Same Same Buddha

 'You from India? Same, same Buddha!' the driver exclaimed happily as he helped me with the luggage. I had a day to kill during transit in Bangkok, so I took one of the numerous tours around the city before flying back to our home in Bangalore.

Happening Bangkok Rooftop Venue Celebrates First Birthday With Innovative New Menu

Crowning Thailand’s first INNSiDE hotel, sky-high LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar is marking its first anniversary with a vibrant new menu that applies a novel twist to classic Spanish dishes.

Lost on Koh Phangan

 The buzz of our motorbike engines settles to a low hum as Karen and I pull up to the fork in the road. Most roads look the same on Koh Phangan, a tiny island off the southern coast of Thailand: crumbling concrete that frequently disappears entirely into puddles of reddish mud. At this particular fork, there were no local residents to ask or English signs to point the way. I remove my hat and wipe the sweat from my forehead.

Vibrant ‘Pinto Lunch Sets’ All The Rage at The Kites Eatery

A fun and colourful dining experience designed to “pack a punch on the senses,” INNSiDE By Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s 31st-floor all-day dining restaurant, The Kites Eatery, has launched the “Pinto Lunch Set.”

The emerging foodie scene on Bangkok's Banthat Thong Road

Bangkok's Banthat Thong Road is a culinary hotspot, offering authentic Thai street food and traditional restaurants, including Michelin-starred eateries. This 2.2-kilometer stretch is beloved by locals and tourists alike, featuring:

Trisara Promotes Movement For the Mind Through WiseMotion

Phuket resort’s new wellness retreat makes its debut with neuroscientist-led program.

Luxury Phuket resort Trisara is helping guests move towards better cognitive wellness by debuting an innovative slow-living retreat in Thailand.

Trisara Showcases Sustainable Dining Via New Wellspring Program

Package is one of two limited-time offers curated by pioneering Phuket resort this summer

Meliá Chiang Mai Celebrates ‘Slow Travel’ with Long-Stay Perks

#chiangmai #melia

As an increasing number of travellers embrace ‘slow travel’, Meliá Chiang Mai is offering a host of benefits ranging from discounts on spa and dining to access to its executive lounge.

Awe-inspiring Rooftop Bars In Thailand

There are bars and then there are rooftop bars. We’ve put together a mini round-up of two awe-inspiring rooftop bars in Thailand – one towering over Bangkok, the other Chiang Mai. Perhaps these blurbs may fit with a broader story you’re working on about bars? We’d also welcome the chance to welcome you to experience these bars for yourself.

Bangkok Rooftop Bar Commands 34th Floor with Transparent Infinity Pool

Together with INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s jewel in the crown, a transparent infinity pool, The Giant Swing Pool Bar commands the 34th floor. Nestled between bar and pool, a compelling contemporary interpretation of Bangkok’s Brahman structure The Giant Swing makes for a dramatic photo backdrop. Adjacent to the infinity pool is an expansive rooftop terrace, dotted with outdoor lounges and sunbeds, that evokes an Ibiza mood accompanied with panoramic vistas. Open from 10am until midnight, the open-air pool bar serves Mediterranean, Thai and international snacks and dishes such as INNSiDE’s Burger and cool beverages including imaginative cocktails. By night, the pool bar becomes an upper-floor extension of the hotel’s 33rd floor LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar. A spectacle unlike any other in Bangkok, tapas bar guests peer into the bottom of the infinity pool.

Chiang Mai Rooftop Bar Features Glass Bridge

Chiang Mai’s highest bar, Meliá Chiang Mai's 360-degree rooftop bar dubbed MAI The Sky Bar affords sweeping views of the Ping River to the city’s east and famed Doi Suthep Temple on the mountaintop to the west. Perched on the 22-floor, the bar features rooftop terraces at varying heights, with a spectacular glass bridge connecting the bar’s highest seating areas. Surrounded by glass balustrades that give way to stunning views of Chiang Mai at sunset and by night, the bar’s entertainment includes live bands and DJs. Drawing on Meliá’s Spanish roots, the city’s most happening venue’s menu serves a variety of tapas and pinchos, grazing boards and desserts under sections dubbed “Para Picar”, “Tableros” and “Postres” respectively. The mixologists craft a selection of beverages including imaginative cocktails that reference Chiang Mai’s forests and mountains.

Sustainable Phuket Restaurants Join Forces for Two Unique Four-Hands Experiences

Two of the most sustainable restaurants in the Phuket area, JAMPA and Aulis by Simon Rogan, are joining forces for two exclusive four-hands events this month, taking place on Friday 24th May and Saturday 25th May.

JAMPA and Aulis Phuket to showcase the best of local produce in inaugural collaboration.

The first event on Friday 24th May sees JAMPA executive chef, Rick Dingen, and Aulis Phuket head chef, Charlie Wilson, come together to serve a 15-course tasting menu at JAMPA, showcasing some of the signature dishes of each restaurant which both embody a deep respect for their surroundings and local ingredients. On Saturday 25th May, guests can experience a more relaxed lunch at HiDEAWAY by JAMPA, where diners are seated at an al fresco chef’s table in the heart of the Pru Jampa Farm.

Kayaking at Ao Thalane

Ok, I admit, I'e got no idea where I am. We had been traversing the huge bay of Krabi for days, bouncing around between Ao Nang, Rai Ley, Koh Phi Phi, until I no longer knew if we were in the Andaman Ocean, in a bay, on the mainland, or on an island.

Dusit Hotels and Resorts celebrates 75 years

‘The Art of Travel’ campaign and social media contest

Dusit Hotels and Resorts, the hotel arm of Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, is marking 75 years of Thai-inspired gracious hospitality by introducing ‘The Art of Travel’ – a special campaign featuring exclusive offers at selected Dusit properties across Thailand, Japan, the Maldives, China, and beyond, plus a social media contest giving participants the chance to win free stays plus pocket money at any Dusit hotel and resort worldwide. 

Visiting Hua Hin in Thailand

 Where can travellers escape to for a beach resort retreat that’s budget friendly as well as being known as ‘fit for royalty’? Thailand’s Hua Hin of course.

Literally fit for royalty, Hua Hin is the summer getaway for Thailand’s ruling monarchy and elite. About two to three hours away from Bangkok by coach, many locals also now use the beachside resort town for their weekend holidays.

Hotel Volunteers Help Restore Chiang Mai’s Biodiverse Forest Ecosystems

Meliá Chiang Mai’s staff have helped regenerate more than seven acres of seasonally dry tropical forest in Thailand’s mountainous north, planting more than 4,350 trees of species typical of the region’s natural forest ecosystems. In partnership with Chiang Mai University’s Doi Suthep Nature Centre and Forest Restoration Research Unit, the hotel’s volunteers have painstakingly conserved and restored forest within Doi Suthep-Pui National Park – Chiang Mai’s green backdrop and premier natural tourist attraction.

Classic Railway Revival in Thailand

Love trains? Visiting Thailand in March? 

A special train will run from Bangkok to Ayutthaya using historic steam locomotives to mark the State Railway of Thailand (SRT)'s 127th anniversary on March 26.  

Thailand’s First ‘INNSiDE by Meliá’ Unveils Sky-High Tapas Bar’s Menu

Towering over Bangkok’s trendy On Nut neighbourhood, INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s awe-inspiring rooftop tapas bar has crafted an exciting new menu, accompanied with views of both the city … and the bottom of a transparent swimming pool.