorgeous personalised bears are waiting. It’s a really special touch, and the kids are both chuffed.

With these for cuddly company their dreams will be even sweeter tonight, and I may even get through a whole night without a small foot jammed in my nostril.

Armed with their new cuddly bears, the kids leap on their beds like the loons they are.  It’s a ritual and they assure me they are suitably bouncy, something they insist is of huge importance to young travellers.

It’s only when they are mid-air they notice the desk out of the corner of their eyes, piled high with fresh fruit and a massive moist chocolate cake, piles of macarons and little gold boxes of handmade chocolates that have been left by the hotel’s executive chef, Tony, as a welcome gift.

Not to mention a huge jar of home made chocolate chip cookies that a certain young lady seemed determined to empty during our stay!

Related: 39 things to do in Bangkok with kids

Kids cooking at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4

The kids are both effusive with their thanks, when we head downstairs to the hotel’s restaurant, Food Exchange, to meet him later that day. Chef Tony has a special cooking class planed for my mini Masterchefs, and their eyes pop when they see their cooking space strewn with chocolate, candy and all kinds of fresh fruit.

First up its beverage training. Sugarpuff learns to make a chocolate Milkshake and though, at seven-years old, her yard is still blessedly empty of boys, it is all kind of delicious!

While she does the milkshake, Raffles gets his crepe on with the awesome Chef Tony and the banana, berry and chocolate stuffed result is a thing of sugary perfection.

Though not sugary enough to stop them sneaking back to steal a pile of gummy bears to go on top, with encouragement from the lovely staff, who seem happy to enable their sugar addiction.

Did I mention how nice their enablers are? Everyone here from the GM to the wait staff are super stars and treat the kids like old friends.

To say the kids love it is an understatement.

Art and about at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4

We take a break from eating to explore the lovely modern art strewn hotel.

The hotel makes great use of the outdoors too, giving it a fresh and open feel. One of the loveliest spaces at the Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 is a pretty rooftop garden that provides a refreshingly fresh splash of green amongst the city’s tangle of concrete and glass.

The kids frolic happily in the outdoor space, putting on a show for the folks doing their thing in the hotel’s state of art gymnasium, which overlooks it.

Ironically, my lazy arse tends to overlook gymnasiums, though this one is more inviting than most.

A feast of food at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4

Come dinner time, we get to sample more of Chef Tony’s amazing culinary skills over dinner at Food Exchange, and I can tell you they are quite something! A little Thai, a little European and a whole lot of yum, the menu is fantastic. There’s an excellent kids’ menu and Sugarpuff happily devours fish and vegetables and an unbelievably good mushroom soup with dumplings.

Raffles joins me in sampling some of the house specials including  a soft-shell crab curry that had us moaning in spice-infused delight, and giant and juicy grilled Tiger Prawns with gnocchi.

And because he clearly subscribes to the same theory as my children that too much sugar is never enough, Chef Tony sent out an extravagant rich chocolate and matcha dessert that the kids demolished in seconds.

Dinner done and Raffles and Sugarpuff insist we need to take a post dinner dip in the Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4’s divine rooftop pool.

I immediately acquiesce, as there happens to be a perfectly lovely Vodka Bar (Bangkok’s only rooftop Vodka Bar) right next to it with my name all over it! Indeed, with 35+ unique vodka labels, I’m happy to stay a while.

Food Exchange proves itself a winner once more at breakfast. There’s a small but excellent buffet offering both Asian and Western selections. But when in Asia, Raffles likes to do as the locals do and he always chooses from the local offerings.

Although how many locals actually eat four serves of chicken curry at breakfast I’m not entirely sure. It’s quite extraordinary, and not a little nauseating, watching him pack it away, but in his gluttonous defence, the kid burns off so much energy, he’s usually hungry again before we even make it back to our room.

In the swim at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4

The breakfast feast certainly fuels him up in readiness to head out and discover all the myriad things to do in Bangkok with kids. Raffles and Sugarpuff temple, tuk tuk and tear up the city until early afternoon when they announce their plans for the afternoon. Spoiler alert: They all revolve around the Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 pool and a constant stream of fruity mocktails.

Sounds like a genius plan to me.

Raffles ignores the sign telling him there’s no diving into the stunning roof top pool and launches himself into the water. “It doesn’t mention aerial manoeuvres” is his response when I point it out.

Water baby Sugarpuff is also in her element, splashing in the water to stop only when their drinks arrive.

And it is here they stay happily submerged for the rest of the day until we eat, sleep and repeat.

Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 
3 27 Sukhumvit 4
Klongtoey, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 2-6592888

Disclosure: While we were guests of Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4, all pancake flipping, gym avoiding, pool immersion, vodka swilling and opinions are our own.  

The post REVIEW: Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 with kids appeared first on boyeatsworld.

Hailed as the “Venice of the East”, Thailand’s boisterous capital offers visiting families a chaotic but cool combination of fast-paced city life and ancient culture. Bangkok is a city for all the senses with dazzling lights, the fragrant scent of street food, sprawling shrines to consumerism, and the cacophonous honking and tooting of tricked-up tuk-tuks.

But with so much for families to see and do in Bangkok, where do you start? Here are 39 things to do in Bangkok with kids to get you started.

Things to do in Bangkok with kids

Best ways to get around Bangkok with kids

Getting around bustling Bangkok is half of its charm but beware of traffic snarls. Here are the best ways for families to enjoy Bangkok in style.

1. Cruise the Chao Praya River

A cruise along the Chao Phraya River is a lovely way to let Bangkok’s mystique wash over you. River taxis, barges and ferries are readily available to the city’s many historic riverside sites and is one of the more relaxing ways of exploring with kids.

2. Take a Tuk Tuk

When it comes to a Bangkok family holiday, there’s no more exciting way to explore than in one of the city’s pimped-up tuk-tuks. The colourful and compact three wheelers are a Bangkok must.

