Thailand, A Photo Diary 1/4

The Journey

Eyecandy and I have long been dreaming of  a trip outside Saudi Arabia that we can enjoy together. Since 2009, we've been planning to go to Egypt. 2010 to Europe, 2011 to Morocco, and 2012 to Maldives. Needless to say, our planning didn't go anywhere further than Dammam and Al-Khobar. This 2013, we're trying to schedule a trip to Maldives again during the Eid holiday in August. But as fate would have it, our godfather already handed us a gift that we couldn't say no to... THAILAND.

You might be wondering why we should go all the way to Thailand from Saudi Arabia when we could've easily done it coming from the Philippines. Well, if it's FREE, who are we to say 'NO'?! ;) And so off we go to the land of smiles.

Packing for a week

How do you pack for a one-week trip? Packing for a trip is one of the nightmares of traveling but for Eyecandy and I we have our plan down pat. *cough, stress, cough* We pictured our pictures in this trip and decided we have to match and complement each other's clothes. Hehe. And me, being obsessive over itineraries, I have already pictured in my mind what I would wear on the places we'll go to. Apart from the clothes, I always bring a scarf/shawl, a pair of sandals, a pair of pocket shoes (for the temples, which I will explain further in the future entries, lotion, and sunscreen (which I had to leave behind after deciding that I will not check this luggage in). How do you pack for a trip?

Pardon me for this selfie.

I'm quite used to the King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh. I know for a fact that it's fine not to wear an abaya for a traveler once inside but I felt eyes staring at me when I entered. I forgot I was wearing such a bright ensemble. PINK. Haha. It was a bit weird wearing something so colorful and bright in a sea of black, but this ensemble is what's comfy for me. What do you wear for a flight?

The first class lounge at KKIA

See you later, Riyadh!

I love window seats! It's what I always choose because I get to see the places from above. I remember during my first landing in Riyadh, the first descriptive phrase that came to me when I saw Riyadh from above was "the city of grid lights" because look at it, so well-lit and and so straight. E is more of an aisle person because it's easier to go to the restroom. :P Are you a window or aisle person?

Anyway, Eyecandy went ahead first and I followed a few days after (ito kasing trabaho, sagabal sa mga lakad, hehe!). I flew via Srilankan Airways and had a stop-over in Colombo. Even if the journey was long (took around 14 hours for me including layovers), I can't help but enjoy it thanks to the business class amenities of my ticket.

The main dinner: chicken curry and drinks

Tea time.

You can't fly Srilankan and not have a cup of their tea. Sri Lanka is the fourth largest producer of tea in the world. The Ceylon black tea (Ceylon is the former name of Sri Lanka) is one of the most popular kind of teas in the world. I love the aroma of my tea; the taste a bit strong but turns gentle when combined with milk.

The business class lounge in Colombo

Colombo has a small airport but it's quite busy. I decided to stay in the lounge for my 4-hour layover and relish the free drinks and sandwiches. They also have a free massage that I enjoyed. Relaxing!

I swear I didn't notice the 'no photography' sign in the wall.

It took another four hours in the plane to reach Bangkok, Thailand.

An hour to Bangkok.

The Chao Phraya River! (Bangkok, Thailand)

Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is a country located at the center of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. The good thing about it being in Southeast Asia is we, Filipinos, don't need to get a visa prior to visiting the country. (Thank you, ASEAN!) 

Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok was huge and well-designed. I can't help but feel we need something like this for the Philippines. Like now na. Anyway, immigration was a breeze and I ended up in the arrival area gazing at the streams of tourists and their sundo. There were a lot of restaurants to go to and kiosks for sim cards, taxis, and hotels. While waiting for Eyecandy, I can't help but order Thailand's greatest dish (at least for me)... the pad thai.

Pad Thai of Tate Cafe

I'm a bit surprised by this Pad Thai because it's quite sticky and sweeter than I'm used to. (For those who haven't tried pad thai, you can order a simple but tasty pad thai in Villa Restaurant and a more expensive but tastier version in Noodle House.) I still like it though, especially the robust shrimps.

