We’d only have 36 hours before continuing to Siem Reap for some crazy temple running around Angkor Wat, therefore the next couple of hours would be intense.

Stepping out of KLIA airport immediately made me feel like home (even though home was over 10.000 kilometres way); the people, the language, the vegetation but most of all the air. I can’t quite describe it, yet the smell of Asian air is unique and I’ve always thought so since I can remember. Anyway, the schedule was tight so we took the KLIA Express to Sentral station (28 minutes vs. 60 minutes by taxi) and continued to our hotel in Bukit Bintang.

Bukit Bintang is one of the liveliest places in Kuala Lumpur.

One thing was clear immediately, Kuala Lumpur has tuned into a city under construction; wherever you look, huge buildings wrapped in green and/or blue plastic were characteristic for the cityscape.

We passed through Little India and the Chinese Quarter before arriving at our destination. By now, it was almost 5.30pm – this is the time when our bellies start grumbling – so we quickly took a shower, changes into some shorts and headed out for some traditional Laksa soup. A small street vendor not far from our hotel offered the best Laksa in town for a very affordable price. The best ending to an exhausting travel day…

Laksa soup at a street vendor in Kuala Lumpur.

We started a day with a good cup of coffee and some yummy mangoes, which we bought the evening before.

Destination Nr. 1 would be Chow Kit market, which houses Kuala Lumpur’s largest wet market section. Here you’ll come across some real curiosities and it’s definitely not a place for smell sensitive people.

The meat market section of Chow Kit market in Kuala Lumpur.

We must have stayed at Chow Kit market for at least two hours before continuing to the shopping centre inside the Petrona Towers. I needed a new camera bag  and I knew that I’d find a suitable one in there (and I did). At the same time, we wanted to buy tickets to up the famous KLCC sky-walk (a real photographers delight), as well as the 82nd floor. But, turned out that all tickets were sold out already. So, here’s a good tip: If you don’t want to wake up at 6.00am to stand in line for one of the very looked after tickets, just go there whenever you want and buy one in advance for the next day or so. Anyway, so this was definitely a bit of a set-back because we really planned on shooting some night-scape photos from up there. We changed our plans and I still got my one-million-dollar photo that same night.

Petrona Towers – KLCC – in Kuala Lumpur.

By now, it was about 1.00pm so we gave ourselves a little break at the pool. By 4.00pm, we were out on the streets again. But not for long as it started raining cats and dogs. But now we at least had a good excuse to spoil ourselves a fantastic massage and a visit to the hairdresser. As it is in Asia, rain comes out of nowhere and it stops just as fast. So we continued our way back to the Petrona Towers for some night-scape photos. As usual, we ended the day with a delicious Laksa soup and some fresh fruits.

Our 36 hours came to an end, the next day would start with a wake-up call at 3.00am…

Location.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Siem Reap is by far not a large town, yet you’ll find hotels located all over the place; many of them out of reach from the city centre (at least by foot), which doesn’t make them attractive for us (5 stars back and forth).

The Golden Banana hotel is located perfectly – not right in the centre, but still in walking distance. This will give you peace & quiet during the night, yet freedom to roam the streets of Siem Reap without having to rely on tuk-tuk drivers or hotel chauffeurs.

• Address: Golden Banana Lane, Phum Wat Damnak, Kum Sala Komreuk, Krom 10, Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Telephone Number: +855 (0)12 654 638
• Website: rambutans.info

Comfort Level.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Arriving in the small alley that leads to the hotel, wouldn’t make you think that any minute now you’re stepping into a little city oasis. But that’s exactly what happens.

The Golden Banana has four different hotels, all located next to each other. Depending on the room you booked, you’ll be living in one of these. We were at the Golden Banana Boutique Hotel – the smallest place out of the four – with about 7 double-decker villas, a lovely pool, as well as a dining/cocktail area.

Greeted with a friendly smile by one of the staff members, we took a seat while writing down our details and zipping fresh lime juice. Afterwards, we were lead to our apartment for the next 3 days.

Just to be clear, I did have some expectations of the way the hotel & its rooms looked, since we already stayed there 6 years ago (even though back then there was only one Golden Banana Hotel) & I was the one who booked the hotel. So I knew what it should look like … but you know how it is with hotel photos found on the internet … photoshop ahoy! This time our expectations where definitely exceeded; lots of space, lovely furniture and decorations, great balcony and amazing bed & bathroom – all set on two floors. It couldn’t get any better than this.

