Rajasthani Real Estate

The range of accommodation styles in Rajasthan is huge!

Modern hotels catering for all budgets from 2 star to amazing 5 star properties. Many of these hotels appear to be catering to very large tour groups. We do hope they are not missing out completely on the amazing experience to be had at the many Forts, Palaces and Majestic Haveli’s. Rajasthan is renowned for these Heritage style residences with many being converted to hotels which gives you a fantastic insight in to how the people with wealth and power once lived.

The powerful rulers built the forts and palaces while the wealthy merchants built the ‘Havelis’

The Haveli’s and ornately decorated residences that were commissioned by the wealthy merchants, who in most cases had moved away to trade in India’s new commercial centres and many date from the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries.

The wealth of the merchants was in many cases unimaginable and they were very competitive, all trying to build a home even more grand than their neighbours so the bulk of their vast fortunes were sent home to their families to complete these massive projects.

The highlight of Havelis in this region are the colourful frescoes that adorn absolutely every wall of the home, both inside and out. It is amazing to see them still in such great condition and many still bright in colour.

 ‘Mughal’ period decoration is an early style, which include floral designs and geometric patterns. The highly influential ‘Rajput’ style is also evident showing intricate Hindu mythological designs.

Upon the arrival of the Europeans, many of the previously unknown technologies that they introduced became commonplace scenes on the murals such as bicycles and aircraft.

They are a sight to see and absolutely bombard your visual senses at every turn. Each room in the Haveli’s are all decorated in different style and colour.

We saw one yesterday that was completely covered in small glass tiles. Every inch of every wall and the ceiling as well. While this type of room may suit some people we did note that particular room number so as to request to NOT have it next time we come here! A little over the top for us !!!

The other options for places to stay are the converted forts and palaces. What a treat to experience this historical accommodation style.

These properties are often constructed on a massive scale and have been a work in progress for 100’s of years and many with successive rulers. One that we stayed at was 9^th generation with family portraits that followed that families linage.

Grand entrance halls adorned with colourful murals and low doorways leading into cavernous dining rooms filled with fantastic antique furniture. The tables are ready set for the meals, and often the smell of a buffet meal fit for a prince can waft by.

We are currently in a smallish village called Mandawa, in the Shekawati region of Rajasthan. We are actually staying at ‘Castle Mandawa’ this time round and it is fantastic.

This whole region is renowned for its very old and beautiful Havelis. It is a great place to simply wander around with your camera and soak up the atmosphere as the village is small enough that it is easy to find your way back to your hotel or in our case “our Castle”.

The Rajasthani Rainbow

Jaipur, the bustling capital of Rajasthan is known quite simply as the ‘Pink City’.

The old part of town is chaotic in a fun kind of way with a number of captivating busy market areas with many colourful and over decorated rickshaws. One street in particular called Tripolia Bazaar is made up of lots of tiny shopfronts all with their vibrant clothes and wares exploding onto the footpath. Along with historical sights and traditionally dressed men and women this area is a must.

 
Jaipur was founded by Jai Singh a great Rajput warrior and astronomer. It is believed to be one of the first fully planned cities in Northern India with it’s  foundations being laid back in 1727.

It became known as the pink city in 1876 when the Maharaja Ram Singh ordered that the entire city to be painted pink, the traditional colour of hospitality, to welcome the Prince of Wales.

Laws have since been passed to compel all residents to preserve the now internationally recognised pink colour scheme.

The old city, enclosed by it’s impressive walls, and entered through huge beautiful gates is home to some absolute masterpieces of Rajput architecture. Those on the top of the list include the City Palace, Jantar Mantar (the observatory) and the fairy tale, pink sandstone ‘Hawa Mahal’, the ‘Palace of the Winds’.

 

The Hawa Mahal is certainly the most recognisable building in the city, capturing the imagination of all travellers.

This amazing building was constructed in 1799. It is 5 storeys high, but very narrow with many windows opening out onto the street. Each window obscured by delicately cut screens so to allow the ladies of the royal household to observe life on the street without being seen by the people below.