3. Get on your bike

Explore Bangkok by bike with Grasshopper Adventures. Your knowledgeable local guide will have you winding your way through small traditional villages, past cultural treasures and on to secret spots you’d never discover any other way.

4. Ride the Skytrain

Bangkok’s traffic gridlock is notorious but getting around the city isn’t at all difficult as the city has clean, efficient public transport, including the awesome Skytrain and an underground rail network which connect the main business, entertainment and shopping areas.

5. Take on Bangkok with a Take Me Tour

Make life even easier with a Take Me Tour of Bangkok. A bit like Uber for Tour guides, visitors can select from a huge collection of  day tours, designed and hosted by locals who’ll know exactly where to go and what to see and do to beat the crowds and see a different side of the city. Whether its a food, fun or culture you seek, there’ll be a tour to suits your crew at Take Me Tour. 

Best Bangkok temples and palaces with kids

Bangkok’s many pretty temples are a unique part of the city’s heart and soul and are definitely worth visiting with kids.

6. Get bedazzled by the Grand Palace

A visit to the spectacular Grand Palace, home of the Thai King, will keep kids fascinated with its glittering golden roofs and epic statues of mind-boggling mythical creatures and giant monkey gods.

7. Kick back at Wat Pho

With their glittering statues of mind-boggling beasts, golden roofs and shimmering decorations, Bangkok’s more than 400 wats (or temples) are the city’s heart and soul. Wat Pho, known as The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, located alongside the dazzling Grand Palace, houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand along with 91 spectacular chedis (stupas). You’ll also find an education centre said to be the birthplace of Thai massage where for just a few dollars you can get traditional massage that will leave you as relaxed as the serene 46-metre long golden Reclining Buddha that it is famous for.

8. Get reverential at Wat Phra Kae

Located inside the Grand Palace, the shimmering towers and golden buildings of Wat Phra Kaew enshrines one of Thailand’s most revered Buddha statues, carved from a single block of jade.

9. Ride the river to Wat Arun

With its 82-metre high centre tower, surrounded by four smaller towers, Wat Arun is one of the most beautiful, and famous, structures in Bangkok. The Buddhist temple, located on the Thonburi west bank of the Chao Phraya River, derives its name from the Hindu god Aruna and kids will love clambering up its pretty mosaic-covered steps.

10. Skip the crowds at Wat Mangkon Kamalawat

Chinatown’s Wat Mangkon Kamalawat is a great temple to visit, not only for its collection of beautiful Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian shrines, but for its smaller crowds and the colourful market strips surrounding the temple.

11. Solid gold offerings at Wat Traimit

Home to the world’s largest solid gold Buddha image, this temple is a great stop in the Chinatown area. Weighing five and a half tons, the Buddha image was hidden and forgotten under a plaster façade for centuries, only to be rediscovered when it was dropped while being relocated in 1955.

12. Play spot the celebrity at Wat Pariwat

The kids will love exploring these crazily colourful temples murals and mosaics. Amongst the dozens of deities and mythical creatures, they might spot Pinocchio, Mickey Mouse, Spiderman, Wolverine and Dobby the House Elf from Harry Potter amongst other pop culture figures. Inside the hall, on a golden altar holding the temple’s main Buddha image, you’ll also find a carved image of David Beckham in his Man U kit.

13. Soak up the views from Wat Saket

If the kids are up for the climb, Wat Saket, sits at the top of Phu Khao Thong (the Golden Mountain) and offers incredible views over Bangkok City.

Related: Tips for Thailand Budget Travel

Best Bangkok museums and galleries with kids

Bangkok’s many fine museums exhibit art and artefacts from the sublime to the bizarre.

14. Visit Jim Thompson’s House

This garden-enclosed patch of serenity is nestled quietly amongst the mayhem of Bangkok.  The late Jim Thompson was an American architect and an avid collector of Asian objets d’art. This living museum is a collection of old teakwood houses from across Thailand that he purchased and reconstructed to create an elegant but whimsical residential complex that would showcase his love affair with Southeast Asian art and heritage.

15. Get arty at MOCA– Bangkok’s Museum of Contemporary Art

Lovers of the finer things should also make time to lose themselves in the comprehensive collection of modern painting and sculpture at MOCA. With more than 800 artworks spread over five storeys, the predominately Thai collection showcases the development of South Eastern Asian fine art that stretches from Ancient Buddhist mythology to modern Thai aesthetics.

16. Enjoy a guided tour through the Bangkok National Museum

One of the largest museums in Southeast Asia, The Bangkok National Museum houses the most significant collection of Thai art and historical artefacts in the country. One of the most family friendly Bangkok museums, you can hire a tour guide so the kids can learn more about Thailand’s history and get the most from their visit.

17. Explore the unique Erawan Museum 

One of the city’s most unusual museums is also one of its best for kids. The Erawan Museum, topped with a gigantic three headed elephant, houses a stunning private art collection in a building designed to represent the three-tiers of Thailand’s Theravada Buddhism: the underworld, the human world and the heavens.

18. Enjoy a night at the museum at The Siam Hotel

Ok, so technically this isn’t a museum, The Siam is actually a startlingly beautiful boutique hotel. But what makes the The Siam unique is a collection of artefacts that would do any museum justice. The family friendly Bangkok hotel’s boasts public areas packed with stunning antiques and artworks, Chinese ceramic works, vintage books and curio collections. In fact, just about every corner of The Siam is packed with everything from millenia-old Thai pottery and wooden Buddha statues dating back to the 16th century to quirkier relics like old movie ticket stubs and vintage cameras. Even the rooms are dotted with collectibles. A stay at this place will bring all your “a night at the museum” fantasies to life.

Best Bangkok cultural experiences for kids

19. Get it Klong

For Family fun Bangkok style, glide through the pungent yet picturesque klongs (canals) and waterways that criss-cross the Thonburi side of the river on a rua hang yao (long tail boat, decorated with garlands of flowers. The canals lead to shimmering Thai temples and busy markets where you can witness local life as it happens amongst the traditional wooden houses that sit on stilts over the water.

