I am finally managing to get my breath back! Have just returned from a trip to Thailand as guest of Thai Airways -- part of a media FAM tour of Hua Hin and Bangkok -- a trip that I welcomed with open arms as I hadn't travelled to Thailand in a long while, and had never been to Hua Hin.
The briefing at the Thai Airways office the day of our departure helped the media group travelling together to get to know one another and become familiar with the itinerary. We were five of us including the country manager of Thai Airways -- Shirjeel from FM 107, Sarah from She magazine, Ali Imam from Express Tribune and myself from GLAM.
The flight to Bangkok was packed and the seats we got not the most comfortable so that the night was spent pretty much awake. We landed early morning in Bangkok and were greeted by our able and articulate and guide, Saung, who remained with us till our departure. After the four of us had purchased local sims from the airport, we set off for Hua Hin which is 200km south of Bangkok. Had we gone there directly we would have probably reached there by 10.30 am, but since we had scheduled stops en route, we didn't reach till 4 pm.
Taking the 168 km long ring road which connects to highways and suspension bridges and avoids city traffic, we made our first stop at a small fishing town to pick up breakfast and answer nature's call. We used public toilets, and to my utter surprise, not only were they clean, they were simple Indian toilets with water troughs and a mug -- something we in Pakistan could so easily emulate without incurring any great costs or worrying about maintenance. Fruit vendors were selling cut pineapples and rose apples neatly packed in cellophane bags with a couple of wooden skewers thrown in to assist in eating them hygienically, neat packet of sugar and salt mix stapled to them -- a far cry from the fly-infested fruits sold by our vendors -- and we happily helped ourselves to them. I also had my first exposure to orange tea; sadly, much as I love to experiment, it was not to my taste.
As we resumed our ride Saung kept up his non-stop flow of information and informed us that 95 per cent of the population in Thailand is Buddhist while 4 per cent is Muslim, making them the second largest religious force in the country. There are 5000 temples throughout Thailand, which comprises 77 provinces including Bangkok which is a special province with administrative powers.
We reached Hua Hin Hills, where we were to break for lunch, at noon. Located on a height, it enjoys a cool breeze in any season, and made us forget how hot and humid Thailand can be. The Hills is home to the largest vineyard in South East Asia and was an elephant corral where wild elephants were domesticated. To date it offers elephant rides through the picturesque vineyard to visitors.
The Sala Bar and Bistro situated here which operates from morning till evening is a delightful eatery with a great view and equally great food. I ordered grilled salmon, and can state with confidence that I have not tasted a more succulent and juicy grilled fish to date. The appetizers, comprising fish balls, prawn balls and spring rolls, were all delicious as well as was their signature grape juice.
The award-winning Monsoon Valley Wines, produced from the grapes grown here celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2012. Proud of their product, the owners have recently opened a high-tech green house that allows visitors to see the grape plant in all its glory no matter which season they arrive in, for otherwise, it is pruned before November and also uses the space to grow Italian tomatoes and the most amazing Japanese strawberries.
The briefing at the Thai Airways office the day of our departure helped the media group travelling together to get to know one another and become familiar with the itinerary. We were five of us including the country manager of Thai Airways -- Shirjeel from FM 107, Sarah from She magazine, Ali Imam from Express Tribune and myself from GLAM.
The flight to Bangkok was packed and the seats we got not the most comfortable so that the night was spent pretty much awake. We landed early morning in Bangkok and were greeted by our able and articulate and guide, Saung, who remained with us till our departure. After the four of us had purchased local sims from the airport, we set off for Hua Hin which is 200km south of Bangkok. Had we gone there directly we would have probably reached there by 10.30 am, but since we had scheduled stops en route, we didn't reach till 4 pm.
Taking the 168 km long ring road which connects to highways and suspension bridges and avoids city traffic, we made our first stop at a small fishing town to pick up breakfast and answer nature's call. We used public toilets, and to my utter surprise, not only were they clean, they were simple Indian toilets with water troughs and a mug -- something we in Pakistan could so easily emulate without incurring any great costs or worrying about maintenance. Fruit vendors were selling cut pineapples and rose apples neatly packed in cellophane bags with a couple of wooden skewers thrown in to assist in eating them hygienically, neat packet of sugar and salt mix stapled to them -- a far cry from the fly-infested fruits sold by our vendors -- and we happily helped ourselves to them. I also had my first exposure to orange tea; sadly, much as I love to experiment, it was not to my taste.
As we resumed our ride Saung kept up his non-stop flow of information and informed us that 95 per cent of the population in Thailand is Buddhist while 4 per cent is Muslim, making them the second largest religious force in the country. There are 5000 temples throughout Thailand, which comprises 77 provinces including Bangkok which is a special province with administrative powers.
We reached Hua Hin Hills, where we were to break for lunch, at noon. Located on a height, it enjoys a cool breeze in any season, and made us forget how hot and humid Thailand can be. The Hills is home to the largest vineyard in South East Asia and was an elephant corral where wild elephants were domesticated. To date it offers elephant rides through the picturesque vineyard to visitors.
The Sala Bar and Bistro situated here which operates from morning till evening is a delightful eatery with a great view and equally great food. I ordered grilled salmon, and can state with confidence that I have not tasted a more succulent and juicy grilled fish to date. The appetizers, comprising fish balls, prawn balls and spring rolls, were all delicious as well as was their signature grape juice.
The award-winning Monsoon Valley Wines, produced from the grapes grown here celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2012. Proud of their product, the owners have recently opened a high-tech green house that allows visitors to see the grape plant in all its glory no matter which season they arrive in, for otherwise, it is pruned before November and also uses the space to grow Italian tomatoes and the most amazing Japanese strawberries.
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