Review: Blue Lagoon Bungalows, Koh Chang, Thailand

I think I may have found paradise, and luckily enough it came cheap.

As you may or may not know, I whisked myself off to Thailand for a two week adventure which began on the beautiful island of Koh Chang. It was only fitting then, that I found accommodation that was similarly beautiful and certainly I knew my research had paid off when I stumbled across this gem.

Judging by its rave reviews on TripAdvisor I already had a pretty good idea of what to expect from this place - basic, but cute. It was low season when I was staying here, so the place was really quiet which was great. Located in the Klong Phrao beach area of the island, the Blue Lagoon resort is a collection of bungalows with varying rates and facilities. The sun shone strong and bright on mine, and my own private patio provided a tranquil, shady spot to while away the hours. I went for a lagoon-side bungalow with air-conditioning which was well worth the extra 200Bhat per night! These bungalows come with an en-suite wetroom, private patio and  hammock, and are tastefully decorated with hand-painted designs on the walls and lovely curtains over the glass doors. These curtains were never actually closed in my bungalow however, as I wanted to make the most of that view every morning!

As a lone traveller this bungalow was great, but I can imagine that it would also be the perfect place for a couple to while away a week or so. The location is totally romantic, and is only a short walk away from one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. It's a fun journey over the lagoon via a home made raft bridge that takes you over to the seafront where there are plenty of beach bars and restaurants with friendly locals who run them. The greatest bit about the beach though is the complete lack of noisy nightlife and backpacking tourists. It seems like Klong Phrao beach is one of the last untouched spots in Thailand!

There is also a cooking school and restaurant here which is supposed to be one of the very best on the island. I ate in there on one of my nights and I have to say the food was delicious, but I was put off by the lack of people eating there throughout my stay. I'm sure during peak seasons the place is packed, but during the low season people tend to flock to the beach to enjoy the tranquility of dining beside the waves.

I could recommend this place highly enough and at only 800Bhat per night during low season for a deluxe, air-conditioned lagoon view bungalow you can't go far wrong!

Find more information at www.bluelagoon-kohchang.com and enjoy!

Review: Mad Hatter's Tea at The Sanderson Hotel

Wow.

That is the only way to describe my latest afternoon tea experience at The Sanderson Hotel, London. Their 'Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea' is certainly one to remember!

The boutique hotel provides the perfect setting for a quirky and memorable afternoon tea, and they have certainly taken full advantage of this in order to create an original and delicious dining experience. Upon entering the hotel itself expect to be greeted with fresh, contemporary decor and a welcoming smile, before being escorted to your table in the courtyard. Technically you are sat outside, but when it is slightly cooler they roll down the sides of the marquee-like roof that covers you so that you still have the feel of the outdoors without the chill. The space itself is bright and airy with a water-feature in the centre and quirky decorative pieces scattered around. We went there on a Monday afternoon and yet the place was packed out. Although it's no wonder really...

Once we had gotten comfortable and fully appreciated our surroundings we began to notice the little touches that had been thoughtfully prepared on our table. A hardback copy of Wuthering Heights was sat underneath a jewellery box on top of which 'a spoonful of...' was inscribed. Upon opening we found that it was filled with sugar lumps and was actually one of those musical boxes with a little turning ballerina inside which was just adorable. Our curiosity heightened, we opened up the copy of Wuthering Heights to eventually find the afternoon tea menu glued into one of the pages. I don't know about anyone else, but I certainly already felt as curious as Alice, ready and willing to jump head first down the rabbit hole and discover more delights!

Waiting eagerly for the next instalment, the waitress arrived just at the right time with some glass bottles filled with their signature teas. We inhaled the gorgeous scents of tea leaves with original flavours such as mint choc-chip and strawberries and cream before being presented with a tea stand full of deliciousness. We chose the strawberries and cream tea infusion which was unbelievably tasty, and the lovely waitress explained to us each layer of the tea stand and in which order we should indulge in them.

We started with the sandwiches which were cleverly rolled up and filled with mouth watering fillings. We had smoked Cumbrian ham with wholegrain mustard on sun dried tomato bread, cucumber and chive cream cheese on spinach bread, egg mayonnaise with lemon and a smoked salmon delight. I then stayed with the savoury items, making my next stop the savoury scone with herb butter. It made a nice change to have a couple of savoury items on the menu, and the quiche of the day was absolutely delicious!

Next I travelled right up to the top layer which housed some delightful little carrot meringues on a bed of pea shoots, all contained in a dainty tea cup. At this point I must also mention how gorgeous the tea set was, all being designed by Luna and Curious especially for The Sanderson Hotel.  You can even purchase the sets and attempt to recreate the experience at home! To round off the top of the stand there were also some little marshmallow mushrooms which were a fun extra before tucking into the main events on the middle of the stand.

