GSB GUEST POST » THAILAND

» TRAVELING THAILAND »

Words and Photos by Katy Ravensberg

I have been to so many different western countries. I thought it was time to spread my wings and go to Asia! I have a handful of friends who went to Thailand recently and said it was absolutely beautiful and cheap. Also, I wanted a beach vacation. We went for 2 weeks, from June 29 until July 13. Trying to schedule a time we could all go was tricky. Two of us are teachers so we had to go in the summer. This isn’t the best time to go because it’s during Thailand’s rainy season. November to March is the best time to go because the weather is amazing; however, it is their high season. So it is extra busy and more expensive. We got a lot of deals since we went during the “shoulder” season. Each of us had our own “bucket list.” One of the girls REALLY wanted to get some R and R at a 5 star hotel. Another was determined to take a private boat to the islands and I really wanted to go climbing in Krabi. Needless to say, we did it all!

+ BANGKOK +

We flew into Bangkok and stayed a four nights. This is not my favorite city. It’s VERY crowded, chaotic, hot, and a little smelly. However, we stayed at the JW Marriott and it was very worth it because of their impeccable service.

On our first full day in Bangkok we went to Yunomori Onsen & Spa-- FAVORITE thing in Bangkok. This is a Japanese spa with many different baths that help you rejuvenate, relax, and breathe. It sounds strange but it was amazing. We also got a 2 Thai massage-- which was an experience and everyone who goes to Thailand should get one as much as possible. And all of this was only $34. Amazing.

One of the girls really wanted a suit and a dress made. They have tailors EVERYWHERE in Bangkok. Let me just say-- don’t do it.

That night we went to Above Eleven for drinks and dinner. It’s an awesome bar with a really cool rooftop and DJ. I recommend making reservations. We reserved a table at the corner overlooking the city but it rained that night so we had to sit under the roof. So sad because the table looked amazing! We had delicious sushi. After we went to Havana Social which is right across the street. It has this speakeasy vibe. There aren’t signs for the bar and you have to go through a phone booth to get in. There is great music and dancing. SO FUN!

We set up tour through the JW to see all of the temples in Bangkok. It was a great set up because we had a driver and a tour guide. We were driven all over the city in AC with waters and cool towels. We saw the Grand Palace, Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha), Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha), and the marble temples. It was quite a blur. We saw so many buddhas and temples. It was a long hot day and I think if I did it again I wouldn’t have done such a long tour in the heat. You have to make sure and cover your shoulders and knees. Plus you’re supposed to have closed toed shoes. Keep that in mind!

+ KRABI +

The next day we flew to Krabi. This was my favorite part of the trip! It took a LONG TIME to get there. We took a plane, van, and a long tail boat. It was such an adventure but so fun! Everyone who goes to Krabi should stay at the Railei Beach Club. It’s a “resort” with a bunch of houses that you rent out. If you book early enough, you can get a house near the water. We stayed at Baan Chang 26 (which means “Elephant House”). Each night, there is a hut out near the water that has a happy hour and they make the best drinks!! We went every night and had these special margaritas. Everyone sits on the porch, talking, listening to music. It’s magical.

+ PHRA NANG BEACH +

We also kayaked over to Phra Nang Beach. It was beautiful! Make sure you bring water shoes. There are a lot of rocks in the water.

On July 4 we booked a private speed boat with Andaman Private Speed Boat Tour. It was a great experience! We had Thai picnic on the Bamboo Beach and no one was around. We felt like we were the only ones of the white, pristine beach. This was one of my most favorite parts of the trip.

We also stopped at a few other islands. Don’t go to Phi Phi Island. It’s SO crowded and not worth it. Our guide was so much fun and very kind. Most of the Thai people we met were so great!

 

+ RAILAY BEACH +

The next day we hiked to the Railay Beach Viewpoint. This was more like a climb. We had to hold on to ropes as we climbed up the clay/mud incline. It was so steep, pretty hard, but amazing. I love a good challenge! It’s a must do. The view is amazing, too.

Watch out for monkeys! They are everywhere and are not afraid of you. I saw one jump on a girl and take her bar out of her hands! Also, we didn’t close one of our doors one day and while we were gone, the monkeys got in and ate ALL of our food. They destroyed the house. It was not a good moment. Keep your doors closed! Speaking of food… Railei Beach Club will have food ready for you if you order ahead of time. It’s an amazing feature!

Also, have the private chef come every night to cook for you. The restaurants are very good in Railay but the private chef cooks you fresh food. It’s super cheap and delicious! There is one spot that sells really good wraps on “walking street.” Railay is really small. They don’t really have cars-- just little motorized carts. You just walk everywhere and when you leave, you take a boat. The whole place reminded me of camp!