We had a few errands to do in Bangkok before going to our main hub in Thailand... Pattaya. Pattaya is a city 165 km southeast of Bangkok (an hour and a half drive away). It's known as the "beach resort" of Thailand because of its proximity to the Gulf of Thailand. Many tourists and expatriates visit this place all-year long.

The Asia Pattaya Beach Hotel

This is our home for a week. The Asia Pattaya Beach Hotel is one of the oldest in the area which has a 'retro' vibe going on. (Even their website is retro!) E and I were listening to love songs of the 60s-80s for a week! What we like about this hotel though is its beach area... and a pool with a bar in the middle. So cool! Also, their staff are friendly and helpful (except when they forgot our call time on the last day... story on a latter entry.)

Anyway, tired and hungry from the flight and our trip from Bangkok to Pattaya, we decided to scout for a restaurant near the hotel. E, who has been in Thailand for 4 days before I arrived, suggested the restaurant of a hotel resort nearby. It's called Cabbages and Condoms. Yes, you read that right. Cabbages and CONDOMS. (What is condoms doing in a restaurant's name?)

In Cabbages and Condoms, you will be greeted by these:

Nice outfit you have! :P

Hmn, you too! 

You might be laughing on our choice of restaurant but seriously, this is a good restaurant and it has a cause. The restaurant uses fun visuals such as the mannequins in clothes made of condom to create awareness on sex, family planning, and HIV/AIDS. Thailand had a crisis on AIDS and Mechai Viravaidya, owner of the restaurant (and Birds and Bees Resort where the restaurant is) and Thailand's Mr. Condom, has saved millions of lives by raising awareness of HIV/AIDS. I think that this head-on (no pun intended), almost in-your-face, campaign to battle this disease in Thailand is commendable, especially when its effectivity has been already proven. Even before coming to Thailand, I first heard Mr. Condom speak in a TED video and I was smitten by his passion and care for his fellow Thais. Watch his "How Mr. Condom Made Thailand a Better Place" video here. It's funny and frank.

Going back to the restaurant, we really enjoyed the ambiance.

Serene and romantic ambiance 

My first dinner in Thailand.

And the food! This is where we found the best , as in BEST, tom yum goong we've ever had...

I badly want you in my stomach now. LOL.

Pad Thai, yes, again.

The restaurant even has a beautiful bathroom that I thought was a resort in itself. Hehe.

I wish all restrooms are like you.

I know I haven't toured you around Thailand in this entry yet but get ready for my next entry. Eyecandy and I will show you around Pattaya! Hopefully, it will be enough to encourage you to leave the sands for a while and enjoy the tourist spots of the land of smiles. (The Thais really do smile a LOT!)  SAWADEE KAH! ~ Sundrenched

The Villa Restaurant

It's no secret: I am a spicy-food addict. My Scoville tolerance ranks probably up to the 50k to 100k (I kid you not). And once in a while, I get an itching to devour some finger-lickin', mouth-airing, table-tapping-hot Thai food. A restaurant that never fails to scratch my itch for such food is The Villa Restaurant. It's been around for as long as I can remember. My brother, who is now 14 years old, had the reception of his "christening" at this restaurant, so I am betting that The Villa is around 15-20 years in existence. They primarily serve Thai, Chinese and Filipino dishes and they really do deliver your money's worth. And they're not even close to the prices you would usually encounter in some franchise restaurant! If you are a big rice eater and you miss the taste of a home-cooked Oriental-ish meal, I reckon that The Villa Restaurant is the next best thing to your momma's cooking!

Since it's very affordable, I prefer bringing my entire family here during special occasions. My uncles are big rice eaters and most of us share a love for spicy Thai food, so it's off to The Villa when I'm "it" for the treat.