Big Plus:

• Guests can use all 4 facilities. You can sleep in one hotel, dine in the other and go swimming in the next – and all of this within approx. 50 metres!
• The hotel is located in a side street, so you won’t be bothered by loud noises during your sleep.
• Very gay friendly.

Food & Drinks.

Rating: 5 out of 5

We never understood why anyone would dine in their hotel when travelling. That is until we stayed at the Golden Banana hotel in Siem Reap.

After an exhausting day of 6-8 hours temple running at Angkor Wat, we weren’t able to walk another metre when returning to the hotel, so we decided to give the house kitchen a try … and we were (again) not disappointed. The food was delicious. The Cambodian cuisine like Fish Amok or Cambodian Curry was exquisite and we decided to eat here every night. After stuffing our bellies, we always treated ourselves to a couple of nice & refreshing cocktails – amazing cocktails that it! Best Mai Tai ever!

Service & Hospitality.

Rating: 5 out of 5

A lot of times when someone is really friendly to you, they want something; whether it’s money or something else – a hidden agenda is very common. Not at the Golden Banana Hotel. The staff is trained very well and you can see & feel the Western influence behind it. No one will try to rip you off and you will always get a fair price.
Example: we asked for a private taxi down to Phnom Penh and staff didn’t even charge any commission or tried to add a couple of dollars for themselves.

Big Plus:

• Free & working Wi-Fi

Price Range.

Rating: 5 out of 5

One would think that with all the amazing services mentioned above, the price must be the big downer. Think again! The Golden Banana Hotel offers a great & very fair overall package.

Here’s a quick overview of the most important:

Sleeping.

• 1 night per villa (including breakfast & free Wi-Fi): Starting at US$ 52

Food & Drinks.

• Dish: US$ 2.50 – 6.50
• Soft Drink: US$ 1.50 – 2.50
• Cocktail: US$ 4.00

Overall Feedback & Impression.

Rating: 5 out of 5 – well deserved!

Everything was perfect and there’s not a single thing we could complain about. It’s the best place to stay at in Siem Reap. Thanks for a lovely time! Also, there’s a new hotel in Phnom Penh, the Rambutan Resort, which we need to check out next time for sure!

The Golden Banana Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia – Pool Area.

The Golden Banana Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia – Pool View from Room.

The Golden Banana Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia – Room View.

The Golden Banana Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia – Bathroom.

The Golden Banana Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia – Balcony.

The Golden Banana Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia – Breakfast.

What an experience!

The wholesale market for fruits and vegetables in Kolkata is an experience that is really difficult to describe. You make your way through dozens of trucks, which are parked only centimetres apart from each other, hundreds of porters, vendors, auctioneers, buyers and people who load & unload the trucks from their precious cargo – fresh fruits and vegetables that arrive here every morning from all over India, to be auctioned off right on the spot.

Words & photos are good for imagining such ongoing activities, but we also put together a little video (with out iPhone, so please excuse the quality) of the market’s happenings. This way, you’ll not only get an impression on the number of fruits auctioned off, the people who roam these streets, the heavy goods that need to be loaded onto trucks, but also the constant noise level…

Oranges, pineapples and bananas.

On the day of our visit, the main fruits that had just arrived were oranges, pineapples and bananas. Bananas (still on the stem) are a very attractive fruit and are sold piece by piece. How that works is that one porter stands in front of the truck, with the banana stalk on his head for display, while the auctioneer is shouting out the price. It’s a fast business, and all over sudden the bananas disappear in someone’s box or basket, and the next stalk is brought out for the auction.
With oranges it’s a bit different; they’re stacked up in a pyramid shape and sold tower-wise.

Obviously this place is hardly ever visited by foreigners. Many people asked how and why we came there and they were quite astonished when we said that we just wanted to have a look around.

We had the best time and the vendors seemed to ‘enjoy’ our company. A trader gave us apples from Kashmir as a present and everybody was keen to have his picture taken. It was a really great experience, yet it was a bit difficult to move along, because we didn’t want to be in anyone’s way … especially not if they’re carrying a 50 pound basket!

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Biddings at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Baskets full of papayas the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

After learning to cook at his mother’s bed and breakfast, Daniel went on to work and train at many of the world’s top restaurants. His culinary education brought him to Spain, France, England, India and New York, where he has worked and trained. After graduating from NYU, Daniel also pursued a career in film. He has directed, filmed, edited and produced projects on various issues including the development industry in Africa and oil politics. Daniel’s most recent film “What are we doing here?” has aired on TV, in theaters and at numerous festivals around the world.