20. Enjoy a little Broadway inspired biff at Muay Thai Live: The Legend Lives

Get your kicks at Muay Thai Live: The Legend Lives, a fun introduction to the martial art of kickboxing. The stage show celebrates the history and legends of Muay Thai. But while you’ll certainly witness some impressive Muay Thai Moves from the performers – all retired Muay Thai fighters – it’s more Broadway than biff!

21. Make time for Muay Thai

Older kids in Bangkok might enjoy a ringside seat among the braying fans at a Muay Thai Kickboxing match at Ratchadamnoen or Lumpini Stadium. But be warned, it’s probably not for the faint of heart as things can get a little rough.

Best Bangkok markets and department stores

If hunting for bargains gives you a rush, Bangkok will leave your head-spinning.

22. Cruise into Bangkok’s floating market

Damnoen Saduak is a famous floating market held every day till noon. Take to the water in a long-tail boat as a driver paddles between hundreds of boats selling fresh produce, souvenirs and delicious Thai food. The market is located about 100-kilometres from Downtown, but the journey is more than worth it.

23. Barter the day away at Chatuchak weekend market

For those who’d like hone their bartering skills, The Chatuchak weekend market, with its maze of more than 15,000 stalls, is the mother of all markets with everything from handicrafts and high fashion to furniture and fluffy dogs.

24. Stop to smell the roses at Pak Khlong Talat 

Take a tuk-tuk through the streets of Bangkok to Chak Phet Road and its adjacent side-streets to Pak Khlong Talat, one of the world’s largest flower markets. This incredible market sells not only flowers, but fruits and vegetables and is such a riot of colour, fragrance and authentic local life that it is absolutely unmissable for families in Bangkok seeking a little cultural immersion.

25. Shop until you drop at MBK Center

If shopping makes your heart sing, with its dozens of mega-department stores, the MBK Center will leave it crooning like Sinatra.  With eight storeys, the centre contains around 2,000 shops, restaurants and service outlets, as well as an entertainment complex with cinemas, bowling, karaoke and a games arcade.

26. Shop, stop and play at Siam Paragon

Kids bored with shopping in Bangkok ? Then take them to Siam Paragon. While you shop for Jimmy Choos they can explore Sea Life Ocean World, one of Southeast Asia’s biggest aquariums, and the ever-popular Kidzania, a faux town where kids can live out their “when I grow up” dreams and no parents are allowed. There is also an Imax theatre, bowling and a stack of great International restaurants. 

Best Bangkok dining with kids

One of the world’s undisputed foodie capitals of the world, Bangkok’s back alleys and vast semi-outdoor markets teem with food vendors serving up the distinctive flavours of Thailand, from delicious vegetarian food to classic Thai staples. But what may surprise some visitors is the burgeoning café scene.

It’s well worth heading on a Bangkok Food Tour, but if you’re looking for a few tips, here are some of our favourites.

27. Taste Thai street food at Talad Rodfai Ratchada 

This colourful night bazaar is packed with stalls selling knickknacks and Thai street food, including delicious seafood, noodles and traditional Thai desserts at the low prices one would expect from a night market. Eating safely from market vendors comes down to a mix of common sense and choosing vendors where the food looks fresh, locals are lining up and the food turnover is high. Click here for more tips on safe street food.

28. Ride and dine at Asiatique, Riverside Night Food Market

The views at this open-air market-style shopping mall and the awesome selection of eateries along the riverside boardwalk are enough of a reason to visit, but it is the enormous Ferris wheel that make it a must for family dining.

29. Pull up a plastic chair to dine on Chinese treats in Yaowarat Road

This famous street cuts through the heart of Chinatown and is the heart of Bangkok’s Chinese community. Foodie families will want to trawl its length for some of the city’s best and cheapest Chinese delicacies. Pull up a plastic chair and tuck in at a roadside noodle stall or hit up the evening street food vendors for delectable treats.

30. Ghibli Galore at May’s Garden House

Fans of Studio Ghibli films will love this Totoro-themed café where the dishes on the menu has been inspired by the Ghibli films.

31. Cake and coffee at Oneday Wallflower

The Old Town area is home to pretty Oneday Wallflower, where pretty cakes and artisan coffees are as photogenic as the surroundings. Kids will love exploring the nooks and crannies of this part cafe, part florist, with its rustic spiral staircase and delightful jumble of trinkets and flowers.

32. Dip into the Mermaid Castle Cafe (Siam Square)

Your little mermaids will be in heaven as they explore this shrine to all things mermaid. Shop for sparkly mermaid fashion and collectibles on the first two floors before heading to level three to fill up on Mermaid cupcakes at the café.

33. Ride a rainbow into the Unicorn Café at Sathorn

Escape the reality of city life into an explosion of unicorns and rainbows! This super cute café will have littlies in conniptions with its unicorn wallpaper and carpet, pastel-hued furniture and unicorns scattered literally everywhere. Don a Unicorn onesie and then dine on the rainbow-hued menu!

34. Kawaii time at Sanrio Hello Kitty House Bangkok

When too much Kitty is never enough, take your cuties to Sanrio Hello Kitty House Bangkok for Hello Kitty themed food, drinks, homewares and toys.

35. Tasty tech at I Robot

What kid is going to say no to lunch with a robot? Hajime Robot Restaurant, is a barbecue buffet in Bangkok where you’ll be served food by real robots, guaranteeing you laughs with your lunch!

36. Barge in with a Manohra Dinner Cruise

Departing from the incredible, kid-friendly Anantara Riverside Resort, families can enjoy a cool evening with a dinner cruise at sunset on a beautifully restored antique rice barge. Relax in luxury as you sail past the illuminated landmarks of the city while dining on local delicacies.  It has to be one of the most scenic dining settings in Bangkok.

