Drunken Thai and fried crickets the world’s best

Forget beautiful beaches, idyllic islands and full-moon parties, Thailand’s biggest drawcard is its delicious

street food. Sarah Duff went on an eating safari. A fresh, mouthwatering plate of traditional noodles served on a banana leaf. Thai street snacks worth a bite T Pad thai – Fried noodles with egg, tamarind and peanuts Tod mun pla – Deep-fried spicy fi sh cakes served with sweet chilli sauce and chopped cucumbers Kaeng panang – A mild creamy curry made with coconut and beef, chicken or pork Tom yum – A hot and sour soup made with tamarind, lemon grass, lime juice and chilli Moo – Pork sausages mari- nated in curry and served with rich peanut sauce Som tam – Spicy papaya salad Khao soy – Curried soup topped with fried noodles Khao phat kai – with chicken pad$thaisom$tam! OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Choosing from different dishes at a food stall in the night market on massa+ Thepprasit Road in Pattaya; grilled chicken for sale in Chiang Mai; fresh rambutan, similar to litchis are man delicious; a man grills chicken outdoors on Bangsaen

iStockphoto.com Beach, Bangkok.

Winter 2012 87 Thai food

and$chillied.$Think$crunchy$$cakes$ (gung'foi'tort),$deep6fried$crabs$with$ garlic$and$black$pepper$(bpuu'nim'tort' prik'thai'dam)$and$spicy$seafood$soup$ (tom'yum'talay).$ Beach$days$are$likely$to$be$laced$with$ fruit,$of$which$Thailand$has$a$tropical$ abundance:$from$rambutan$(similar$to$ litchis),$mangosteen,$foul6smelling$ durian,$jackfruit,$papaya$and$pomelo$to$ dragon$fruit$and$the$sweetest$mangoes,$ Pitaya is the tropical fruit of several cactus species. They are more commonly known as dragon fruit.

which$make$an$appearance$on$street$ iStockphoto.com stalls$in$all$manner$of$dishes.$Try$unripe$ mango$cut$up$with$chilli,$or$ripe$on$top$ coals$until$blistered,$and$fruit$shakes$of$ side$of$the$road,$on$the$whole$you$can’t$ of$coconut6infused$sweet$sticky$rice$(kao' really$go$wrong$in$Thailand.$Nowhere$ niaow'ma'muang),$deep6fried$bananas$ Although$there$will$be$some$snack$ else$in$the$world$can$you$feast$like$a$king$ encrusted$in$sesame$seeds$(khanom' disasters,$inevitable$when$you$buy$an$ for$a$day$for$the$price$of$one$restaurant$ kaek),$slightly$green$bananas$grilled$over$ meal$at$home.$

rikkainn.com, double rooms from 750B, MYANMAR 0 100 200km (BURMA) Travel'planner about R187), Chiang Mai Thai House in LAOS Chiang Mai (www.chiangmaithaihouse. Chiang Mai Getting'there com, double rooms from 400B, about Thai Airways fl ies directly to Bangkok from R100), Cocohut Village on Leela Beach in Johannesburg, but it may be cheaper to Koh Phanang, a great spot if you want to THAILAND fl y via Mumbai, Dubai or Qatar on Jet Air- splash out (www.cocohut.com, bungalows ways, Emirates or Qatar Airways, respec- from 2 000B, about R500) and Bulone Re- tively. Prices start at around R7 000, and sort on Koh Bulon Lae (www.bulone-resort. CAMBODIA you can fi nd affordable package deals on com, bungalows from 400B, about R100). Bangkok sites such as www.travelstart.co.za. Cooking'courses Getting'around There are many cooking courses to Transport in Thailand is generally reliable, choose from, offered across Thailand.

safe and cheap. Many backpackers Ask your guesthouse, hotel or other Koh Tao choose to travel long distances by bus, travellers for their suggestions. I recom- Koh Phangan but trains are more comfortable (if you mend Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking Ko Samui book a fi rst-class or second-class ticket) School ([email protected],

and the scenery is spectacular. www.thaifarmcooking.com), which offers Phuket one- to three-day courses for 1 000B Hat Yai Where'to'stay (about R250) a day, including all the Koh Bulon Lae Thailand offers everything from dirt-cheap ingredients, pick up from your hotel, MALAYSIA accommodation in dorm rooms to luxury and a visit to the local market. fi ve-star resorts. For 100B (about R25) you Special'precautions can get a dorm room, around 800B (about What'you’ll'need'to'get'by Check with your GP about vaccinations R200) gets you a clean but basic room One rand gets you around four baht. and malaria prophylactics before you go. and bathroom, and 1 500B (about R375) Everything in Thailand, from food to It’s generally recommended to get vac- gets you a spacious room with air-con. transport and accommodation, is sig- cinated for Hepatitis A and B and typhoid. I travelled to Thailand as a fl ash- nifi cantly cheaper than in South Africa. Tap water is not safe to drink – stick to backer (an upmarket backpacker) and You could easily get by on 1 000B (about bottled water. Street food is generally my favourite places to stay were Rikka R250) a day for accommodation, food, safe to eat, but stick to food that’s been Inn in Bangkok’s Khaosan Road (www. water, beer and local transport. cooked (avoid unpeeled fruit or salad).

Accommodation price ratings: a person a night, usually B&B, sometimes full board under R250 R251 – R499 R500 – R750 R751 – R999 R1000+

88 Getaway International