So, since you all know that I love food (especially Asian food), it was clear to me that I’d have to share this video with you. It made me hungry the first time I watched it, and it still does today…

I think the most important thing to bring along, is a water kettle. It will keep you out of trouble – you can make your own tea or coffee (a major source of all diarreah diseases). You never know how water is boiled, even in the most expensive restaurants (and what for so you need those anyway?)…So when you wake up, make yourself a nice morning coffee to get the day started.

The setting in a nice restaurant might be nicer or cosier, but for a good lunch or evening meal go out in the area where you stay, or ask the guy at the reception where the local food stalls are. Always choose the place with the most people; this food will likely be the freshest and these high frequented spots have a good turn-over of food. Maybe chicken curry is not your favourite at the time but it will be fresh and keep you out of stomach troubles. After having enjoyed a great meal (which doesn’t cost more than a loaf of bread in our western countries), sit down with the locals for an evening drink in this flashy setting…

Food vendor at Chatuchak market in Bangkok, Thailand.

Yummy curry.

Food vendors are found in every city.

Make sure to hit a spot with a good turn-over.

3 guys (Andrew Lees, Rick Mereki & Tim White) show us the things you can see on a world trip –  44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage. All to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films…= a trip of a lifetime.

The three videos (by independent filmmaker Rick Mereki) became an internet sensation overnight. “Move” will make you want to hit the road straight away. “Eat” will have you heading to the next supermarket & heating up the stove. “Learn” will simply leave you smiling.

Settling In.

I always have the feeling that if we can afford the most expensive hotel in a place, we’re really far away from home (though it was not really expensive, maybe 30 € a night – but I know, that’s a lot in India). We simply wanted to treat ourselves since we saved on our 3^rd class train ride; the trip from Siliguri to Dimapur cost us something like 5 € per person on the overnight train, so we could spoil ourselves a bit.

So the hotel even had internet connection in the lobby, interrupted a few times by a power blackout, but still… Inquiring when the last western tourist passed through, the receptionist said: “Maybe a year ago.” and probably wondered what the hell we were going to do here.

Exploring Dimapur – Jesus Is The Solution.

When going out for our first check of the city, we immediately spotted the first church. Later on we came to know that the people of Nagaland are mainly Christians. In the evening, there was a gathering close to the hotel of people who were campaigning for the Christian religion. The announcer (he looked like a young western theology student) proclaimed things like: “Do you have financial problems? – Jesus is the solution!”  He didn’t seem too happy to spot a white traveller (who btw is able to look through his sneaky recruitment). We just thought to ourselves if there was really anyone in the crowd who believed that there would be a bank transfer from heaven at the end of the month… We shook our head and walked on.

Dimapur is a dusty, noisy, vibrant and very busy city. Lots of shops, especially religious shops in which you can buy Christian symbols – statues of Mother Mary and so on. Lots of internet cafes, many of them full with online gamers, can be found here as well. We passed a lot of curious shops as well, like many second hand clothes stalls, where they sell clothes from Europe and the US. We read “Abercombie & Fitch”, ” H&M” and so on… Maybe someone ships these giveaway-clothes to India. Anyway, I found use of a wonderful long sleeve “Yves Saint Laurent” shirt which was going to protect me from the sun (the temperature was about 38° Celsius). For only 3 €, I now own a designer shirt, not too bad.

There were not a lot of restaurants in Dimapur but we found one in a side street which was full with diners – that was the right one for us. It was a gritty hotel as well, which we found out when asking for the toilet. The toilet was on the rooftop with no door and a great view over Dimapur, also something I’ve never done before. Anyway, back to the food. We’re both not vegetarians, but India and vegetarian food go hand in hand. I can’t remember what we got, but it was delicious! The thing with all these travel related diseases can be tricky, but this time we managed not to get sick even for a single day. I think it was partly because we only drank tea (made by ourselves with our water kettle and plain bottled water) and no meat for 6 weeks. It was “veggies only” throughout our trip.

Food Tip.

• I have to say, food is necessary but not on our priority list. We’re always on the lookout for a restaurant or food stall that has a high turnover. Our experience shows us, that the main thing to avoid trouble (diarrhoea, etc.) is to eat in places with a high turnover because then you can be pretty sure that the food is fresh.