37. A Thai twist on High Tea at The Peninsula

There’s nothing more decadent than afternoon tea at the Peninsula. Kids will love delving into the towers of tiny cakes and tasty treats, and we thoroughly recommend trying the Thai twist on the traditional high tea that adds local ingredients and tastes to the usual high tea offerings.

Best Bangkok cooking schools with kids

When in Bangkok do as the locals do and learn to cook the local cuisine with the kids.

38. Learn from the best at The Siam Thai Cooking

One of the best ways for kids to get to know the food of Thailand is by attending a cooking class to learn a few fundamentals and some of the history of Thai cuisine. Stunning boutique hotel, The Siam, runs bespoke cooking classes for kids and families under the tutelage of enthusiastic and creative Chef Damri, who has helmed some of Thailand’s top restaurants.

39. Cooking with Poo in Klong Toey

Kids will get a giggle, as well as new kitchen skills, out of a lesson at Cooking with Poo & Friends, a cooking school in the Klong Toey slum, run by the world renowned Khun Poo. More than just a place to learn to cook, Khun Poo offers employment and support to others, so they too can start their own business.

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Written by Raffles – Aged 10

The true test of whether a holiday resort is kid friendly is to ask a kid. Here, our very own ten-year old junior correspondent and international man of mystery, Raffles, is sharing his thoughts on why Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort is cool for kids.

1. THE WELCOME

From the second we arrived from the airport, the welcome at Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort was off the charts. They seriously treat kids like rock stars at this place, just the way we like it! Along with a yummy welcome drink they even handed us a backpack filled to the brim with goodies, including sunglasses and water pistols. Not only were the staff super nice, but so was awesome Elfie (more on him in a minute).

2. THE ROOM

Our family room was packed with special welcome treats like hand-made chocolates, fresh drinking coconuts, big cuddly bears for my sister and a family of towel elephants with a huge welcome written in tropical flowers and leaves spread across mum’s bed. At least my mum and sister told me, I was too distracted by the in-room PlayStation in my room to notice.  Booyah!

3. ELFIE, THE ELEPHANT RANGER

Ok, so who is Elfie? He and his girlfriend are the hotel’s super friendly mascots. While my little sister couldn’t get enough of cuddling them, I preferred to get down with the dancing duo and let me tell you, those two are SHARKS on the pool table. But what I liked most about them is that these are two elephants you can interact with in Thailand where there’s no cruelty involved. That really rocks.

4. THE SIAM ADVENTURE CLUB

Elfie is part of the hotel’s new Siam Adventure Club, hosted by a squad of rangers who have to be the nicest and funnest people in the whole of Phuket. It’s an awesome program for kids that includes all kinds of awesome activities like umbrella painting and origami, movies and pool games. Plus, there are a stack of cool board games like Connect Four, Guess Who and Jenga at the Siam Adventure Club Tour Desk, where anyone crazy enough to want to actually leave this awesome place can organise tours of the island.

 5. THE KIDS CLUB

To be completely honest, I’m not usually a big fan of kids’ clubs because the activities always seem to be aimed at little kids, and I actually like hanging out with my parents, because they’re pretty cool. But the two-storey Kids World Kids club at Novotel Phuket Surin Beach was great. There were indoor and outdoor games plus activities like Thai dancing and crafts. There’s also playground with climbing structures, slide and ball pit for younger kids. And when I saw they had a PlayStation 4 room, complete with bean bags, I couldn’t get my mum to the spa fast enough.

6. THE KICK BOXING

My sister and I have been doing Jujitsu for ages and ages, but Muay Thai Boxing is new to us. The resort’s instructor took us through our paces, teaching us how to punch with crosses, jabs and hooks, plus turning kicks. He said I was a legend at it! Unfortunately, so was my sister so I reckon I’ll have to sleep with one eye open.

7. THE CINEMA

Novotel Phuket Surin also has a brand new and mega comfy cinema where we could catch some of our favourite family flicks throughout the day and evening. The air-conditioned cinema had loads of bean bags and soft lounges, and freshly popped popcorn that made it feel like the real deal.

 8. THE EPIC POOL

So you have to know that the huge lagoon pool at Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort is cool for kids. It heads in a zillion directions around little island and under bridges so you can always find a quiet corner, and it’s packed full of giant donuts and wild flamingos. OK, they’re not actually wild, they’re inflatable, but that’s even more fun. I mean, have you ever tried riding an actual flamingo?

The pool has two utterly awesome slides that my sister and I rode at least six million times a day. The ranger also organises insane pool activities like pool Olympics, overwater Muay Thai boxing and inflatable zorb water walking balls which I am totally awesome at (not really).

They also host a super fun weekly foam party with so much foam in the pool it feels like you’re in the world’s biggest bubble bath.

Best of all the pool is open until late, so even after dark you can splash and soak and play, there are even glow in the dark beach balls to make it even more fun.

9. THE POPSICLE HOTLINE

Seriously there’s a special phone booth by the pool for kids to dial up a free popsicle, anytime of the day they like. I reckon the genius who thought of this should get a Nobel peace prize or something.

10. WOW COW

Speaking of icy treats, which are a must when it gets as steamy as it does in Phuket, the resort has an in-house ice-cream shop called Wow Cow that opened like two days before we arrived. They must have known I was coming. They have all the usual kid favourites like strawberry and chocolate as well as yummy local flavours like lychee, mango and sweet potato. But their secret weapon is to fill the bottom of their cones with whatever treats you like. I went for Smarties and my sister packed hers full of gummy bears. Yummo!

11. THE TOY AND CANDY STORE

Who ever heard of an in-house candy shop at a hotel?  Me. There’s a brand spanking new toy and candy store that opened while we were there. Talk about timing. It has a giant gumball machine that was so big I could have used the globe for zorbing on the pool. And there were stacks of toys and shelves FULL of every kind of lolly and chocolate imaginable from head-size lolly pops to fizzy Asian sweets. I mean, there was stuff I’d never even heard of, but I was fully prepared to eat my way through all of it, just to give it a try.

