Beach

Food & Travel Guide to Koh Chang, Thailand – What to See, Eat & Do

Thailand

We had wanted to visit Koh Chang as it was a quaint island. An island of beaches and palm trees. Of simple pleasures, like a swim after breakfast or a plate of fresh morning glory stir-fried with chillies. It is an island far from Bangkok. Five hours by car and another 30 minutes by boat. It is nothing like the spectacular scenes of Phuket or Krabi. But Koh Chang grows on you. 

THE ISLAND 

The island is mostly jungles. A road goes all around the island but none that cuts through Koh Chang National Park. In the southeast near Memorial Beach is a fishing village where we have handmade crab cakes and fried barracuda – all fresh from the sea – at Salakphet. In the west where civilisation prevails, there is a touch more hustle and bustle. Outside Happy Restaurant, duck and chicken are cooked on a spit-roast, their aroma beckoning guests in. Carts of grapes, persimmons, bananas and watermelons are placed on the road for sale. In the evenings, a handful of street vendors are grilling squid and lemongrass seabass.

On a sunny day, we are whisked away to the national park to see clownfish and swim in an uninhabited beach. By dinnertime, we find ourselves at an unnamed road marked by the flashy pink coloured menus that serve as the stalls’ signboards. There is an imaginary boundary separating each stall and we end up at Thai Food Sor Chuanshim having grilled pork neck, chicken wings and morning glory. 

KAI BAE BEACH

The sun is our cue to go to the beach near our hotel. In the winter months of November to February, the sun is remarkably congenial at Kai Bae Beach. There is a regular breeze that makes the sea and sand welcoming. With the shade of palm trees that fringe the beach, we can easily slip onto a beach towel with a coconut on the side and go for the occasional swim. Others are dozing off under a book or building sandcastles. When sunset comes, Roy goes out to the tidal pools to look for hermit crabs scuttling in between the sand holes. There really isn’t much to do at the beach, and that’s pure bliss. 

GOOD LUCK SEAFOOD

There are two things that keeps drawing us to this place. One: the food. Two: Koy. Roy calls him the maître d. He’s the one to go to when you need a seat, a drink, another plate of chicken wings. Anything you need, Koy makes it happen. The first time we went to Good Luck, Koy told us, “Hope to see you here at dinner!” And he did. We had grilled squid, chicken wings, morning glory and prawns with glass noodles. We went back again and again (glass noodles with crabs the second time), each time topping the previous meal. On the night before we left the island, we order the seabass baked in salt. The fish, moist and well-cooked from the salt crust, is dipped into the most perfect chilli sauce. I can’t think of a better meal in Thailand. 

AWA HOTEL

On the day we are heading back to Bangkok, the sun is shining at its brightest. A light breeze ruffles the sun-tinted fronds of the palm trees as we indulge in a breakfast of watermelon, pancakes and waffles at AWA Hotel. As we are driven to the pier, we gaze at the dreamy kodak-coloured scenes that pass us by through the window and we wish we had stayed in Koh Chang just a little longer. 

Food & Travel Guide to the Gili Islands, Lombok – What to See, Eat & Do

Indonesia

Entering the southern port of Gili Trawangan is like stepping into a bazaar. Beachgoers cycle past even more beachgoers in their flip flops, their faces flushed pink from the sun. Musicians are playing reggae music to people lounging on beanbags, their feet stretched out on the sand. The music mingles with the smoke floating from the squids and tuna being grilled at restaurants decorated with seashell ornaments. We are being driven to the north by a horse trotting on the ground that changes from sand to deep red earth again and again to no particular rhythm. Closer to the north, the sounds of civilisation dissipate, replaced by cicadas and crowing chickens. Finally we pull up in front of our hotel and the ocean comes into full view. We kick off our sandals and sink into the water, almost forgetting that it’s time for dinner. 

FOOD 

In a way, the food on Gili Trawangan reflects the people who had come, loved and stayed. One day, we are having tagliatelle with tuna and homemade gnocchi at My House. On another, we are having skewered seafood slathered in tomato sauce at Warung Jaman Now. At the Caribbean Casa Vintage Beach, we are having cassava wedges when we find out that “The dumplings are sold out.” As we are having jerk chicken and fish stew, the waiters carry more plates to our table that is already overflowing with food. Did they misunderstand our orders? To our astonished eyes, they burst out laughing and chuckle, “Joke, it’s a joke.” We join in the laughter when we realise the meaning of it all. Island life can be pleasantly unserious.

BOAT TRIP

An early morning wake up call leads to a boat ride around the three islands with Babas and Sukry from Gili Bahari Cruise. We can’t resist plunging into the clear water for a swim before emerging for grilled bananas drizzled with tahini on toasts. It didn’t take long for us to reach Gili Meno where the ocean is met by the softest, whitest sand. I like beaches like this. It’s just bliss rolling around in the spotless sand and sea. On the way back, Babas picks up a conch from the water. After examining it, he says, “We have to throw it back. It’s too small.” It’s no wonder that the turtles love the sparkling waters of the Gilis. 

SUMI SATE

It was a rainy day when we found ourselves at Sumi Sate. A makeshift stall that had pots of boiling bakso soup and sates cooking on charcoal. That day, even the rain could not dampen the charcoal fire that was sizzling the rows of chicken and beef skewered on bamboo sticks. We could never forget this meal, the best – in our opinion – of the island. For me, it was the sate dipped in the smooth-as-butter peanut sauce. As for Roy, the bakso won his heart. 