We decide to continue to Kohima the next day. And this is where Part 2 of our story ends…

More Nagaland Stories.

Travelling Nagaland: Part 1 – Getting There.

Travelling Nagaland: Part 2 – Impressions Of Dimapur.

Travelling Nagaland: Part 3″ – Kohima & Surroundings.

Northeast frontier Railway welcomes you to Dimapur.

The Rickshaw driver in Dimapur knew what we were looking for.

Definitely an interesting shop sign – but it made us laugh really hard while strolling the streets of Dimapur.

A market woman in the streets of Dimapur.

Fresh vegetables can be found at any market in Nagaland.

Dead frogs awaiting the next customer at the market in Dimapur.

Typical looking trucks in east & north-eastern India.

Exploring the wet market in Singapore.

If you arrive in a different city and want to see the real life, markets are the best place to do so. Most of the times, you’ll be the only white person there, because a lot of “regular” travellers don’t dare to go there. That’s a big mistake…but that’s just my opinion.

Since we recently stayed in Thailand for two weeks and had a bit of bad luck with the weather on Koh Kood island, we had four days in Bangkok before returning home. I’ve heard from many people that Bangkok is not that special and there really isn’t that much to see. Well, what can I say?! I’ll have to prove them wrong ;) Here are 6 markets you shouldn’t miss:

Klong Toey Fresh Market.

Klong Toey Fresh Market is Bangkok’s biggest fresh market. This market almost seems like a little village within Bangkok. Why? Two reasons: First, it’s so huge that just by walking around in the district Klong Toey, you’ll somehow end up at the market…there’s no need to walk through little side alleys to get there. And second because you simply find everything you need. Whether it’s food, stationary, kitchenware or cloths. Plus, the district Klong Toey is the biggest slum & sea port area in Bangkok, so there’s a crowd around all the time. It’s a big must for every market fan!

Facts.

• Opening hours: Daily from 6.00 am – 2.00 am
• How to get there: Take the MRT subway to Klong Toey station, exit up the escalators and then walk east on Thang Rakfaiko / Rama IV Road for ten minutes until you reach the large intersection of Rama IV and Narong Road. The market will be on your right-hand side. Or, you can take bus numbers 45, 46, 72, 102, or 107 to the area.
• What to find there: Meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, herbs & spices, cloths – pretty much everything you need.

The main building of Klong Toey market.

Street vendors can be found all around Khlong Toey fresh market.

Dead frogs are just one of the many gruesome things you will come across at Khlong Toey fresh market.

A small, hidden village deep within the Bangkok busy city jungle; Khlong Toey fresh market seems to have a life of its own.

Klong Toey is a very ‘fresh’ market, offering low prices on raw meat, seafood, farm produce, and other items.

There’s also a fruit section at Klong Toey.

Fresh crabs are a speciality at Khlong Toey fresh market.

Porters roam the streets of Khlong Toey fresh market, waiting for customers to uploading their latest purchases.

Mahachai Market.

Mahachai is a small town located about 45 kilometres southwest of central Bangkok. Mahachai is famous for one of the largest fresh seafood markets in Thailand. It’s one of the main seafood distribution centres that feeds the hungry population of Bangkok. Seafood producers from the entire country come here to sell their catch. As soon as you arrive at the market, the smell of seafood sticks with you even after you leave the market.

Facts.

• Opening hours: Daily from 6.00 am
• How to get there: Either go by car, or if you want a bit of an adventure, take the train. The train to Mahachai leaves from Wongwianyai station. Take the BTS to Wongwianyai and from there you have to walk a couple of minutes to get to the station. Make sure you get your ticket before you get on the train (cos about 10 Bath per person).
• What to find there: Fresh fish, dried fish, crabs, shrimps and a southeast Asian specialty: Blood.

Mahachai market and the railway live next to each other, so when the first train arrives from Bangkok, vendors have to move their wares off the tracks for the train to pull into the station.

Even if you’ve never heard Mahachai market, you’ve probably seen a video of a train going through a tightly packed market, where market stalls are set up on the rails.

Fresh fish can be found all over Mahachai market, this unfortunately also includes sharks & shark fins.

Mahachai Market is one of Thailand’s largest traditional fresh seafood markets, where visitors will find all sorts of fish – fresh, or dried.