12. THE FOOD

Ok, so this me here so of course I have to talk about the food. Because bad hotel food is a deal breaker for me. So, I am happy to say that the food at Novotel Surin Beach is amazing form morning until night. The breakfast buffet is pretty good, with all the usual western dishes, mega platters of tropical fruit and some local dishes too. I couldn’t get enough of the soup station, where big steaming bowls of broth were cooked fresh with your choice of noodles, meat and vegetables, and there were like a thousand condiments to pile in.

At lunch we ate poolside at Joe Kools. A Thai Green Curry was delish but so were the wood-fired pizzas. Yeah, I know that’s not very Thai, but these pizzas were so good, I couldn’t resist.

Dinner at Asia Alive though was my favourite. This place rocked my tastebuds with creamy red duck curry, a dreamy whole Thai-style spicy fish, and my new favourite dessert, mango sticky rice. I wonder if they do deliveries… to Australia?

 13. THE GAMES

I love video games and even though we had a PlayStation 4 in our actual room, and there was a PS4 room in the kids club, we were also able to go retro at the in-house arcade where they had Mario Kart, Pacman and other cool video games.

Once we’d totally nailed Mario Kart, there was also a mega ping pong table and a pool table, which one of the elephants played with us. Yes, really!

14. THE BEACH

If you can tear yourself away from all the Novotel Phuket Surin fun, there’s the most awesome beach right across the road. Surin Beach has to be one of Phuket’s prettiest and my sister and I loved playing in the white sand and splashing about in the waves. The waves can be a little rough at times but there are lifeguards on patrol, so kids like us need to stick to the area where they can watch you. Make sure you remind your mum and dad to bring a few dollars too because there are fresh drinking coconuts and the best ever banana pancakes available at little beach stalls.

Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort
106/27 Moo 3 Tambon Choeng Thale,
Amphoe Thalang,
Chang Wat Phuket Thailand
Tel: + +66 76 303 300

Disclosure: While we were guests of Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort all foam partying, candy eating, and kick boxing and opinions are Raffles’ own.

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Travel is an itch that the kids and I can’t help scratching. Instead of “are we there yet?”, my intrepid travellers, desperate to explore more of the world are more “where to next?” kids, and generally start nagging me for answers before we’ve even boarded our flight home from wherever we are.  But sometimes even the most adventurous of folk need to pack away the hiking boots and tour guides to simply flop and drop.  Which is exactly what we do at the Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort.

Don’t get us wrong, we love exploring Phuket’s glorious beaches, incredible cuisine, colourful temples and interacting with the lovely locals, but we’re all tired after a hectic year. And we have grand plans of hitting up some of our Phuket favourites like Karon’s Wat Suwan Khiri Khet, a colourful confection of a temple filled with blue monsters, green serpents and a couple of funky chickens, and heading off for culinary adventures in Old Town’s Phuket Walking Street. That is until, after being pampered mid-air on our Thai Airways flight and stepping into the warm, welcoming embrace of the Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort, Raffles and I exchange a look. We aren’t going anywhere, this time.

And really, with its location directly opposite pretty Surin Beach, we don’t need to because everything we could possibly need for our perfect family break is right here.

THE NOVOTEL PHUKET SURIN WELCOME

It’s not our first stay at this family friendly Phuket favourite, and some of the staff remember us from our first visit almost two years ago, which is nice. But regardless of the familiar faces, for us the Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort is almost unrecognisable thanks to a mighty makeover that has us scraping our jaws off the floor. This place has changed from a regular family resort into a beachside theme park, complete with cute characters, games, slides and rides, and the kids are loving it.

Our spacious family fun suite, located alongside the lagoon pool, is packed with surprises when we arrive.

My king-sized bed in the master bedroom is strewn with a floral welcome and a trio of towel elephants, while the bunks in the kids room are topped with giant cuddly bears. They take a minute to notice though, as Sugarpuff is momentarily distracted by the fresh drinking coconuts, tropical fruit platter and plate of delectable handmade chocolates, and Raffles has found the in-room PlayStation 4 and is doing cartwheels of joy.

THE SIAM ADVENTURE CLUB

But he barely has time to switch it on because outside, a world of adventure awaits. The Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort has just launched its fabulous Siam Adventure Club, a cool kids programme hosted by a squad of super friendly rangers and Elfie, a delightful dancing Elephant, who welcomes little guests throughout their stay. My two even manage get a few pool playing tips from the switched-on elephant and his perky pachyderm partner.

The Siam Adventure Club has transformed the already great resort into what has to be one of Phuket’s best family resorts. Raffles and Sugarpuff were totally swept up in the fun and adventurous vibe of the immersive programme of activities for kids with everything from pool olympics, crafts and cake making to Muay Thai boxing lessons.

As well as its already amazing two-storey kids club, the hotel has added a kids’ concierge area with board games, organised sports, movie nights with popcorn and an awesome arcade games room with retro favourites like Pacman and Mario Brothers.

There’s also brand new candy and toy store and an on-site ice cream shop.

And the human Siam Adventure Club rangers, like the lovely Peach, take things to a whole other level, making every kid feel like a VIP. As if that weren’t already enough, there’s also the aforementioned pool table and a ping pong table overlooking the lagoon pool that I couldn’t keep my kids away from.

   POOL FUN AT NOVOTEL PHUKET SURIN 

Speaking of which, the pool area is freaking enormous. It’s also positively overrun with wildlife of the inflatable kind.

When Sugarpuff isn’t trying to tame the rogue flamingos, Raffles is wrestling giant donuts, as they float and splash their way under bridges and around islets in the meandering free form pool. That is until they hit the twin water slides, which they spend countless hours sliding and squealing down.

There’s even a popsicle hotline by the pool for icy emergencies… which Sugarpuff appears to be having a lot of!