As we walked from our hotel to the ‘Hawa Mahal’ we wandered down through Tripolia Bazaar. The atmosphere was electric with street vendors bustling for sales and everything you can imagine was on offer from perfectly presented fruit and vege to beautifully decorated traditional Rajasthani shoes.

As we zigged and zagged through the bazaar we noticed one tour group gliding by with comparative ease on cycle rickshaws and decided that this particular option looked like a pretty good one!

I must just re-emphasise that for those of you that have read each of our posts, I wrote earlier in our trip that something had clearly changed in India, for the better! As was the case in Agra, even though we were down in amongst the crowd there was no hassle whatsoever….only minimal begging, and while the odd vendor tried to sell us some fruit, and of course some shoes, once you politely declined they simply smiled and you were on your way. The atmosphere was welcoming, the city was clean (by Indian standards) and the people were great.

A little later in the day we walked by a busy little local café that looked inviting so we decided that it was time to eat. We ordered an Egg curry, Paneer (cottage cheese) Masala (curry), some rice, a couple of chappati’s and a couple of naan breads. All up with a soft drink it cost us 180 rupees which is about $4.

Feeling satisfied we headed back down to the bazaar and enjoyed the colour and energy of the old city before returning home.

Tiger territory!

Ranthambhore National Park, covering an area of 1334 sq kms was once a Maharajas hunting ground with the centrepiece being the imposing Ranthambhore fort.

It was ironically turned into a sanctuary and now a National Park to try and protect the endangered Bengal Tiger. It was tiger that the Maharajas hunted for with such vigour.

The protection of the tigers for the most part seems to be working and according to the ‘Lonely Planet’ guidebook, the tiger numbers were 48 in 2014.

 During our many trips over the years through both Nepal and India, we have visited Chitwan NP in Nepal 3 times and Ranthambhore NP once. In both parks we were in search of the elusive tiger, and never spotted one. Having said that, this is not the only reason you would visit the parks as they are beautiful and there is still plenty to see.

 

So, this being the case we entered Ranthambhore again with little expectation of sighting a tiger. This time however we were lucky and spotted one tiger on  both the morning and afternoon safari!

A little obscured by the long grass we were still super excited to finally see our first one in the wild! We waited around for quite a while hoping it would stir but this was not the case. We continued through the park and saw plenty of Spotted Deer (Chital) Samba Deer and Blue Bull (Nilgai) along with lots of birdlife, including plenty of beautiful peacocks!

There are still many remnants of a bygone era scattered through the park including the old hunting pavilions.

Most people do as we did, an AM and a PM safari with a short rest back at the resort for lunch.

Our safari vehicle was an open air canter truck with very little added comfort. It carried 20 people along with the driver and guide. Each vehicle is allocated a specific route through the park to ensure an even spread of safari traffic. We took a different route each time. In the morning we traversed the plains with the hills as a back drop. The afternoon’s drive took a long and narrow rocky track skirting along the edge of a rocky range. Even if there was not a single animal in the park, the drive would be still worth it!

On the afternoon safari the tiger was a bit closer, awake, and hunched down in a typical feline attack position. It was watching some deer quite intently. Still a little too far away for us to get a decent photo with our iphone!!  

We waited at least 20 mins to see if it would make a move on the deer. Unfortunately the deer was well aware of the tigers presence and took off as soon as the tiger twitched.

Being late in the day and dusk approaching we returned to our hotel for a lovely hot shower and a cold beer. The buffet dinner was excellent, with lots of choice and was a perfect way to finish a very busy and exciting day.

Next Stop, Jaipur the ‘pink city’

Schools, Sanctuaries and Streets!

Over last night’s dinner, Vivasvat told us that his family controlled a trust that, among other things, helped to fund a school in a nearby local village of Kaila Devi.

When the school first opened we were amazed to learn that the Maharaja himself made a vehicle drive through all the surrounding villages with a loud speaker and plastered in banners in an attempt to encourage people to enrol their children in the new school. It did take a little while to get the enrolment levels up but now 820 students are attending. Kindergarten through to year 12.