We went on a Krabi Nature and Culture Tour the following day. This is when we got to ride elephants. We were in a jungle deep in Krabi. It was so cool to go for a ride but it’s always questionable whether or not the animals are treated well. They seem like they are but you never know. It was amazing to ride them through the jungle! We also saw a cute baby. Afterwards, our guide tried to take us to the mangroves and to some temples but it was POURING. I’ve never seen this much rain. We begged him to take us back! So we went back to Railay Beach. I don’t recommend doing a full tour if you are going to ride an elephant-- or just don’t go during the rainy season :)

Our house wasn’t available for our whole stay in Krabi so we had to move hotels for our last night. It was OK, though because we went to a very nice hotel (Bhu Nga Resort and Spa) which is right next to the dock that takes you back to the Krabi. That night the rain never stopped so we got cozy in our hotel room, ordered room service and got a good night’s sleep. It was just what we needed after staying in house without AC and being so very active for a few days!!

+ KO SAMUI +

Next stop: Ko Samui. This is our R&R part of the trip. We stayed at Hansar Samui Resort. It was amazing. It’s a 5 star hotel with a beautiful pool looking over the beach. Our hotel room was gorgeous and we even had a big patio overlooking the ocean. Our first night there we went to “The Shack” and had some delicious food. The restaurant came highly recommended. We ordered a filet, rack of lambs, and scallops. It was pricey but worth it. Afterward we went to CocoTams which is this lively bar on the beach. You sit in bean bags on the beach, drink Changs (Thai beer) and watch the show. They awesome music and fire dancers. It’s pretty exciting!

Hansar has a really good breakfast with a lot of variety. It’s included so that’s a plus! The next day we just relaxed at the fancy pool. We had waiters, cushioned lounge chairs and a refreshing pool right outside our door. That night we went to Links.  It seemed delicious. HOWEVER… two of us got violently ill.

+ NIKKI BEACH +

On a whim we decided to go to Nikki Beach. They are known for their Sunday brunches. They have music, dancers, DJ’s, and TONS of amazing food. Casey happened to have a connection with the chef. So we gave it a try. It was Bastille Day so there was a lot going on. We rented a bed near the pool and began people watching. It was so much fun and the food was VERY good. It was a really expensive day but worth it! Luckily it didn’t rain, either!

+ KOH NANG YUAN  +

DAY TRIP

-- snorkel (we bought our own)

-- walk to viewpoint totally worth it

-- You have to pay for everything-- including chairs.

It’s SO crowded

We had to move hotels because Hansar didn’t have enough space for our entire stay.

So we went to Fair House Villas and Spa. They overbooked so we got bumped up and had a private home. It was gorgeous. We had our own pool and view of the ocean. That night we ordered room service and watched a movie. The next day we did spa treatments. Two of us got a facial and the other a massage.

Then we began our trek back to Bangkok. We stopped in Bangkok one night before our flight back home. We stayed at Bangkok Marriott Sukhumvit Hotel. The rooftop is a really popular bar with beautiful views called Octave. It was raining (of course) so we didn’t get to enjoy it. We did go to their restaurant and had a wonderful dinner and wine to end the trip.

It was one of the best trips I have ever gone on!

Portland + Surroundings

PORTLAND » GSB GUEST POST

Words and Photos by Lisa Green

»GO»

Portland, Oregon is a city that truly seems to have it all — An eccentric downtown, funky neighborhoods, green and lush surrounding forests, mountains, and rivers. Inside these pockets there are famous food carts, local breweries and wineries. This is a town people go to visit and end up wishing they could move to!

Portland goes on to impress with the snowcapped peak of Mt. Hood gleaming in the backdrop only some 50 miles east of the city. Prior to my trip I had binged watched Portlandia which added to my eagerness to experience the city where, as the show puts it, “young people go to retire.”

I was in Portland for 1 week, the last week in May. It was a beautiful time of year to go. I didn't experience the stereotypical northwestern rain and gloomy skies. The temperature was in the 60s-70s, the sky was overcast or sunny, the flowers were in bloom...it was perfect!

During my trip I stayed with my sister and her fiancé in their house which is in the Laurelhurst Neighborhood, a beautiful and well-maintained area where neighbors compete for best lawn and gardens. This neighborhood is located in Northeast Portland...only 3 miles from downtown.

»SEE»
» Portland + Surroundings | The Skinny »

---DOWNTOWN---

Walking around downtown Portland is an adventure in itself.  The "weirdness" in Portland works in it's favor and no one even seems to notice or think anything of it. While I was downtown I grabbed a cold brewed coffee from Portland’s Stumphouse Coffee and sat on a bench at Waterfront Park. The park faces the Willamette River and it is relaxing to watch boats pass by.