Here are some of my favorite Villa meals:

Appetizer: Spicy Squid Salad (18-20SR, good for two)

This pretty much tastes like "kilawin". It's blanched squid, dressed in thai vinegar, chillis and coriander. A good start to make your mouth salivate. ;)

Poh Tak Soup (Thai Style) (18SR for the small order and 36SR for the bigger one).

This soup is made of mixed shrimp, squid, cuttle fish and crab. It is moderately sour and has a good kick. Not too spicy and quite tolerable. It's served hot for your pleasure. Tom Yang is also a popular favorite.

Nam Toke (18SR, good for two)

I am pretty sure this is Nam Toke, but just in case I'm wrong, print this picture out and tell the waiter that this is what you want. Ahaha. This is a mix of sliced roasted beef and squid with several hot spices and oyster sauce.

Thai Green Chicken Curry (18SR or 24SR)

This is a soup-y dish made of slices of chicken, string beans, peas, coconut milk and a couple of more vegetables which I can't determine. This is a spicy dish and great with tons of rice! I think there is some curry paste in it, ergo adding the term "curry". For us Pinoys, just think of this as a form of "ginataan".

PAD THAI!!!!

Officially "Pad Thai Goong Sod".

(18SR, good for two, but for me, one serving is not enough for one person...or maybe that's just me :P)

This is my FAVORITE dish in this joint. I solemnly swear that I can eat at least two servings of this and I will not apologize for it! Hahaha. Why? Because it is SO GOOD! And mind you, this isn't that spicy at all. I just happen to sprinkle red chilli over mine for more flavor. But on it's own, the Pad Thai is delicious! It's stir fried noodles in a special sauce, with bits of shrimp and garnished with ground nuts and fried chicken skin. SUPER YUM-OH. This dish is my one-way to ticket to my 'happy-place'. La-la-la-la-la. :D

Sizzling Mixed Seafood (18SR or 24SR)

This is a tasty choice that's familiar to everyone. It's simply fish, squid and shrimp in oyster sauce with baby corn, sweet onions and peas. It's your typical Chinese order. If you are not too adventurous, this could be a safe bet to munch on.

Battered Fish (Huhu, kawawa naman siya).

Joke lang ha! :D It's really "Buttered" Fish, ganyan lang talaga i-pronounce in Kuya Waiter kasi eh.

I've had this dish a couple of times already, though I have to say that sometimes it tastes fresh and sometimes it tastes "malansa". I don't know if it's because of the cooking or they just didn't get the fish fresh from the market. But when it's good, it IS good. What makes the Buttered Fish more delectable is the shredded green mangoes that comes along with it. The price for it varies depending on the size of whole fish that you'd want, starting from 40SR.

A grand fiesta for nine people: all under 400SR, with drinks and dessert!

Apart from these dishes, other popular meals include the filling and delicious Mixed Fried Rice, Chicken Barbeque and tasty Chicharon/Kropek (among their extensive menu list) .

The Villa Restaurant is not a fancy place at all. Their economy-class looking tableware and seemingly crowded seating arrangement is not to be compared with the interiors of Tony Roma's or Duo's. But what their simple restaurant may lack in ambience, they make up for a warm, hearty meal and a loyal following among their customers, especially Westerners. You'd be surprised at how many of them flock to The Villa for some Thai/Chinese/Pinoy food. And really, do you think a restaurant business will survive more than a decade if they didn't have good food? My point exactly. Also, the restaurant is often jam-packed during the peak hours in the evening, so better come in early. It's first come, first serve over there. So as much as you'd wish they had reservations available, like I said, it's not a fancy place. Unfortunately, The Villa doesn't have a delivery service, but you can call in your orders ahead of time and drop in to pick it up. That way, you can also enjoy their meals in the comfort of your own home.

So, next time you need a decent Thai food fix (on a budget) and you happen to be in Riyadh, you know where to go. Ayt?

Cheers!

-ec-

The Villa Restaurant

Umal-hammam District,

Across King Khaled Eye Hospital

T: 01-482-2749