This school has a female principle who is a very progressive thinker and works tirelessly to improve the life of the children in the area. She puts in an extra effort to make sure the young girls are equally encouraged. It is quite common to only send boys to school here in India as many young girls are kept home to work the house and the land.

 We were walked through the school passing by each classroom while the kids were studying. The year 3 and 4 students were learning English at the time and we had the pleasure of one young boy read some of his work for us. He did really well and we felt that these kids were being offered a really good opportunity thanks to the Maharaja.

As we moved through the school we could not help but notice how quiet the classrooms were, even taking into account that each class had around 50 students. They were well behaved and under the control of just one teacher. There was an obvious level of respect shown to the principal and teachers.

All in all it was a really positive experience and we hope that we can in some way support this school in the future.

The lunch bell was due to ring and the staff took us over to a separate building where all children are supplied lunch daily. The kitchen was buzzing with activity with many staff members preparing lunch for 820 kids.

The one piece of modern equipment they did have was a paratha (traditional flat bread) making machine. One kitchen hand sat on the machine and with a deft hand dropped balls of dough onto a rotating table timing it perfectly so that in the next action a press banged down and flattened the dough. The paratha then rotated through the machine and over a heating element and dropped out the other side cooked and ready to go!  A real time saver when catering for so many!

The bell rang indicating it was time for us to go before we got mobbed by 100’s of hungry kids so we headed for the car.

After visiting the school we drove back through the village of Kaila Devi. A bustling traditional village far from the westerner tourist trail. It was an important pilgrimage town and catered to these visitors with a number of purpose built guesthouse.

 Vegetable vendors lined the streets through the market area selling seasonal vegetables including cauliflower, radish, aubergine and red onions. Carts pulled by camels were commonplace as they pushed their way into the market area, loaded with goods

On the way back to Karauli we detoured through the Kaila Devi sanctuary. This area is the home to a number of simple villages, and as simple as they are, we were pleased to note that some of them generated their own solar power. The population levels were quite low so there were lots of open spaces and great views across vast plains. At one point the road dropped off the plateau dramatically down to the valley below .

A quick walk from the car was a lovely lake view offering some good bird watching opportunities. We saw what looked just like a Jabiru along with super sized geese and many ducks.

Back at the Bhanwar Vilas Palace we were greeted by Vivasvat and offered the chance to see more of the palace grounds.

The estate covered approximately 50 acres and included its own vegetable garden, dairy, chook pen and stables. The Palace garden etc completely supplied the kitchen and restaurant’s needs.

It’s a pretty major operation and employs 65 permanent staff.

We had to both stop for a second look as we passed the large garage area as it housed an old Bedford bus, a number of ex army ‘Willys’  jeeps and to our amazement a classic Desoto car that was in pristine condition but apparently hasn’t been driven for years, along with a lovely old Buick. Probably a good thing they stay in the garage as they would get knocked around on the busy India roads.
After a walk through the Palace grounds we were surprised to learn that the Maharaja himself was arriving soon and Vivisvat insisted we join them for lunch.
Now that was a first, Gools and Thommo dining with Indian royalty enjoying a very traditional colonial/ Indian spread.

Next stop, Ranthambore National Park, home of the endangered Bengal tiger!

Rural India

Agra is a busy city so it made sense to be up early and ready to get moving to try and beat the traffic. The plan worked and the city was soon diluted by the many ploughed fields preparing for the next crops.

The roads were relatively good but as is always the case in India they were busy with buses, cars, tractors and trucks peppered with the random sacred cows, camel and horse drawn carts and of course those on foot. Unlike Australia those on foot are not hitch hiking they are simply on foot.

The most unusual thing we saw on the road was a small group of people partaking in a most unusual pilgrimage. They seemed to be sleeping on the side of the road until they all popped up bowing their heads in prayer together and then again laying back down on the road. Apparently they will continue this standing / sleeping action until they reach the Temple. Our driver explained that this is very common and the distances from their home village to the Temple can be 40kms.