Visiting Powell’s Books store is a must-do when you are downtown. Powell’s claims to be the largest independent new and used book store in the world. The store is so huge, it is easy to not only get lost in the pages of a book, but also in the store!

When in Portland, treat yourself to a famous Voodoo Donut. Voodoo is known for their unusual donuts, funky decor, and company logo that features illustrations of voodoo priests. I have tried the Voodoo doll donut (human shaped figure with raspberry jelly, chocolate icing, and a pretzel stake, yikes!) and the Bacon Maple bar donut (real bacon strips on top). Both were delicious!

Food Carts are a serious business in the city. I made my way to the Alder Street Food Cart Pod which is the largest collection of Food Carts downtown. I walked around the entire Food Cart Pod two times before deciding to go with the cart that had the longest line: The Whole Bowl. The company's motto is: “It’s like eating a hug.”

Lan Su Chinese Garden was worth the time and money. When inside the beautiful gardens and tea room you feel like you traveled to China.

Besides the downtown scene there are tons of funky neighborhoods to walk around for shopping, eating, and drinking. I enjoyed exploring neighborhoods of Belmont, Hawthorne Street, Division Street, and Mississippi Ave. I highly recommend a stop at Salt & Straw on Division Street for their delicious homemade ice cream. We shared a “ice cream flight” of Sourdough with Strawberries & Chocolate, Petunia’s Coconut Mint Chip Whoopie Pie, Cinnamon Snickerdoodle, and Honey Lavender.

---WASHINGTON PARK---

Washington Park is an urban public park located in the heart of Portland. It's an easy drive from downtown and it is also a stop on the MAX (train line).

Oregon Zoo--- The Oregon Zoo is impressive. I anticipated spending an hour or two there, but I ended up spending half the day! There are many animals to see and the exhibits are well done.

Portland Japanese Garden---This is the perfect place to get your zen on. You will be inspired by the garden’s beauty and tranquility.

Hoyt Arboretum---The Hoyt Arboretum is free to the public. Visitors have access to 12 miles of trails that pass by over 2,000 species of plants and tree. I enjoyed walking on the trails were you would pass under giant redwood trees and colorful bursts of wildflowers.

International Test Rose Garden— This was my favorite place to go in Portland.  This garden has been around since 1919 when it served as a testing ground for new rose varieties. The city of Portland gives out medals for best new variety. The roses smell incredible.

---COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE---

The Columbia River Gorge is just a short drive from Portland. It spans from Northern Oregon to Southern Washington and has been named a National Scenic Area. The Columbia River Gorge area offers tons of fun activities from hikes, to wineries, to breweries, and kite surfing.

Multnomah Falls--located just 30 minutes outside of Portland. Multnomah falls is a 611 foot tall roaring waterfall that is accessible to everyone by an easy 5 minute walking trail to the overlook bridge.

Dog Mountain Trail---This steep 6 mile hike is totally worth it! Hikers are rewarded by stunning views of springtime flowers, Mt. Hood, and the Columbia River.

Hood River, OR-- Pack a picnic and head to the Waterfront Park in Hood River. There you can find entertainment by watching the fearless kite surf in the Columbia River. Hood River also offers wineries and breweries.

We enjoyed sitting on the patio at Marchesi Winery and enjoying a glass while we looked out into the vineyard. We ate dinner at Full Sail Brewery. The beers are delicious but the best part is the fantastic views of Mt. Hood and the Columbia River.

---WILLAMETTE VALLEY---

The Willamette Valley is just 45 minutes from Portland. The Willamette River flows the entire length of this 150 mile valley which is surrounded by mountains on three sides- the Oregon Coast Range to the West, the Cascade Range to the east, and the Calapooya Mountains to the south.  The valley is home to more than 700 vineyards that are getting a reputation for their pinot noirs, pinot gris, and rieslings.

We enjoyed some “wiking” (wine + hiking) by walking on a trail and then tasting at Purple Hands Winery in Dundee. After that, we headed to a food and wine pairing event at ArborBrook Vineyard. (The Pinot Noir with a pulled pork slider is a must!) We wrapped up the night in downtown Newberg at Artisanal Cellars which features local wine. (Take Note: there is NOT an Uber or Lift option in Dundee or Newburg and the taxis are few are far between!)

»BE»
I greatly enjoyed my Portland visit! Besides getting to catch up with my older sister, the best part was getting to unwind and recharge after a busy school year. Each day of the trip I felt relaxed and excited for new adventures. I enjoyed simple things like walking around the city, reading in a local coffeeshop, or hiking on a trail. I think the city of Portland is a place that has something for everyone. I wish I could be that “twenty something” that goes there to retire!