NERO NORTH 

Our mornings are spent at the beach in front of Nero North swimming with the turtles as they breakfast on coral reefs. We do our best to idle our time away on the beach, having a glass of papaya juice or two. By the time we get up from the water, we are ready for our own breakfast of mee goreng and poached eggs on spinach toasts which lasts until the afternoon sun makes it too glaring to head to the beach. I can’t think of a better way to spend a morning at the Gilis.

Food & Travel Guide to the Amalfi Coast, Italy – What to See, Eat & Do

Italy

In the blazing heat of the Italian summer, the entrance to the Amalfi Coast is a sight for sore eyes. Houses and terraced vineyards sit atop undulating precipices against the bluest ocean. The ride on the coastline is beguiling in the picture-perfect scenes that surprise at every twist and turn. In the evening, the coast glows like a placid dream. Along the Italian Riviera, the towns light up to form a trail of stars. Elsewhere, glasses of limoncello clink.

Many have claimed the romance of the Amalfi Coast, and few would contradict that assertion. It is a place where the sweltering sun rays melt into a sultry warmth for sunbathers lounging on the golden sand. Where boats wait in front of summer villas, ready to whisk day trippers away. Where every dinner is preceded by an endless flow of aperitivi. In every season, in every decade, the Amalfi Coast still stuns the well-travelled. 

POSITANO

Positano sparkles like a jewel on the coast, with ornate buildings climbing down a cliff that falls sharply into the ocean. A trip here will cost in parking, but the jaw-dropping views it affords are not to be missed. These views are best enjoyed from the balconies of Le Sirenuse.

Once a summer house of four Neapolitan siblings, the hotel is now the vacation home of the upper echelon. The rooms are designed with an eclectic mix of Italian antiques, mosaic-patterned cushions and cream-coloured linens. Doubles start at €470. Also on the premises of Le Sirenuse is the ultra-chic Franco’s Bar, where Negronis are paired with sunset panoramas.

But of course, the celebrated Il San Pietro di Positano will never be forgotten as the 19th century villa hangs gracefully off a cliff edge. At the foot of the hotel is the guest-only beach club. Tangerine sunbeds and umbrellas gather on a cove accompanied by a bar. Private charters on a yacht and cocktail masterclasses are also available. Doubles start at €442. For another sun-kissed view, Residence Villa Yiara is an adults-only hotel with bougainvillea-clad rooms. Doubles start at €230.

From Positano, a five minute boat ride brings you to Da Adolfo. This beach shack hidden from footpaths does grilled local fish, mussel soup and mozzarella on lemon leaves. Saraceno d’Oro is also a crowd-pleaser for being friendly on the wallet, and for the vongole and seafood pasta. The best finisher to a meal there will have to be the limoncello shots. 

RAVELLO

Unlike the glitz of Positano, Ravello enchants with a sonata. It is little wonder that Ravello is the stage for the Ravello Festival of music at the Villa Rufolo, a 13th century villa with a well-manicured garden of climbing figs, hydrangeas and umbrella pines. Ravello’s villas and gardens are like the museums of Florence, and the Villa Cimbrone Hotel and its garden the masterpiece. Owned by the Vuilleumier family, the estate is a favourite of the literary set. The hotel is furnished with frescoed halls leading into 19 bedrooms and an outdoor tea room. Doubles start at €300. On the same grounds is the English garden. It can be hard to leave once you set foot on the path rambling along the rose gardens, the shaded walkways dripping with wisterias, and the unrivalled view from the terrace leading out to the ocean that knows no end.

You will most certainly pass by Villa Maria towards the town square from Villa Cimbrone. The hotel breathes old-fashioned Italian style. Small, family owned, marble staircase, and mahogany furnitures that look centuries old. The hotel only has one restaurant and that is the only restaurant to be. The menu is made up of produce from the garden sprawled below the outdoor dining area, overlooking the valley.

Back in the square, the most talked-about restaurant is Mimi Pizzeria. You get the classic margherita or prosciutto crudo di parma, and contemporaries like the Mimi – San Marzano tomatoes, anchovies, garlic burrata and lemon zest. The outdoor dining area is perfect for having a slice under a vine-covered canopy. 

CONCA DEI MARINI

The biggest draw to Conca dei Marini is the Grotta dello Smeraldo. Visiting this Emerald Cave is uncomplicated – a staircase, an elevator and a boat tour. A less than 5 minutes car ride away is Fiordo di Furore, an inlet that narrows into a fishing village. In the late afternoons, the beach there is a sanctuary for some unobstructed swimming. For food, Le Bontà del Capo is best known for its lemon and ricotta ravioli. Ask for the outdoor area seating that juts out into the ocean for the best views. 

PRAIANO

Praiano has always been the one for affordable stays within reach of Positano, but really there is more than meets the eye. There is the view. The buildings seem to be etched vertically into the cliffs, and staying at Calanteluna will make you feel like you are at the edge of the coast. This small bed and breakfast has a casual beat to it. The occasional homemade lemon cake and lemon juice in the afternoons. The after-dinner laughter and cheer resonating from the floor below. Doubles start at €90. Then there is the food without the crowds – La Strada for the seafood risotto, or Kasai for quiet dinners by the sea.