We stopped at a Dhaba for lunch. A very basic, very local roadside restaurant. Channa masala (chick pea curry) palak paneer and dhal with chapati bread. Tasty and cheap. Mr ishu, our driver was surprised that we were happy to eat where he eats and the look on his face was priceless. The ambiance was somewhat challenged by the noisy tractor digging a trench a few metres away but hey that’s rural India! 

We continued on to the village of Karauli which didn’t rate a mention in our Lonely Planet guide book. However trusting the suggestion of our friend Mr Nadeem in Delhi we thought it was worth visiting.

We bumped our way into Karauli across the rough,rocky and mostly dirt roads. Mr Ishu suggested that this was a village showing great “progress”. Progress is the word they use to explain major roadworks…..looking at each other we had a silent chuckle.

Eventually we drove through some old gates to be met by the most amazing group of yellow buildings forming a Heritage Palace dating back to 1938. It was the original residence of the Maharaja of Karauli and still is !

Arriving at reception we were greeted by friendly staff along with the great grandson of the Maharaja who built this property. He along with his wife took the time to explain the history of the family and the Palace. The Palace was adorned with great relics from a bygone area, including old swords and guns responsible for the many hunting trophies that adorned the walls, dating back hundreds of years. We were led through a very colonial formal dining room out into a magnificent courtyard and then over to our room which was decorated with fantastic art deco furniture that dated back to the time that the building was constructed.

Gools and I looked at each other and agreed that the Palace was incredible   and added it to our list of places to revisit. No sooner did we settle into our room we were offered the chance to go and see the town palace. Having no opportunity to research the palace beforehand we went with no true expectations.

Karauli City Palace, what a hidden gem, not on the tourist route at all. It dated back many hundreds of years and the colourful decorations were still amazingly vibrant. We were not the only westerners in town, but apparently we were the only westerners to visit the palace today.

It was amazing to note that it was mostly untouched and the condition still original. It was explained to us that there was funding available to help with a  restoration project in the near future.

As the sun went down, our guide, Mr Man Singh suggested that if we were interested we could go and visit the local temple at prayer time.

This temple honoured Shri Madan Mohanji, the deity of Lord Krishna, worshipped by millions of followers from Rajasthan and the rest of India.

We removed our shoes and were ushered in with hundreds of worshippers. Not being too sure of what to do we positioned ourselves near the back. The temple had long curtains and long strings of beads across the altar and just a few minutes before 5:30 two men on opposite sides of the alter began to beat a flat bronze plate. The ringing was incredibly loud and the crowd instantly energised in anticipation of what was to follow. Of course we had no idea what that was going to be, but that was half the mystery!

Suddenly, a curtain was pulled and a man appeared briefly dashing across the back of the altar. Quite theatrically the crowd all jumped to their feet and began madly waving their hands in the air. He disappeared as quickly as he appeared, but we think that all the excitement was generated by the glimpse of a large black image of the deity Lord Krishna that was centre stage.

The crowd chanted and waved their arms in the air and looked like they were blessing themselves with the sheer atmosphere.  After a few minutes, women in traditional sari’s sat on the floor and began to sing to the beat of many drums. The crowd seemed to settle but there was still quite a festive atmosphere surrounding us. We sat back and enjoyed the moment and then left the worshippers to their prayer. It was quite an amazing experience!

We walked back to the Bhanwar Vilas Palace, the home of the Maharaja and were invited to dinner with his son, Vivasvat and his lovely wife.

The meal was delicious and our hosts were very modern and fun.

Walking back to our room we felt very privileged to have had the experience today that we did. It was so unexpected and enjoyable. India does deliver !!

 

 

Agra-vate ! ?

Last time we visited Agra our memories were that the Taj Mahal was absolutely incredible. However that experience was slightly affected by the pushy rickshaw and tuk tuk drivers along with never ending stream of ‘official guides’ pressuring to show you the sights.

My how things change !!! It is almost like Tourism India has been running training camps in our absence.

Sure, its still a tourist destination, India is still India but by and large everybody was really friendly, respectful and overwhelmingly helpful.

