Destination Feature: Thailand
Reflections: On Superlatives
Thailand is a superlative of all things exotic and otherworldly. When I first saw the temple roofs along the Wats of the Chao Phraya River, I couldn't take my eyes off of the colorful mosaics, the reflections, the liberal use of jewel tones and gold leaf, the geometries of skylines that resembled the drippy sandcastle creations of childhood. We had entered a royal kingdom, for the 'King and I' was set here. I was living in a fiction that was somehow real. For all its traditions and formalities--the acceptance and juxtaposition of extreme nightlife, good-time bars, the ubiquitous lady-boys out front--it is a nation of contrasts.
For Bangkok and Thailand in general have long been easy prey for dramatic (and sultry) Hollywood backdrops, from French soft-core porn, to Bond spy flicks. There's a dash of everything, for everyone, in Thailand. Markets bustle with shopping wears, from cheap neon-glowy things to Burmese antiquities hushed across the volatile border. Superlatives extend to hospitality in very literal ways: the nation practically gave birth to the notion of "world's best" lists, with its luxury hotels dominating the top of such charts for years, and its bars and restaurants carry on such a legacy today. [Our visits deem the accolades warranted.]... Continue Reading the Editor's Note
The World's 'Best' Hotel Lobbies & Bars
Quintessentially Bangkok
Travel Research: Bangkok Eats
Phuket Hideaways
A Collection of Incredible Resorts on the Andaman Sea
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Resources and Intel
Intel: Cash is King
You'll need good, old-fashioned paper currency in Bangkok. Read more.
Intel: Don't Insult the King, btw
Be aware of the Royal Defamation Laws. Read More.
On Location: Koh Samui
A work assignment in paradise.
Musings
Listen: Soundtrack of 'The White Lotus'
For Dreaming of: A Background to the Iconic Series.
Watch: 'Emmanuelle' and 'The Man with the Golden Gun'
For Dreaming of: 1974 was all the rage in Thai-Hollywood.
Taste from Afar: Thai Noodles with Cinnamon & Prawns
For Dreaming of: A different kind of Thai-spicy.
Beauty: Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok
Bangkok is a gilded city, bejewelled in gold leaf, intricate mosaics, and sandcastle-like palace toppings. The Reclining Buddah, here at the riverside Wat Pho temple, is a calm contrast to the frenetic traffic, pedestrians, markets, and tourists of its surrounds.
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Edition One - Featuring Marseilles and Provence, Alaska, 1997 Egypt, José Right in Portugal, Japanese film
Destination Feature: Washington DC
Edition Two - Featuring the American South, Luxury Train Travel, and the culinary delights of Italy
Edition Three - Featuring Barcelona, Brazil, and a Highway 1 Roadtrip
Edition Four - Featuring the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mauritius, Shanghai in 2005, and a search for vanilla.
Edition Five - Featuring Paris, a weekend in Santa Fe, and La Paz, Bolivia.
Destination Feature: Portugal Beyond Lisbon
Edition Six - On Remoteness featuring Newfoundland, Ecuador, Cuba’s Viñales Valley, and Fiji.
Destination Feature: Cape Town, South Africa
Edition Seven - On Taste featuring Tasmania, Belgium, São Tomé, and more.
Edition Eight: On Cozy Traditions - Featuring the Italian Dolomites, Finland retreats, Switzerland, Montana, and the Ice Hotel.
Edition Nine: On Family Travel - Featuring all things kid-friendly, including our guide for first timers, Paris, plus hotels in Madrid, London, & Cartagena, a café in Amsterdam, and family traditions in Jamaica, 1998.
Destination Feature: National Parks of the American West
Edition Ten: On Luxury - Featuring plush hideaways in Sicily, the Seychelles, Indonesia, Zanzibar, and Venice, plus a Kenyan safari and an acclaimed resort in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Destination Feature: Sydney, Australia
Edition Eleven: On Travelling Badly - Sharing our worst tales: an accident in New Zealand, horrible stays in Brazil and Maine, a collection of bad reviews, tips on travelling better.
Destination Feature: Lisbon, Portugal
Edition Twelve: Escaping the Crowds - Alternatives to the crowded beaches of Europe. Sofia, Bulgaria, a capital of cool; the multiple delights of Slovenia; and quiet stays in Bordeaux, Greece, & Sweden.
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