First I tucked into the chocolate teacup filled with green tea mousse. The fun of the teacup being made of chocolate was evident as all around us we could see other guests posing with it for the camera and delightfully chomping their way to the delicious centre. The 'tick tock' Victoria sponge was also completely yummy, very refreshing and importantly not too filling as there is still the melting mango cheesecake and scones to enjoy! The scones as it happens, were similarly great and the jam and cream were some of the best I've ever tasted.

The melting mango cheesecake was however, one of my personal highlights. Coated in rainbow patterned white chocolate, it hides an inventive and tasty secret at its core. As I delved further into the centre I came across a passion fruit 'yolk' which burst and covered the remaining cheesecake with a zesty coulis. 

Full and definitely satisfied I sat back and began to notice once again the little details that make this afternoon tea experience so spectacular. The napkins are held together with a riddle, a different one on each table, and there is even a 'drink me' potion hiding on the bottom layer of the tea stand with a handwritten 'drink me' label. Sipping a gorgeous passion fruit and tropical mix of something or other from the tiny bottle really rounded off the Mat Hatter experience and made everyone smile!

The cocktails that are listed on the tea menu also compliment the theme completely, and I enjoyed a creative and yummy Scarlet Martini made with Wyborowa vodka, strawberries, cucumber, honey and water, and finished with pomegranate juice. This was just one of many touches that made this afternoon tea experience one of the very best I've ever had, and one which will definitely be difficult to top! Although I'm sure I'll have plenty of fun trying!!

Review: Yaneff at DSTRKT

George Yaneff, a top American chef, has hit London in style! We were lucky enough to sample the 10 course tasting menu at this fabulous and imposing restaurant and we were not disappointed.

When first entering the restaurant we were completely blown away by how amazing the space itself was. The giant light feature in the centre of the room is imposing and fabulous and we knew right from the word go that we were in for a fabulous evening.

We hadn't really heard much about this restaurant, but upon doing a little research we soon found that its all-organic blend of modern and innovative American cuisine was not one to be missed. Needless to say, we were excited and after being wowed by the style and glamour on arrival our expectations were high.

To begin with we were served a board of delicious bread with butter as a sort of warm up to the 10 courses we were about to be presented with. To begin with we were served a delicious oyster with a passion fruit and champagne foam, followed by a tomato and watermelon salad with a fennel and ouzo dressing, and then a deliciously creamy Dunsyre blue cheese cheese with Norfolk baby radishes. These all came quite quickly together which was great, and which really helped to section off the dishes so the whole menu became a sort of three-course tapas menu.

Next we were presented with the most delicious piece of Yellow Fin tuna that I think I may ever have tasted! This little delight was served in a delicious bite-sized portion with soy foam and avocado mousse and I could easily have eaten this for all ten courses! But once this had disappeared it was replaced with an equally delicious portion of razor clam with samphire and a tomato cocktail sauce which was fresh and completely moreish. To end the fish course was a delicious portion of Cornish river sea trout with a celeriac puree, pickled watermelon rind, Dorset watercress and sea trout roe.

Before we headed off onto the meatier courses we were given a delicious course of asparagus with a yoghurt emulsion and treated to another sip of delicious white wine. DSTRKT has a wide selection of wine to choose from, and our waiter was great at recommending one for us to enjoy with our menu. You can even upgrade the tasting menu to include wine pairings for the courses as well.

Next on the menu were Welsh lamb cutlets with lamb pancetta, fava beans and heritage white bean puree served with a dish of grilled broccolini with pomegranate, micro basil and garlic which complemented the lamb perfectly.

To round off this marathon of food was an original and indulgent dessert of 'edible chocolate soil' with strawberry mousse and chocolate truffle. Completely scrumptious, it was a perfect end to a delightful evening and it didn't leave me feeling too full and heavy to get up gracefully from the table!

In the evening this place also transforms into a club, which we were unfortunately unable to sample on the evening that we were there. I have heard some amazing reviews of this place and it seems to be a hidden gem that I shall definitely be heading back to!

Review: W London - Rock Afternoon Tea

So I've been fortunate enough to be in possession of a couple of afternoon tea vouchers recently, and I was excited at the prospect of visiting the W London for their Rock Tea! As you can see from above photo, taken from their website, the afternoon tea looks exciting and delicious, and W's reputation for rock, roll and glamour certainly heightens the anticipation.

Off we went then, into the shiny black entrance of the imposing W hotel in Leicester square and directed up into the glitzy lounge ready for our palates to be treated to something which promised to be quirky and delicious. The inside of the lounge was definitely striking and there are fabulous light features and wall fixtures to keep your eyes occupied for hours, but unfortunately it was only the physicality of the lounge that ended up making a good lasting impression.