 

Passing through Agra without seeing the Taj would be unthinkable, that is unless of course you had seen it before!

Having visited The Taj Mahal twice on previous trips we visited the stunning Agra Fort instead.  (That’s why our image of the Taj is a photo off an India tourism poster!) Some may say fraudulent at best !!

Agra fort is great and generally accepted as one of the best Mughal forts in India, situated strategically on the banks of the Yamuna  river.

 

Construction began in 1565 by Emperor Akbar and many alterations and additions have been made by successive rulers. It is an interesting place to visit and spend an hour or two.

Once done at the fort we walked back down towards the Taj Mahal. We did find a little path along the river that looked a little less travelled so we went for a look. As it turned out it was great option as it passed by the cremation ‘ghats’  on the banks of the river. The ghats are where people bring their deceased family members to be cremated in the traditional Hindu way. We passed by respectfully and appreciated that it was a privilege to be able to witness up close this important part of Indian culture.

The path popped out at the Taj Western gates and this area was jam packed with people, horses, camels and carts, and of course those “official guides “. As we skirted around the edge of the Taj we made our way towards the Eastern gate via the bustling area of Taj Ganj.

 A little old restaurant with “The best roof top Taj view “ grabbed our attention so we went up for a look and a coke and a  Vegie Pokora (deep fried vegetable pattie). They did have a view however slightly obscured by several power poles and other rooftops.  The climb up the dark and steep stairwell was worth the effort anyway.

Through the maze of small and winding streets we made our way back to our hotel.

After a bit of a breather and regroup we drove down to the main market in Agra, called Sadar Bazar.

It was a funky  with lots of interesting shops, food stalls etc lining the streets. Shoes are a big thing here, as Agra has a thriving leather industry.

Not being in the market for shoes (we might have had trouble getting a size 13 for Thommo) we went in search of a snack. We found a very busy little street stall selling a variety of dishes and after watching the locals for a few minutes we settled on what was suggested to us was an ‘Aloo Tikki’

I’m sure we have the name slightly wrong but it doesn’t matter! It was a fried (mashed) potato cake/pattie served in a small bowl and topped with a coriander sauce, yoghurt, tamarind sauce, shredded ginger and a squeeze of lime. Absolutely delicious and less than $1!

 

We decided that we could call that snack dinner. Having spent most of the day on foot we decided that it was well and truly time for a beer so headed for the ‘Wine shop’ where we bought a couple of cans of takeaway Kingfisher beer.
It was another great day! We are now looking forward to tomorrow!

Friday the 13th

Many Indians are superstitious but it didn’t stop them from being out on the streets. The crowds were heaving just the same. Amongst the many we decided to seek out some of those Historical sites that we had not previously had time to visit.

Our first stop was Humayan’s Tomb

 This tomb was built in the mid 16^th century by Haji Begum. This is what the  history books suggest at least. As Haji was the senior wife of the Mughal emperor Humayun I am guessing she probably didn’t get her hands dirty and in fact it would have been built by many hundreds of artisans once she suggested it was a good idea?

It is beautifully proportioned and quite spectacular and apparently created a style that then influenced the design of the mighty Taj Mahal,

You could spend hours here although we didn’t, too many things to do!

We headed off and made our way to Raj Ghat.

 
Raj Ghat is where Gandhi was cremated after he was assassinated back in 1948. His memorial is a large black marble platform set in a big beautiful park. Many people appear to be quite moved by the experience of visiting this important place. A continual procession of people made us stop and think of what Gandi means to India.

The day was getting on so we made our way home to prepare for our journey to Agra tomorrow, the home to the incredible Taj Mahal.

Talk about extremes!

We work in the Kimberley. 421,000 sq klms of amazing Aussie outback, population about 40,000.

Delhi, an area of approximately 1483 sq klm, ( including the surrounding areas ) has a population of around 20,000,000 that’s if you can believe the locals!!

Our arrival in India was smooth and hassle free…we did wonder where were all the people ??