Dried fish can be found all around Mahachai market. Drying food is the world’s oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years. The method is cheap and effective in suitable climates.

One might not like to think about this, but blood is one of the most important ingredients in the southeast Asian cuisine. At Mahachai market, you will come across many stall like the one above.

Chatuchak Market.

Chatuchak Weekend Market (JJ) is one of the world’s largest weekend markets. It covers an area of almost 30 Acres, is divided into 28 different sections & contains more than 15.000 booths selling goods from all over Thailand. You can imagine my face when I stepped out of the BTS train and saw this huge market…jaw dropping. Chatuchak Market is a very popular shopping destination for Thais but has also become very popular with tourists. Thais from all over the country come here to buy goods for their local shop. Each day, about 200.000 visitors come here (30 % tourists). You can pretty much find everything there, from books to antiques to live animals and plants.

Yes, Chatuchak Makret sounds like a true shopper’s delight. For me, it was much less than that; not only am I not a fan of huge gatherings, but also the entire area was simply too large. As soon as we stepped out of the BTS train, the crowds started showing up. The way from the BTS station to the entrance of the market was maybe only 100 meters, yet it took us almost 15 minutes to get there. Viewing the market from above (from the bridge from the BTS station to the market area) still made it all quite clear but as soon as we were down in the crowd, our orientation got lost. I suggest that you go with the flow, because otherwise you’re just going to struggle. They’ll lead you somewhere anyway.

Tips.

• Chances of getting lost in the crowd are high. If you’re there with a friend, make sure you conclude a meeting point before.
• Wear comfy shoes; you’ll walk a lot.
• Drink, drink, drink…you’ll sweat like a pig so keep your water level high!

Facts.

• Opening hours: Saturdays & Sundays from 9.00 am – 6.00 pm and Fridays from 6.00 pm – midnight. The plant sections are also open on Wednesdays & Thursdays from 7.00 am – 6.00 pm.
• How to get there: Skytrain (BTS) to Mo Chit station; take exit no. 1 and follow the crowd.
• What to find there: Ah well, you’ve 30 Acres of pretty much everything you need (or don’t need).

Just follow the crowd to Chatuchak market.

Chatuchak weekend market is a great place for good quality fabric and excellent tailors.

Foos stalls at Chatuchak market offer all sorts of different cuisines.

One of the many aisles at Chatuchak market.

Food stalls are all around Chatuchak market; 200.000 mouths need to be fed every day ;)

Bo Be Tower Clothing Market.

Bo Be market has been known as the centre of garment wholesale for over 30 years. Today there are well over 1.300 shops under one roof making Bo Be the biggest garment wholesale centre in Thailand. Furthermore, Bo Bae offers you shipping services to send your cargo worldwide. It is THE place for all types of clothing, for men, women and children; casual and formal. I liked this market because it was not so over run by people. And I actually bought something for a change ;) A shirt for my dad for about 40 bath…pretty darn cheap.

Facts.

• Opening hours: Daily
• How to get there : Taxi or Bus no. 1, 4, 7, 25, 53
• What to get there: Cloths (including traditions Thai cloths), shoes, bags, etc.

Bo Be market in Bangkok is a real jeans paradise.

Bo Be market is a great spot for children’s cloths at a very low price.

Saphan Khao Fruit Market.

I have never seen so many fruits in one spot as on the  Saphan Khao Fruit Market. Truly unbelievable! Tons and tons of different fruits. You’ll get every exotic fruit there is right here. We were told that all of Bangkok comes here for fruits; whether it’s the local food vendor from next door or the chef of a five star restaurant. Saphan Khao is THE place to go to!

Facts.

• Opening Hours: Daily from 6.00 am – 6.00 pm (as far as the taxi driver told me correctly)
• How to get there: Bus no. 2, 59, 60, 79, 511 or Taxi
• What to get there: All kind of fruits in huge quantities.

A visit to a fruit market with dragon fruits, mangoes, melons, pineapples and star fruit piled up agains each other is a definite must. In Bangkok there is no better example of such a place than the Saphan Khao Fruit Market.

Whether you’re looking for fresh watermelons, or pretty much any other fruit, Saphan Khao is the right place.

We’ve never seen so many pineapples on one single spot. The Saphan Khao fruit market is a real delight, also thanks to the lovely smell of fresh fruits.

You can buy as many truck-loads of pineapples as you want at Saphan Khao fruit market.

