Hi friends! I’ve been away for a while, but here I am.  As you might know, I went on vacation to Thailand (and Cambodia!) for 2 and a half weeks.  It was fantastic!  I pretty much want everyone to go Thailand for vacation.

We went to four major places:

1. Bangkok
2. Chiang Mai
3. Siem Reap, Cambodia
4. Krabi  <– my fav!

So let me tell you all the reasons I loved Thailand and Cambodia (I keep forgetting I went to Cambodia too!).

1. Elephants!

There are a ton of different elephant adventures you can do in Thailand.  We tried to do one that was as humane as possible.  We went to the Elephant Retirement Park near Chiang Mai.  It’s a place where elephants “retire” from tourism and labor.  Riding can be harmful to elephants so instead, we got to play with, feed and take a mud bath with the elephants.

Obviously, hanging out with elephants isn’t something you do everyday.  Definitely an awesome experience.

2.  The Food.

You knew this was coming, right?  Everything I ate in Thailand was amazing.  Seriously.  I don’t think I ate a single thing I didn’t like.    We mostly ate at street stalls, because they were everywhere and cheaper than full on restaurants.  Most meals would cost $1-2 (about 40-60 thai bhat).   Tables always had a variety of condiments so you could add things to your dish: Sugar, Fish Sauce, Ground Chili, and Pickled sweet peppers (I was a fan of those).

One thing I ate probably on a daily basis was morning glory.  I have no idea what morning glory is (other than clearly some type of green), but I’m a fan.

Here was one time I got it in Chiang Mai.  Spicy stir fried morning glory with chicken, served on rice.

Another favorite: stewed pork belly on rice.

I had this one in Bangkok on the last day.  OMG.  Amazing.  I wish I could have it again.  I know it doesn’t look fancy, but it was the best thing I ate in Bangkok.

Another winner in Thailand: Beverages.  I loved the iced coffee (they put sweetened condensed milk in it, you can’t lose) and the fruit shakes.

I had a fruit shake and a coconut probably everyday.  All sorts of amazing.

Overall, what I loved about the food was how fresh it was.  Everything you ordered was freshly made with actual fresh foods.  Coming back home was tough on that front.

3. The Temples and Palaces.

Absolutely Beautiful! The detail is amazing.  I wish we had seen more, but two weeks wasn’t enough.

4.  Angkor Ruins

Not in Thailand, actually in Cambodia and technically also temples and palaces, but so impressive they deserve their own category.  I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of amazing things in my life: Mayan Pyramids, Great Wall of China, Terra Cotta Army, Machu Picchu… All of these things were fantastic in their own way… but Angkor Wat and the other Angkor ruins are amazing just based on sheer size and detail.

Seeing Angkor Wat at sunrise is totally worth it.  Part of me wanted to not take pictures and just enjoy it, because the pictures don’t do it justice.  But I took pictures…

Also note: People aren’t lying when they say it’s hot in Cambodia.  It’s hot.  Really hot.

5. The Beaches

Oh the beaches.  I live about a mile from the beach in California, but it’s not the same.  The beach in Thailand is amazing.  As someone who is not a big fan of the beach, I loved the beach in Thailand.

I wish we had more time at the beach, only 4 days, but that was enough time to relax… and get engaged…

And get a tan…

And play with monkeys on the way to dinner…

and drink plenty of coconuts!

Like I said, I looooooved Thailand.  I would go back in a heartbeat (I think I could definitely use more time at the beach).  I pretty much want everyone to go… you should!

Coming next… While I was in Chiang Mai, I took a cooking class so I have some Thai recipes to share with you soon.

What’s the best place you’ve been on vacation? For me Thailand was awesome! I also love Italy, but who doesn’t?