A transfer to our hotel was welcomed as last time we battled with the taxi queue.

After a quick check in we got out and got amongst it straight away. We headed over to the bustling market area of Chandni Chowk which is right near Jamid Mosque. We had been to the mosque before but thought a few photos this time were warranted. Unfortunately we arrived at prayer time and were not allowed in. “ Next time “

No drama, we put our shoes back on and headed off to the market. For many who arrive in Delhi for the first time this market is quite an eye opener. There are thousands of people moving through the streets with horns honking and a jumble of people, cars and motorbikes all jockeying for position. Its kind of organised chaos and while we enjoyed being on foot amongst it, we would certainly recommend that a cycle rickshaw ride is a much easier introduction to this area!

 A few hours disappeared without notice but our tummies alerted us to lunchtime. A great place for lunch with loads of traditional options. Not a great spot for the uninitiated tummy but if you are brave and happy to follow the local crowds you will find some great food. We found a terrific and quite iconic local eatery called Kake di Hatti. The sign outside suggested it had been open since 1942 and yes it certainly looked like it had.  Well worn yellow laminated tables with a mismatch of wobbly stools. A tandoor oven blazing away as we entered and the food prep area almost at our table.

It was certainly no frills but looked fantastic. We ordered a stuffed paratha (a flat bread baked in the tandoor oven) along with a paneer cheese and vegetable skewer also cooked in the oven. Delicious !

We headed back to Karol Bagh ( the Metro stop near our hotel ) a great area to stay by the way.  A block or two from a great market area. We headed out Just on dark and the streets were all lit up with thousands of fairy lights. The atmosphere was electric as many families were out and about due to the windup of this festival time.  

People often equate India as a tourism destination where you get hassled but we can honestly say that apart from a few rickshaw and tuk tuk drivers chasing us for some business. It was really relaxed and overall really friendly as this market is there for the locals, not tourists so you can simply get out there and enjoy the sights and sounds.

We had some dinner then wandered back  to the hotel…a great first day in Delhi.

Welcome to China Town

We planned another day on foot taking in the sights sounds and food of bustling Bangkok.

When I worked as a tour guide for Intrepid, their start point hotel was in Banglamphu, in the Old city are known as Rattanakosin.

This area is north of our hotel so we decided to wander over to that part of town, heading along Yaowarat rd and through China Town.

Of course every great city has a China Town and Bangkok can certainly boast that it has one of the best. As we wandered along Yaowarat rd you could be forgiven for truly believing you were in China itself. The street and shop signage all morphed from Thai characters to Chinese as soon as we past Traimit temple.

It seems everyone has something to sell. Street vendors were crammed along the street with all sorts of bits and bobs for sale. No one was in your face to sell sell sell. Just happy smiles stained with Paan ( a betel leaf and areca nut combo chewing stimulant that stains your teeth blood red )

Little alley ways disappear off the main street lined with umbrellas and market stalls selling everything from dried fish to children’s clothing and excellent fresh fruit.

The older buildings along the street are only a few stories high and have a semi derelict look about them and they reminded us both of buildings we saw in Penang, Malaysia.

We headed towards Bangkok’s Grand palace and Wat Pho, one of its finest, and oldest Buddhist temples in Bangkok and is famous for the 46 m long reclining Buddha.

Gools and I had both visited this part of town many times before so we simply enjoyed wandering around the busy streets that surrounded these iconic Bangkok landmarks.

We didn’t think we were hungry until we heard the wok tossing scrapes of the street vendors sitting on their little stools. We decided to search for the foodie place we discovered yesterday. Quite a hike but time to kill. It had a number of street food stalls all clustered together called “The Walking Street’ near Surawong Rd.

Gool’s had an omelette stuffed with diced pork, carrots and shallots, atop a plate of fried rice. I tucked into sautéed greens with chilli and chicken and rice. Once again delicious and cheap. A wopping $2 a serve.

Lips buzzing from our over excited dose of chilli we made our way back to our hotel.

After a bit of chill time and a couple of cold ‘Singha’ beers we headed out for dinner.