But the Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort has even more watery surprises in store. First there’s a session of water zorbing, the kids flopping and floundering as they gigglingly try to run the transparent ball around the pool. But a weekly foam party in the pool really floats their boats.

Like delving into the world’s biggest bubble bath, the pool is hidden under a blanket of foam that rains down like snow. Raffles and Sugarpuff, and her flamingo friend, can’t get enough of the foamy stuff!

But perhaps their favourite pool activity is an overwater Muay Thai challenge that sees Rampaging Raffles and Stealthy Sugarouff kitted up in boxing gloves and head gear ready to use their new found boxing skills to see who will be crowned the Ultimate Muay Thai Champion.

It’s a tie, so they share the spoils of victory.  Raffles’ prize is a hall pass for a video game session in the kids club’s custom PS4 room, while Sugarpuff indulges in a girls only pampering session with mama at the Novotel Phuket Surin’s day spa.

BEACH BLISS AT SURIN

We flit between pool, arcade and Surin Beach, which has to be one of Phuket’s prettiest. In fact, the only time we leave the sanctuary of the resort is to cross the road for a little sand and sea.

On one occasion we grab drinking coconuts to snuggle up and watch the sunset over the ocean, but Sugarpuff has other ideas. Unable to resist the siren call of the ocean, she ends up leaping about in it fully clothed, something that is becoming a rather inconvenient hobby of hers. But never as inconvenient as this occasion. You see, she’s rocking a brand new indigo tie dye skirt and has soaked herself up to the armpits. But the combination of post massage oily skin, sea water and never before washed tie dye has turned her a lovely shade of blue, so we march her back to the hotel for a shower, before someone mistakes her for a Smurf.

Freshly scrubbed, we head for dinner at the resort’s Asia Alive for authentic Thai cuisine. Raff and I smashing down a whole spicy fried fish and duck curry while Sugarpuff annihilates a pepperoni pizza. Then it’s into the state-of-the-art air-conditioned cinema room with a bag of buttery fresh popped popcorn to catch a flick.

An activity they then repeat in the comfort of  room.

With the exception of the blue skin, our days follow a sublimely similar pattern, the kids soaking themselves in pool and sea, stocking up on planet sized lolly pops and devouring as many flavours of ice cream as they can from Wow Cow.

Perfectly content with our flop and drop break, not once do we feel the need to be doing anything else other than enjoying the spoils of resort life.

A resort break may not be our family’s usual travel style, but on this occasion, it is exactly the holiday we need, and we head home relaxed, refreshed and raving fans of the revamped resort.

Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort
106/27 Moo 3 Tambon Choeng Thale,
Amphoe Thalang,
Chang Wat Phuket Thailand
Tel: + +66 76 303 300

Disclosure: While we were guests of Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort all flamingo taming, kickboxing, ice cream indulgences and opinions are our own.  

The post Family adventures at Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort appeared first on boyeatsworld.

What could be worse than more than 9 hours crammed into a tiny space with two farting and belching children, especially when they’re your own?  I don’t know because somehow, we’ve won the airplane lottery and scored four seats between the three of us on our Thai Airways economy flight from Sydney to Bangkok.

CHECK IN & PRE-BOARDING

It’s handy as I momentarily consider checking one of the kids into the hold, as we’ve each got a whopping 30-kilogram luggage allowance and we’ve barely cracked 12 between us. Speaking of check in, I’m blown away by the incredible ground service of the Thai Airways staff at Sydney Airport. They don’t even try to have me arrested when I try to check in a child and they’re friendly and extremely attentive all the way through to boarding.

THE SEAT

On board, I settle in an aisle seat behind the kids. And by settle, I mean I duct tape myself into it, because there’s no way this claustrophobic mama is giving up an aisle possie or the opportunity to not be dribbled on by small people for the next nine hours and 20 minutes.

This kids have scored an empty centre seat between them, so Sugarpuff straps her bunny into the spare seat belt. Because even stuffed rabbits need to follow the safety instructions.

The seats on the Boeing 747 service are surprisingly comfortable and, as I have a seven-year old seated directly in front of me, I don’t have to deal with a dreaded recliner, so the seating feels relatively spacious for the duration of the flight.

SERVICE & ENTERTAINMENT

When the beverage service commences immediately after take-off, the kids are proffered a bag of crispy treats, juice or soft drinks. I’m offered an additional selection of complimentary beer, wine or spirits. As I am travelling with kids I decide on a bottle of water, so I can remain both hydrated and suitably responsible.

As if. I’m straight into the G&Ts. My children are pro travellers and with over 1,000 hours of movies, short films, games and music – including a stack of family options – on the Thai Airways in-flight entertainment system, they’re both headphoned up and engrossed in their respective movie selection within seconds of the service being switched on. Plus, given I’m seated behind them, I doubt they’d even notice if I was doing handstands in the aisle. Which I don’t. But only because I’d hate to spill a perfectly mixed gin.

We’re barely an hour into the flight when the attendants come by offering the first of two meal services. There is a selection of Western or Asian style meals.  The normally unfussy and very hungry Raffles generally refuses to eat any food in flight because to paraphrase, “it sucks”.

But when my spice-obsessed son hears the attendant mention green curry, he can’t resist.

And he’s very glad he decides to dive in. There’s a reason Thai Airways took the top spot in the Skytrax rankings for best Economy Class meals, and the curry is so spicy and packed with flavour he tries to knock off mine. Sugarpuff goes for the less spicy salmon and potatoes and is just as happy. An empty meal tray is an almost unheard occurrence in Eats World flying history, but Thai Airways’ food is good enough to have pulled off a hat trick.

With another six hours before we’re due to land in Bangkok, where a four-hour time difference awaits to mess with our minds, a normal person would probably take the opportunity to enjoy a nap!