First impressions go a long way in determining the whole of the experience, and for me it was the haphazard arrival sequence and less than warm welcome that we received that really stayed with me. Firstly we were greeted as we approached the bar, before overhearing the barman call out to the hostess with "there's another afternoon tea here for you!", rather unsubtly. When we were eventually escorted to our seat for the afternoon it was not the most social of seating areas as it meant that the two of us were sat next to each other on a bench with nothing but the walls of the buildings opposite for a view.

But let's proceed to the tea itself. The actual cup of tea was served in a stainless steel teapot and with a tea bag. It was actually a very nice pomegranate infusion and was probably one of the nicest aspects of the afternoon, other than the champagne we bought as a delightful extra! The sandwiches were completely uninspiring - a standard and rather dry, single portion of egg mayonnaise, smoked salmon, cucumber and chicken. Move up a level of the record themed tea stand to the currant scones with jam and cream, and you'll find that these were actually rather nice. Although you can't go too far wrong with scones...

The rest of the experience was even less inspiring and if I hadn't have had a two-for-one voucher then I would have probably refused to pay. We actually both ended up leaving most of the desserts and no one cared to bat an eyelid when they cleared away full plates at the end of the afternoon. The desserts were trying too hard to be 'rock and roll', whilst completely forgetting to make sure that they actually tasted nice. With too much peanut butter on the devils food cake, we had to rescue it from the top shelf halfway through sandwiches as it began to fall off of the tea stand! 

I'm not going to go all the way into detail about every single item because there were some good points about the experience, namely the decor and the building itself. What I would say however is that if the food itself is not going to be up to scratch then the service really needs to go above and beyond to make up for it. The girl who served us was perfectly pleasant when we managed to catch her attention, even offering to take photos for us, but other than that we found the staff to be rather cold and disinterested. It also shows a lot about the place when the server has to bring a menu to read off of when explaining the dishes that she was serving us.

With so many fabulous options for afternoon tea in London, W are clearly missing a trick. They have an exciting and unusual sounding menu, but unfortunately for me it just didn't deliver.

Destination: A 'Whistlestop Guide' to Koh Chang

Destination: "A Whistlestop Guide to Madrid"

Book Review: Shantaram

This may end up being the only post with a one worded title, and I think that it may be one of the only books that I read that requires one.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is widely renowned for being an epic, life-changing novel. Whilst reading I could hardly believe that the events in this book were in fact real and that the author had been honest and decent enough not to split them up into separate money making adventures. He could quite easily have made a whole franchise out of the main events in his life, but certainly this would not have captured the essence of his journey.

This brick of words begins with Roberts' arrival in then Bombay, and the introduction of honest, loyal Prabaker. Each of the people met and described seems to be perfectly suited to their moment, fulfilling unique and distinct roles in the testing of Roberts' morality, conscience and sometimes very being. Perhaps we as the reader are supposed to understand these qualities in terms of the author so that we can judge him, and perhaps that is exactly what he wants and therefore how he portrays them. Prabaker is the innocence and honesty Roberts craves. Karla is the love he desires and the distance he feels he should have from it. Living in the slum means that he cannot feel guilty for escaping prison, and opening the clinic provides a platform for redemption. The mafia is the gang he feels happiest in as he can be punished by telling himself that this is who he is and where he truly belongs and Khaderbhai is the father he longed for and the figure onto whom he can offload responsibility. Perhaps this is just my understanding of Roberts' journey, but I feel that we as the reader were meant to be a part of Roberts' process of self-exploration and ultimately forgiveness and this is why we are made to feel the way we do.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that this book is way beyond a critique or a judgement, especially mine. This is more than a novel or a memoir or a journal. This is literally a man's hopes, fears and life laid bare on paper. My copy of Shantaram certainly looks like it has been through Roberts' journey with him (it was so long that it took me a long time and a lot of mileage to read), but we must not forget the physical challenges that this book has endured as well as the author's own. I have no idea how it has emerged structured and flowing after supposedly being stolen and destroyed three times during the writing process, but this certainly helps to explain the thought and emotion that is clearly coherent throughout. With this much time, pain, adventure and emotional turmoil, there is more thought provoking material than most accomplished writers could ever hope to capture in one novel, yet this strangely poetic and charismatic criminal has won the hearts of millions.

But the main point must not be forgotten. Or the main point in my opinion anyway. For me this book seemed to cry out for approval. It implored me to see Roberts' flaws and his openness in admitting them yet forgive them. Every bone in my body, and indeed most people's, would instinctively judge this man a criminal, a drug addict and as violent. This is after all what he is, however much he tries to redeem himself by admitting it. And here I suppose is where I get stuck. I want to forgive him, and I want to feel sorry for him, yet the second half of the novel makes me do the opposite even though I can see his humanity and empathise with his pain. Perhaps this is what he wants?