Once again we stumbled across another set of street vendors and made our choice of fish curry for Gool’s and and chicken and snake bean curry for Thommo.

It was a great way to finish our day before heading home for an early night. We have a 4 am taxi ride to the airport booked for tomorrow! Next stop Delhi!    

 

Same, same but different

                                                                       

It’s a wonderful phrase, and one that is often seen on the t-shirts of travellers that have been seduced by everything Thailand has to offer….

Both Gools and I first visited Thailand back in 1999. I went there to work as a tour guide for Intrepid Travel, Gools went on a holiday but we had not yet met…that was still to come, in early 2000’

Since then we have been back at least 10 times, usually as a stopover on the way somewhere else

So 16 years since the first visit and here we are back in Bangkok  and while much is the same as it was in 1999, some things are different!

The people are the same. Always friendly and smiling and very calm.

Bangkok was a bustling big Asian city back then and it still is now.

There is still plenty of traffic, lots of taxis and motorbikes and fume belching buses crawling along at a snail’s pace, but by Asian standards it’s not too noisy as the drivers rarely toot their horns, unlike their counterparts in places like India

But there are some differences, we think it is cleaner than it once was and it is certainly more modern now down around the  Silom, Sukhumvit and Siam areas.

The public transport system is much better as well, especially since the introduction of the BTS skytrain which is a quick, modern and convenient way of moving around the city. There are two lines, the Silom line and the Sukhumvit line that intersect at the Siam station making for easier travel around the shopping district

Then there is the food! Yes, it is the same and honestly that is why we are here!

It is simply amazing!

For those of you who know us, you know we live for two things, travelling and food and we have heard travellers say that if you have not eaten in Bangkok and enjoyed the enormous ranges of food flavours and textures, then you have never really eaten! Well, we are not so sure about that as we think our Kimberley camp kitchen is pretty good too?

Many people tend to think that all Thai food is very spicy and while many dishes are, the variety is so enormous that anybody can find a dish to suit their tastes.

The most authentic, and by far the healthiest food to eat can be found on the street. This may surprise many of you but its true!

 If you are hungry just wander around and find a food cart or open air restaurant, one that usually has tables and chairs spilling out onto the street and if it’s busy, and especially if it’s full of Thai people then give it a go.

This ensures that the food is turning over quickly and therefore should be fresh!
We spent all day wandering around seeking out these sorts of places and found 3 really good ones!

The first was a little outdoor street food area , built under a highway overpass! Yes interesting but really popular with the locals so we couldn’t resist giving it a try

There were plenty of choices and I settled for a spicy bamboo shoot curry and rice, while Gool’s bought some Green chicken curry and rice. It was breakfast time so we both added a fried egg!
Yeah I know not the usual choice for breakfast but when in Rome, do as the Romans do?

Once satisfied we headed of in search of another place we had eaten at once on a previous trip, across the road from MBK shopping centre.

It was a 4 klm walk there, but it took us all morning as there was plenty to do such as checking out the shops along the way, so by the time we arrived, we were very much ready for lunch!

As it turned out so was most of Bangkok, the place was heaving!

Having lived in Thailand and eaten lots of Thai food, I can usually identify most dished, but to be honest, I am not sure what my dish was called this time around. The beauty of these places is that the food is on display so you simply see something you like, point to it and its ready to go. It was a spicy chicken curry with snake beans and absolutely delicious.

In Bangkok, most food vendors speak enough English to be able to discuss whether the dish is spicy or not, so just ask if this is a concern

Gool's was on the hunt for some fresh fruit and the fresh juicy pineapple was just the ticket for her.

Tummy's full, we wandered through the alleyways and back streets and found our way back to our hotel. There were plenty of taxi's and 'tuk tuks' but we were enjoying being out in amongst the people.
We had a bit of a rest then freshened up and went out to finish the day with a chicken and fish ball noodle soup and an icy cold Singha beer. Each of the meals we ate today cost around $1.60 and the beer was $1.50, so super cheap!

It was a brilliant day out!

We can't wait for tomorrow!