But while Sugarpuff and bunny snuffle and snore, Raffles and I find sleeping in the confines of economy something about as likely as being invited to the cockpit to fly the plane.  So, from our respective aisles, he goes tomb raiding with Lara Croft and delves into the Quantum Realm with Ant Man, and I catch up on a little work.

Throughout the remainder of the flight, the attentive staff regularly pop by with juice and water for anyone needing to rehydrate themselves… and the odd sneaky G&T for a mama preferring to inebriate herself.

Before we know it, we’re being offered our second meal, a beef noodle number that we all enjoy and we’re making our descent into Bangkok, arriving right on schedule.

Our flight has been so comfortable and the service so extraordinary, that as we disembark into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, we’re feeling fresh and ready to explore all the incredible things to in Bangkok with kids.  Now, if we could only find our way out of the cavernous halls of the airport…

THE AIRLINE

Thai Airways is the national carrier of Thailand offering daily direct flights to Bangkok from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with Perth. For more info: Thai Airways 

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I’ve never been one to pass up an opportunity to eat a seven-course meal. So, of course, when I’m invited to enjoy the Chef’s Degustation at The Siam Bangkok, I not only say yes, I practically cartwheel my way into the dining room. 

The Siam Hotel Bangkok, part of the Legend Collection from Preferred Hotels & Resorts, is a black and white boutique beauty that’s a little bit luxury and a whole lot rock n roll. That credit for which must go to its owner and creator, Thai rock star and award-winning actor Kriss Sukusol Clapp. Whoever is responsible for the utter perfection of the soul-filled sanctuary, The Siam has me spinning right round, baby … just like the vinyl records in the music room, where you can tinkle the ivories or spin a few tunes on the record player.

This hotel has it all and at the very moment I find myself torn between choosing tunes, movies in the luxurious movie room, strolling in the glorious gardens, lounging in the pool, indulging in the out of this world day spa or never leaving the sanctuary of my dream suite, a new contender for my attention shows itself in the form of the very talented Chef Damri Muksombat.

The enthusiastic and creative Chef Damri, who has helmed some of Thailand’s top restaurants, along with his talented team, produce cuisine that is nothing short of sublime.

From breakfast to dinner, every bite of every meal is a winner.

I start the day with delicate Thai-style stir fry noodles that pack all of the flavour without the usual oiliness, followed by the freshest local fruit.

At lunch I virtually bathe in a big noodle packed bowl of soupy Khao Soi curry, that is so good (and so wonderfully spicy) every mouthful has me jiggling with excitement.

But it is over the intimate seven-course dinner in a private room of The Siam’s signature Thai restaurant, Chon, that I surrender to what is easily the finest meal I’ve enjoyed in ten days of eating my way around Thailand.

Set within a gorgeous huddle of traditional teakwood houses that were once part of the home of a Thai socialite, Chon allows guests to enjoy extraordinary Thai creations in the same rarefied space that Jackie Kennedy, John Rockefeller and Henry Ford were once entertained.

And I’m sure even those discerning icons of taste and luxury would be raving fans of the eight-course Chef’s Degustation Menu, created from the freshest and finest produce.

The entire meal is an intricate and clever dance through the flavours of Thai cuisine with perfectly balanced flavours and textures in dishes that are as simple as they are complex.

So, what exactly is on the menu at the Chef’s Degustation at The Siam Bangkok?

We start with luscious lychee martinis on the wharf before heading into the private dining room to snack on Kao Kriab Wow, crispy, flame-charred rice crackers paired with a spicy fish dip that’s so good I scrape the plate clean.

The seven-courses begins with Yum Tra Krai Hoishelll, firm yet tender Hokkaido scallops served with a salad of lemongrass and edible flowers, a beautifully clean dish, springing with flavour and preparing the palate for the meal to come.

And what a meal.

There’s smoky and aromatic Gaiyang, char-grilled sous vide chicken, that bursts juicily in the mouth.

Pla Him A Neung, soya steamed deep sea snow fish, appears and disappears into my belly in record time. Yum Som O, a vibrant pomelo salad with sliced young kale and fresh watermelon, cleanses the palate for the next course, Tom Yu Pla, a clever creation combining a gel like triangle of dehydrated tom yum served alongside perfectly pan-seared Norwegian salmon, seasoned with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal with a hit of sourness from lime juice and heat from dried chilli.

It is so good I am tempted to order a second.

Instead I dive into Panang Nua Phad Pak Tarad, a wagyu beef with fragrant red curry sauce accompanied by wok-fried local greens and steamed rice.

Our dinner ends in sweet perfection with Itim Khao Hom Ma Li, a lovely dessert of milky jasmine rice ice cream that leaves me wonderfully satiated yet craving a repeat of the whole experience.

There’s always tomorrow night!

The Siam is a member of the Legend Collection from Preferred Hotels & Resorts and travellers can access exclusive member rates and earn reward points at the hotel (and others in the group) through membership of their free I Prefer Hotel Rewards programme. 

The Siam Hotel Bangkok
3/2 Thanon Khao,
Vachirapayabal, Dusit, Bangkok
Tel: +66 2 206 6999

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I’m not usually one to work out much more than my tastebuds when I’m travelling, but as I walk through original, Art Deco gymnasium doors, past vintage sports posters and leather punching bags to the full-sized Muay Thai Boxing ring, I realise we have a serious contender. For my new favourite hotel, that is. The Siam Hotel Bangkok is a thing of black and white boutique beauty that is punching so far above its weight, even the gymnasium has my jaw hitting the floor (for all the right reasons).

Now I’ll be honest and admit that my date with The Siam’s extraordinary gym was brief, and nothing even remotely resembling exercise was undertaken by me as I was just passing through on the way to the Spa (more on that later), but its impact is testament to just how perfectly conceived The Siam Hotel Bangkok is.