Mangoes are one of our favourite fruits and at Saphan Khao market, you’ll find tons of the most yummy mangos you’ll ever come across.

Pak Klong Talat Flower Market.

Pak Klong Talat is a large wholesale flower market. Merchants travel here from all over Thailand to sell their flowers and wandering the streets here is a colourful and fragrant experience. Out of all the markets, this one was the least “spectacular”; not because there was nothing to see but more because by the time we got there it was 3.00 pm and the “trading traffic” was over already. Next time I’ll be there at 2.00 am, cause that’s when the business starts at Pak Klong Talat.

Facts.

• Opening hours: 2.00 am – 6.00 pm
• How to get there: The market is on Chakphet Road. You can either get there by Taxi or with the Express Boat (station Saphan Phut) and then by foot.
• What to get there: Flowers, flowers & more flowers.

Lots of lovely smelling flowers can be found at Pak Klong Talat market.

Pak Khlong Talat is the primary flower market in Bangkok and is also called a “place of symbolic values” to Bangkok residents”.

You’ll definitely find the right flower for your loved one at Pak Klong Talat flower market.

If you’ve read the entire article (or just looked at the photos), you’ll realize that the markets in Bangkok are a big must. Not only for fans like us but everyone. If you have the time, stay a couple of days longer and simply stroll the streets of this super exciting city. You won’t regret it. These markets will give you an impression of Bangkok that will stick with you, away from the tourist traps.

Anyway, I don’t eat everything as one might think now…I try to stay away from certain foods like beef & pork during all of my travels. I prefer chicken, fish, lots of vegetables & fruits.

If there’s a (full) plate on the table, I’m happy ;)

…and this is what I’ll leave behind – empty plates ;)

Now you all know that I love food & that Thailand was my personal food paradise, so therefore I really don’t want to keep all the good stuff we saw at the markets from you. Here are a couple of photos of fresh veggies & fruits & ready-to-eat dishes…

Fresh vegetables.

Thai aubergine and Okra can be found at the markets in Bangkok.

Tons of lemon grass.

Fresh fruits.

I usually don’t like bananas, but the ones in Asia make it into my tummy as well ;)

Fresh Pineapples at a market in Bangkok.

Mangos are one of my favourite.

You’ll find lemons on every market in Bangkok.

Chili is a must in every Thai dish – and I’m happy about that ;)

Ready-to-eat dishes.

A vegetable noodle soup with fresh basil & sojbeans – absolutely fantastic!

Different varieties of food/curry at a food vendor in Bangkok.

Best Pad Thai I’ve ever eaten!

Thai green curry with rice – I’m hungry.

Fresh curry at a market in Bangkok.

Another fresh veggie soup – yummy!

Fried rice – I ate that at the bus station in Trat & it was so good; never knew fried rice could be so tasty.

Grilled bananas at a market in Bangkok.

Anyone hungry now?

It’s the celebration of the Chinese belief that if you abstain from meat & dairy products, you’ll enjoy good health and bliss. Since we’re in Bangkok at the moment, we had to travel to Chinatown (particular around Charoen Krung Road – here you’ll find heaps of little side streets to wander around) to see how the Chinese actually celebrate this festival.

How we found out about the Vegetarian Festival.

While stuck in traffic, our taxi driver told us that nearly every street in Bangkok’s Chinatown will come alive with yellow flags, starting on the 25th of September 2011. During the nine festival days, traffic will be really bad around the Chinatown area. He said that when you see one of these flags at a restaurant or food vendor, they will only offer a vegan menue. Well, this is not always the case … while we walked around the streets in Chinatown, we came across many little food stalls with yellow flags, yet still there was meat on display. I guess the thought counts.

History of the Vegetarian Festival.

So how come there is such a thing as a Vegeatian Festival Bangkok and how did it get here? It’s believed that a Chinese group fell ill during their visit to Bangkok. They then decided to follow a strict vegan diet. At the same time they prayed for the purification of the body & mind to the Nine Emperor Gods. Since then, the Chinese in Bangkok celebrate this festival annually. If you ask me, it’s a great one; not eating meat from time to time isn’t only healthy but even the hardest meat-eaters will realize how yummy veggies can be ;)

Walking along in Bangkok’s Chinatown.

Yellow banners at Charoen Krung Road in Bangkok.

A food vendor (selling fried bananas) in Chinatown.

In the heart of Chinatown.

The yellow flag (usually) indicates a vegan food restuarant/vendor.