Set on the banks of the banks of the Chao Phraya River, away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, in the cultural heart of the Palace district, this stylish urban sanctuary is all jazz age ambiance topped with a big old sprinkle of rock and roll swagger. No surprise, given the family owned hotel’s owner is Thai rock star and award-winning actor Kriss Sukusol Clapp, whose personally curated collection of antiques and vintage Thai curios not only inspired the hotel, but star in it.

Built around a soaring glass and steel atrium, complete with reflection pool and towering vegetation that provide an instant sanctuary from Bangkok’s hustle, every inch of the hotel is inspired perfection.

And while its styling certainly has a foot on the past, it is resolutely modern. A long, gleaming white marble hallway delivers me to my Mae Nam Suite. At first, I think there must be some kind of mistake, as the be-mirrored hallway alone makes my own apartment back home look like a cat box.

My breathing almost stops when I see the rest of the extraordinary suite, in all its airy, lofty-ceilinged glory. While no two rooms are exactly alike, the aesthetic of my suite is so perfectly, painstakingly me, it’s like someone picked the plans from my head and recreated it just to impress me.

It worked! Because everything from the calming monochromatic colour scheme (highlighted with the occasional tinge of aubergine) and temple-like bathroom with its stand-alone tub to the fringed lamps dangling as decorously as an earring at the Oscars from the soaring-ceiling, is pitch perfect.

But it is the addition of perfectly curated antiques, curios and vintage music memorabilia that is scattered throughout that elevates it to another level.

This is my actual dream home, a sanctuary that whispers restraint and shouts extravagance all at once, and I am so in love with every incredible millimetre of it that I am going to have to be forcibly removed when it comes time to check out. The butler? Well, I’ll keep him too, thanks.

But there’s more to The Siam Hotel Bangkok than just its very plush suites.

The wonderful Chef Damri Muksombat, who has helmed some of Thailand’s top restaurants, along with his team, produce cuisine that is nothing short of sublime. There are several venues, including the Deco bar & Bistro, Café Cha and divine Chon Thai Restaurant, which focuses on exceptional Thai cuisine with a modern twist (You can read more about the sumptuous Chef’s Degustation Experience here).

The degustation is served in an antique Thai teak wood house, or on the pier, weather permitting, which is also the best location for a pre-dinner cocktail.

Every corner of The Siam hides a story, its jaw dropping public areas packed with artefacts from millenia-old Thai pottery and wooden Buddha statues dating back to the 16th century to quirkier relics like old movie ticket stubs and vintage cameras.

There’s a startlingly beautiful library with a very hip movie room that can be reserved for private use, complete with vintage Kleig lights. You can choose movies that range from kids flicks and classics to blockbusters, and order in a bowl of popcorn via the butler.

You can pot a few balls on the planet-sized antique billiards table, if that’s your thing. Though given that last time I attempted that particular sport I tore the felt, the only shots I took on this occasion were with a camera.

There’s also the wonderfully whimsical vinyl room where you can tinkle the ivories, check out the collection of musical memorabilia or play one of the many original vinyl records.

And at the hotel’s boutique, instead of souvenir tea towels, stunning handcrafted curio and antiques are up for grabs.

I feel like I could trip over Alice and the mad hatter in the quirkily cultivated, lotus pond filled gardens that lead to a gorgeous Art Deco swimming pool, which has been voted one of the world’s most beautiful, for obvious reasons.

The pool sits right alongside the river, offering guests the perfect place to cool off while they soak up the water views and the G&Ts on offer at the Bathers Bar. Or is that just me?

Then there’s the sigh-inducingOpium Spa. The mere thought of which has me melting in to a happy puddle.

The tranquil spa is both opulent and intimate and therapists use ethically-sourced products for their traditional Thai, Ayurvedic and bespoke therapies. I am unable to resist its lure. When I leave and hour later I’m so blissfully relaxed I’m quite certain my bones have melted.

Then there are the signature experiences. A biff-packed Muay Thai boxing lesson under the tutelage of world-champion trainers? Thai cooking lessons at The Siam Cooking school? Wellness training with the resident Ayurvedic doctor? A Reiki Class? Yoga? Mediation? Sign me up for them all.

The most extraordinary experience, though, is one that you won’t find in another hotel. Sak Yant, the tattooing of sacred designs, is respectfully and reverentially offered at The Siam’s in-house Yak Sant Tattoo Studio.

Ajarn Boo, a former monk and master of Sak Yant, inks authentic yants – believed to impart mystical powers, protection and luck – by hand using a traditional khem sak (a tattoo stylus resembling an arrow) in a deeply spiritual ceremony.

And yes, you can sign me up for that too.

And as for the kids, they’re most welcome. Well not to get tattoos but, given the hotel is run by a family, pretty much everywhere else. Indeed, they can expect the VIP treatment as they enjoy days spent in the children’s pool, watching movies in the theatre, indulging in treatments from a special kids’ and teens spa menu, or undertaking private Muay Thai kickboxing lessons and cooking classes.

Should one actually want to leave to explore all the myriad things to do in Bangkok with kids, there’s a luxury cruise boat to shuttle guests up and down the river in air-conditioned style that looks like the love child of an early era James Bond speedboat and a traditional Thai river boat.

While my sonnet to this extraordinary hotel should be enough to sell even the most hardened and jaded hotel visitor, there’s more.

The thing that elevates The Siam Hotel Bangkok to another level is the passion of the incredible staff who run it, and the people behind it. The love that has gone into the hotel is tangible and I dare anyone not to fall just as hard for it as I have.

Now, if you’ll pardon me, my stay is up and I’m off to chain myself to the furniture before they come to evict me.

The Siam is a member of the Legend Collection from Preferred Hotels & Resorts and travellers can access exclusive member rates and earn reward points at the hotel (and others in the group) through membership of their free I Prefer Hotel Rewards programme. 

Related: 39 things to do in Bangkok with kids

The Siam Hotel Bangkok
3/2 Thanon Khao,
Vachirapayabal, Dusit, Bangkok
Tel: +66 2 206 6999

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